What to expect at your first pregnancy ultrasound

The article was professionally consulted by Specialist Doctor I Le Hong Lien - Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology - Vinmec Central Park International General Hospital.

Seeing the baby on the ultrasound screen is one of the most exciting moments for mom and dad. However, many couples have a lot of questions about their first pregnancy ultrasound. So, what to expect at their first pregnancy ultrasound?

Similar to other types of ultrasound, fetal ultrasound is also based on the mechanism of emitting and receiving reflected waves from a sound wave generated by the transducer, thereby forming an image of the fetus. The type of ultrasound and the frequency of ultrasounds depend on the indications of the antenatal clinician and the wishes of the parents.
If the mother encounters some problems during the first prenatal visit, such as unexplained bleeding, the doctor may order an ultrasound immediately. In this case, the indicated technique is transvaginal ultrasound because it can provide clearer images of the fetus as well as the mother's reproductive organs than ultrasound can. through the abdomen. Early ultrasound will help accurately diagnose the situation of both mother and baby to have appropriate care and treatment.
Many mothers who go to antenatal care for the first time or have a pregnancy ultrasound for the first time will feel shy and worried, especially in the case of being asked to have a transvaginal ultrasound. In this case, here are some ways to make them feel more confident:
Talk to the doctor and technician about some things about your baby and yourself during this first pregnancy and what what to expect from ultrasound results Married with a spouse: It is always a great mental reassurance for a woman to be accompanied by her husband not only during the first prenatal checkup or ultrasound Ask a female technician performing the ultrasound procedure: Helps reduce feelings of embarrassment during the procedure.

In the event that there are no abnormal conditions during the antenatal check-ups, each mother will have 3 periodic pregnancy ultrasound milestones to note, including:
Ultrasound at 11 weeks to 13 weeks and 6 days to screen for donw's disease, identify fetal malformations, screen for cases of abnormal chromosomes, identify single or twins, triplets,... Ultrasound when pregnancy reaches 18 to 22 weeks of age: Observe and evaluate the morphology and structure of the skull, brain, bones, fetal heart, vascular system (Doppler ultrasound),... Ultrasound when the fetus reaches 30 to 32 weeks of age: This is The fetal period is almost structurally complete. The purpose of ultrasound in this period is to assess the health of the fetus, the function of organs and parts of the fetus such as the circulatory system, respiratory system, heart, blood vessels,... Periodic ultrasound is a good way. It is best to accurately calculate the date of birth as well as monitor and detect abnormalities in the structure and function of the fetal parts. Currently, in addition to the three periodic ultrasounds mentioned above, many parents can also conduct more alternating ultrasounds to facilitate monitoring the baby's development.

A normal fetal cycle lasts about 40 weeks, counting from the last day of the last menstrual period. Many mothers, when they know they are pregnant, are eager to go to the doctor and have a pregnancy ultrasound to soon observe the shape of their baby. However, if the ultrasound in the first 2-5 weeks of the cycle, it will be difficult to see the shape of the fetus or see the size is also extremely small, even in transabdominal or transvaginal ultrasound, even during pregnancy. In the second week, the zygote may not have implanted in the uterus.
The ideal time to have the first pregnancy ultrasound is when the fetus is between 6 and 10 weeks old. During this time, mothers will often be assigned to do a transvaginal ultrasound because the fetus is still small, and transabdominal ultrasound is difficult to provide clear images of the baby. Mothers also should not worry because this ultrasound technique is completely safe for both mother and fetus if the technician performs correctly and enough steps in the technical process.

The first pregnancy ultrasound is also the basis for doctors to evaluate:
Confirm the existence of the fetus, determine whether it is a single, twin or triple pregnancy? Relatively predict the baby's date of birth Checking the fetal heart rate Checking the mother's genital organs such as the placenta, uterus, ovaries... Diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy Screening for abnormalities structure of fetal parts such as brain, bones, ... or congenital malformations may be acquired. Fetal examination and ultrasound is a way for parents to observe the day-to-day development of their baby in the womb and provide information so that doctors can assess the structure and function of the fetal parts, clinical filter and notify parents of abnormalities of the baby through each stage of pregnancy. The ideal time for the first pregnancy ultrasound is when the baby is about 6 to 10 weeks old and the technique used during this period is usually a transvaginal ultrasound or transvaginal ultrasound.
Vinmec International General Hospital offers a Package Maternity Care Program for pregnant women right from the first months of pregnancy with a full range of antenatal care visits, periodical 3D and 4D ultrasounds and routine tests to ensure that the mother is healthy and the fetus is developing comprehensively.
Specialist I Le Hong Lien has been an obstetrician-gynecologist at Vinmec Central Park International Hospital since November 2016. Doctor Lien has over 10 years of experience as a radiologist in the Department of Ultrasound at the leading hospital in the field of obstetrics and gynecology in the South - Tu Du Hospital.
Source : parents.com & baby.center