Ultrasound during pregnancy

Ultrasound examination during pregnancy is a mandatory stage of screening examination. Thanks to this diagnostic procedure, you can make sure that the future child .

Ultrasound is absolutely safe for the baby's health and can be used several times during pregnancy. What else do you need to know about this procedure?

What is it?

Ultrasound diagnostics is a simple and intuitive way to diagnose the course of pregnancy. Most women undergo this study at least once during the waiting period for a baby.

Ultrasound uses high-frequency sound waves to map the internal structures of the body.

The sensor of the device for ultrasound diagnostics emits sound waves that are reflected from internal organs and tissues. This information is transmitted via a receiving device to a computer, which creates a two-dimensional image on the screen.

Why do I need an ultrasound during pregnancy?

• Confirmation of pregnancy
• Determination of the number of embryos (one baby, twins, triplets)
• Assessment of the age of the fetus, its size, maturity and health
• Fetal growth control
• Sex determination: after 18 weeks of pregnancy, ultrasound examination allows you to get a clear image of the child's genitals
• Determination of fetal malformations: growth disorders of internal organs, brain, limbs, nervous system
• Diagnosis of high-and low-water-anomalies in the amount of amniotic fluid
• Evaluation of the fetal position in the uterus
• Evaluation of the placenta location
• Monitoring procedures such as amiocentesis, cord blood sampling, or chorionic biopsies used to confirm genetic developmental disorders of the unborn child

Ultrasound examination allows you to provide important information about the course of your pregnancy and the health of the baby, as well as timely diagnose possible problems and monitor the course of treatment.

How to prepare for ultrasound during pregnancy?

A full bladder helps the diagnostician to get a clearer picture of the state of the uterine cavity-especially in the first months of pregnancy. Therefore, before the ultrasound examination, you should drink more water and refrain from urinating an hour before the examination.

In the case of transvaginal (using a special sensor placed in the vagina) examination, no special training is required.

What happens during the ultrasound examination?

Ultrasound examination is performed in a women's clinic or a medical center. Here you will be asked to take off your clothes or roll them up so that you can access your lower abdomen.

The specialist conducting the ultrasound diagnosis will apply a special water-based gel to the abdomen. It allows you to improve the contact of the sensor with the skin and the passage of sound waves to the internal organs.

Ask the specialist a question

When you go to your first appointment with the doctor who will guide your pregnancy, be sure to think about what you want to ask him. We offer a cheat sheet of ten questions.

If you are going to have a transvaginal ultrasound, be prepared for the fact that a sensor the size of a tampon in a disposable case, carefully lubricated with a conductive gel, will be inserted into the vagina. This method is usually used at the very beginning of pregnancy, when the uterus is still hidden behind the pelvic bones, or to assess the condition of the cervix throughout pregnancy.

The image of the uterus and fetus is displayed on a special black-and-white monitor. The doctor will assess how your pregnancy is progressing, and at your request can even print an image from the screen.

Decoding the image from the screen of the ultrasound device is very difficult for an inexperienced person. Do not hesitate to ask the diagnostician to tell you all the details.

The whole process of ultrasound diagnosis during pregnancy usually takes a few minutes. At this time, you will not feel any discomfort.

Are there any risks?

Scientists have not identified any risks to the health of mothers and children associated with ultrasound. Ultrasound is considered one of the safest procedures performed during pregnancy.

The most important thing

Ultrasound is a safe and informative procedure that is performed during pregnancy. It allows you to assess the condition of the future baby, the features of its development, and even gender. The procedure is performed within a few minutes and is completely painless.