Ultrasound scans

Seeing your baby for the first time can be very exciting, even if it looks like a blob with a big head. You will probably see your baby wiggling around, and if the sonographer shows you it’s heart beating you will be surprised at how fast and furiously it beats. (Roughly 120-160 beats per minute compared with yours, which is around 100 beats per minute).

It is your choice whether you should have an ultrasound scan and you should not feel pressured to do so. Most parents relish the opportunity to see their baby on the screen in front of them, and especially for the father perhaps, (who may have a more abstract notion of the pregnancy) it is an opportunity to make the experience of becoming a parent more of a reality.

One of the main questions parents worry about is whether ultrasounds are safe for the unborn baby. An ultrasound scan is a procedure which uses high-frequency sound-waves to view the internal organs and images of the human body, by reflecting the solid tissue back onto the a computer screen. It is a non-evasive treatment, which means it doesn’t penetrate the skin or body openings, so doesn’t expose you to any infections. This is why it is ideal for tracking the progress of developing babies, as unlike X-rays, it doesn’t expose you or your baby to any radiation.

Scans are not always 100% effective either. There are countless stories of parents who have been informed during a scan that their baby was a little boy, only to get a shock when, at the birth, they discover ‘he’ is really a she! Similarly, little problems are sometimes missed and occasionally, major problems go unnoticed. The efficacy of the scan will depend on the quality of the equipment, the length of time the scan lasts, the ability of the sonographer and where the baby is lying in the womb.

8-12 weeks Lots of women are offered a scan at their first antenatal visit or booking in visit. This scan measures the baby’s size to work out how many weeks pregnant you are. It may also show up if you are expecting twins or multiples.

11-14 weeks You may be offered a nuchal fold translucency scan, for the early detection of Downs Syndrome. Not all women are offered this scan, although most women over 35 are.

18-20 weeks All women are offered a scan at this stage in the pregnancy, and it is sometimes referred to as the foetal anomaly scan. The sonographer will be able to get a clear view of your baby’s organs and development, and can pick up on any abnormalities at this stage.

Most women won’t have any more scans after this, but some women are offered a 30 week scan which can help to detect placental problems, growth retardation and the volume of amniotic fluid.

What happens at an ultrasound scan?
At an early scan you need to drink plenty of water and not to empty your bladder, which enables the sonographer to see as much of the uterus as possible. This can be uncomfortable, but it is so the ultrasound waves can reflect through the water your stomach and helps to give a clearer picture.
You lie on your back and the sonographer puts some clear gel on your stomach, which helps the ultrasound transducer’s contact with your skin.

You should be informed of what the sonographer is doing and you should feel able to ask questions about what you can see. Usually, you are able to keep the picture of the scan.

Vaginal scans
To get a vaginal scan the doctor will insert a tubular probe into your vagina, where the probe is much closer to your uterus and can give clearer pictures. It is particularly useful at the early stages of pregnancy when the foetus is small and may not show up on a normal ultrasound scan.

If you would like to talk to other mums-to-be about ultrasound scans, you can visit the Tests and Checks area of the chat forum.