Of all the tests you will have done during your pregnancy, this will probably be your favorite. By means of the ultrasound, also known as sonogram, you will be able to see images of your baby sleeping or moving her hands and feet. On the other hand, the ultrasound will also provide your doctor with invaluable information concerning your pregnancy and your baby’s development.

How is an ultrasound done?

It is a very simple painless procedure. If you are in your first months of pregnancy, they will ask you to drink a lot of fluids and not to urinate before you come to the appointment. When the uterus has not yet grown too much, a full bladder makes it easier to see.

During the appointment you will be asked to lie down and uncover your belly. Then the nurse will apply gel to your belly, in order for a gadget called a transductor to better slide on the surface. The transductor is rather small in size (depending on the model it could be the size of a deck of cards) and emits sound waves that are registered in a computer and then converted to images of your baby. You will be able to see these images on a screen.

Ultrasounds have been around for forty years already and are considered safe for both the baby and the mom.  

Vaginal ultrasound

Sometimes, for the ultrasound that is done in the first few weeks, a vaginal transductor is used instead of the one used on the belly.  The baby is still very small and this helps to get a clearer image.

In order to carry out a vaginal ultrasound, a small transductor is introduced in the vagina, which is the size and shape of a tampon, and is shielded with a condom. The technician will move the transductor around to find the clearest image of the baby, and to take the necessary measurements once it finds the baby.  

What an ultrasound can tell the doctor

Ultrasounds provide information about the baby’s structure and internal organs, as well as the placement of the placenta, amongst other things. The first ultrasound, besides being the most exciting for you and the father-to-be, because you will see your baby’s heartbeat for the first time, will also provide your doctor with very important information concerning:  

• The baby’s age. The dates you give to your doctor may not coincide with the baby’s size. By using an ultrasound, the doctor can determine how many weeks and days old the baby is, based on its development stage.

• Position of the placenta and the fetus. Thanks to the images of your uterus, your doctor can determine if the placenta is correctly placed or if it is in a position that could create problems during pregnancy or birth, such as what is known as placenta previa. Placenta previa could be one of the causes of vaginal bleeding. 

• Number of babies. More than one mom-to-be is surprised during the first ultrasound, to find that she is carrying ¡two or more babies! 

• Amniotic fluid. The ultrasound enables to see if the baby is floating in an adequate amount of amniotic fluid, or if there is not enough fluid and something has to be done about it.  

• Heartbeat. This is one of the first things your doctor will be looking for in the first ultrasound. Listening to your baby’s heartbeat for the first time is a very emotional experience. Try to share this moment with the dad-to-be.  

The ultrasound also helps rule out important issues such as an ectopic or extra-uterine pregnancy. Through the images, it can also be determined whether all the baby’s basic structures (heart, spine, brain, etc.) are forming correctly.

Your first memories

When the doctor or the technician is done with the ultrasound, he or she will give you the best images of the baby in print. They are your first pictures for the baby album! In some facilities they may even let you videotape the ultrasound so that you can watch it at leisure at home. Ask if this is possible, beforehand, so you can take a videotape, CD or DVD with you to the appointment.  

If there is something that you are watching that you don’t understand, ask your doctor or technician to clarify, but take into account that sometimes technicians are not authorized to comment on what they are seeing and only the doctor may do so.  

Level II ultrasound

It is a normal ultrasound, just as others that you get done throughout your pregnancy, that doesn’t require special equipment to carry it out. The difference is that the technician or your doctor carries out a much more in-depth exam of all the baby’s structures. For example, he or she explores the four heart chambers, the spine, the brain, lungs and all internal organs in general.  

This type of ultrasound is usually done if the mother decides not to have an amniocentesis, in order to make sure all is well.  

3D ultrasound

In the last years, technological advances have made it possible for ultrasound images to be seen in 3D. This enables to clearly see parts of the body that you could not see so well before, such as the toes, placement of the ears, etc.  

3-D ultrasounds don’t always produce good images where you can see the baby clearly. This depends on a series of circumstances such as their placement, the amount of amniotic fluid or simply the precision of the machine.