What happens at your dating scan
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When should I have my earliest scan. Nonetheless, male sonographers will always have a female chaperone working with them. Have you seen our images of. Sometimes a pregnancy may not be developing in the correct place an ectopic pregnancy. What caballeros the 12-week scan show. If you have had previous miscarriages or have a high risk of miscarriage, you may also be offered an early scan. As the transducer gets to work, a black-and-white image of your baby will appear on the monitor that the sonographer is looking at. You will be north to empty your bladder after the transabdominal ultrasound is completed and before the transvaginal ultrasound begins if transvaginal ultrasound is required. Ask your GP if you want the reassurance of an early scan.
VIDEO A look at what your scans will involve. What is an ultrasound scan? An ultrasound scan sends high-frequency soundwaves through your uterus womb. These bounce off your baby and the echoes are turned into an image on a screen that shows your baby's position and movements. Hard tissues, such as bone, reflect the biggest echoes and are white in the image, and soft tissues are grey. Fluids, such as the amniotic fluid that your baby lies in, appear black because the echoes go through them. Your sonographer the person performing the scan will look at these shades to interpret the images. Most parents look forward to their scan because it gives them a first glimpse of their baby. Your sonographer is likely to give you a printout of the image of your baby as a keepsake, although some hospitals charge for this. Treasured though this image will be, remember that the purpose of the scan isn't to provide the first photo for your baby album, or to find out your baby's sex. It's to check that your baby is developing normally. Who will do the scan? Scans are usually done by radiographers or midwives who are trained in ultrasound, and are known as sonographers. Most have a postgraduate certificate, diploma or master's degree in medical ultrasound. Special scans may be needed in some pregnancies and these will be carried out by a doctor trained in ultrasound, known as a maternal fetal medicine specialist RCOG 2000. If you're seeing a private obstetrician or an obstetrician in a public hospital, she may also do a short scan at some of your antenatal appointments. These scans can be used to check the general health and growth of your baby and how your placenta is working. Seeing your baby is also a nice way to bond with him. Although the isn't in question, you should always be told what the purpose of a scan is and have the right to refuse, especially if there's no medical reason for its use. What is an ultrasound scan used for? Will the scan reveal the sex of my baby? It can do, but not usually until you have an at around 20 weeks of pregnancy. But if your baby is lying in an awkward position it may be hard to tell. Some hospitals or private ultrasound centres have a policy of not telling women the sex of their baby, as it's often not possible to be certain. How is an ultrasound done? If you're having a scan in , you'll need to drink a few glasses of water beforehand so that your uterus is pushed out of your pelvis by your bladder, giving the sonographer a good view of your baby. She will put some gel on your tummy and will move a hand-held device, or transducer, over your skin to pick up images of your baby. If your baby is still too deep in your pelvis, or if you're , the images won't be very clear, so a vaginal scan may be necessary. The vaginal transducer is long and narrow to fit comfortably inside your vagina. The sonographer will use a cover similar to a condom and will lubricate this with plenty of gel, so it slides in easily. It isn't necessary to go in very deeply, and it will not harm you or your baby in any way. Vaginal scans give a much clearer picture of your baby, especially at a very early stage of pregnancy. Does an ultrasound hurt? An abdominal scan is painless except for the mild discomfort of the transducer pressing on your tummy if you have a very full bladder. You won't usually be asked to fill your bladder for scans in later pregnancy, but check with your midwife or doctor first. Some women prefer a vaginal scan, as it's best done with an empty bladder. You may feel a bit embarrassed, but remember the sonographer does these scans every day. She'll cover you with a sheet, and, if you relax your muscles so that the transducer can slide in easily, it shouldn't be uncomfortable College of Radiographers 1998. When are ultrasound scans usually carried out? If you have had previous miscarriages or have a high risk of miscarriage, you may also be offered an early scan. But in many pregnancies, your first scan will be your , which happens between 11 weeks and 13 weeks and 6 days of pregnancy. Read our article about. Your doctor or midwife may suggest a growth scan if your baby feels and measures than expected. Do I have to have an ultrasound? Although most women in Australia have at least one scan during pregnancy, you don't have to have one. Scans can give useful information about your pregnancy, and most women find them reassuring. But many abnormalities can't be seen on scan, and sometimes the scan findings can cause worry. If your doctor or midwife recommends a scan and you'd rather not have one, ask her to explain her reasons to you. The final decision rests with you. What if the scan shows a problem? You'll naturally be very worried if your scan suggests that there's a problem with your baby. Sometimes a clear diagnosis can be made from the scan, such as. In other cases, the scan may show minor changes, known as , which are usually nothing to worry about, but can occasionally be a sign of something more serious, such as. If the sonographer finds anything unusual when doing the scan, she should refer you to a doctor. The doctor may recommend to do a further test, such as a or , to see if the baby is developing normally. If a scan reveals a serious problem, you should be given plenty of support to guide you through all the options. Although such serious problems are rare, some families are faced with the most difficult decision of all, whether to. Other problems may mean a baby needs surgery after birth, or even surgery while still in the uterus. Or there may be the need to prepare for a baby who needs. There will be a whole range of people to support you through any painful times, including midwives, obstetricians, paediatricians, physiotherapists and the hospital chaplain. Ultrasound has been used in pregnancy for more than 30 years and there are no known side-effects. No link has been found between scans and a baby's birthweight, childhood cancer, sight and hearing problems, or dyslexia Salvesen 1997. Most experts agree that the primary use of ultrasound should be for the purpose of medical diagnosis ASUM 2005. Australasian Society for Ultrasound in Medicine statement F1. Statement on the Appropriate Use of Diagnostic Ultrasound Equipment for Non-Medical Entertainment Ultrasound www. Occupational Standards for Diagnostic Ultrasound. National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guideline 62. Antenatal care: Routine care for the healthy pregnant woman. Having a Mid-pregnancy Ultrasound Scan? NHS Fetal Anomaly Screening. Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. Routine Ultrasound Screening in Pregnancy; Protocols, Standards and Training. Epidemiology of diagnostic ultrasound exposure during human pregnancies. BMUS Bulletin 5 4 : 32-34 Went in for my scan today at 7 weeks really hoping to hear a heart beat as this little one is a bit of a miracle and I'm so anxious about making it to 12 weeks. The doctor said all they could make out from the scans was the gestational sac as my uterus is bulky and large and the pregnancy is at the top of it out of range of the scanner. Now I'm even more anxious. She said it's possibly because this is my 4th pregnancy 15 years since the last. Has anybody else had this experience? Thanks for any advice.
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