An ultrasound scan during pregnancy is considered to be the safest, accurate, and most cost-effective way of determining vital information about the unborn baby in the womb. It is no wonder it is the most widely used tool today in the care of expectant mothers. Each ultrasound scan is always excitedly anticipated by most mothers-to-be as each comes with its own share of surprise. This is because thanks to advancement in ultrasound technology, today it is possible to have images of your unborn baby to take home with you, something which introduces a whole new dimension to your pregnancy making it seem very ‘real’.
Before the ultrasound scan is taken, the ultrasound technician will advise you to take a lot of water and not empty your bladder since a full bladder necessitates clear images. Holding on a full bladder while pregnant, particularly at the latter stages of pregnancy can be very uncomfortable but you just have to hang in there as it will be well worth it in the end. At times also the scan may not give the clearest of results perhaps because of poor positioning of the fetus and the technician may advice you to empty a part of your bladder – an almost impossible task but equally important all the same.
The process is very simple, your stomach will be smeared with a very cold watery gel, something this will also be uncomfortable at first but progressively warms up as the scanning progresses. The best thing about an ultrasound is that you will not feel anything from the actual process; you will simply lie in there watching your little one on the monitor, a very gratifying experience indeed.
Al ultrasound is the most accurate way of determining the accurate gestational age of your unborn baby. The same is used to make measurements which are able to confirm that the baby is growing well and there are no risks or possible problems. At the start of the pregnancy anywhere between the 7th and 13th week, the crown-rump length of the unborn baby is usually measured to give an accurate estimation of the gestational age. After the 13th week, the measurement of the diameter of both sides of the head is taken to help further determine the gestational age.
The longitudinal growth of the baby is determined by taking measurements of the femur, which should also be done early enough in the pregnancy. Later on in the pregnancy, your ultrasound scan would most probably measure the abdominal circumference, which tells the actual size of the baby and not really the age – useful measurements that monitor growth and development.
An ultrasound scan can further be used to determine the status of the pregnancy, whether it is correctly positioned in the uterus cavity. An ultrasound for such a purpose becomes all the more important for women who have suffered ectopic pregnancies before as signs of risks can be seen as early as 41/2 weeks. The health of the fetus can also be determined through an ultrasound scan, especially if the mother is suffering from vaginal bleeding at the onset of the pregnancy. The heartbeats of a fetus can be detected as early as 6-7 weeks.