How often can you do an ultrasound during pregnancy?

A pregnant woman is responsible for two lives: her own and the developing embryo. Bearing a child is a natural process, but complex and responsible, so the expectant mother is constantly worried and worried. How many babies grow inside, are there any pathologies and how is the fetus located? An ultrasound doctor will calm and answer all these questions. But how many procedures should be? How harmful are they? Perhaps it is better to do without ultrasound?

The first trip to the diagnostician

The girl who noticed symptoms of pregnancy or decided to confirm the test results, the gynecologist gives a referral for a free ultrasound examination. You can go through the procedure in a private clinic, if the queue is long, but you need to urgently find out whether the patient will become a mother.

A woman who came to the diagnostician at an early stage is examined by the transvaginal method. The specialist uses a long hose equipped with a wave emitter. He inserts the device into the vagina, and thanks to this method, it accurately determines whether the egg has fertilized, how large the embryo has grown, and how many weeks the fetus has grown. The first ultrasound is considered a test and unscheduled. The woman is told the news and given time to decide how much the child is desired, and how to proceed.

Trimester One: Embryo Formation

The patient discussed her condition with her husband or relatives, consulted with friends, carefully considered the pros and cons and realized that she had long wanted to try herself in the role of mother. It remains to register with the gynecologist and follow all instructions of a female doctor. The first is to undergo another ultrasound examination at 10-14 weeks.

Patients whose pregnancy was diagnosed at 2-3 months, you can refuse the procedure. Provided that no pathologies were found in the fetus, the uterus is completely healthy, and the gynecologist did not suspect placental abruption. If the girl got an appointment with an ultrasound specialist at 4-8 weeks, you will have to go again for an examination.

Why go through the first trimester? To register with a gynecologist, collect all the certificates and get a pregnant card. During the first ultrasound, the diagnostician will tell you how many embryos develop in the womb, and whether there is a threat of miscarriage. At 10-14 weeks, specialists find such genetic abnormalities as hydrocephalus and Down syndrome.

At an early stage, you can not refuse an ultrasound examination, because thanks to this procedure, an ectopic pregnancy is determined and the patient's life is saved. The specialist will evaluate the condition of the growing fetus and say on what date the birth should be scheduled.

A healthy woman should undergo only one ultrasound per trimester. A pregnant woman can be referred for a second consultation with a diagnostician if:

• uterine bleeding has opened;
• the gynecologist suspected that the fetus had stopped;
• the embryo grows slowly and does not meet standards;
• a woman complains of drawing pains in the lower abdomen;
• at the first examination, the diagnostician suspected placental abruption;
• in the early stages, the mother had to take illegal drugs or work with toxic substances.

If the gynecologist offered to repeat the screening in a week or a few days and pass additional tests, do not worry. Specialists want to collect a detailed history of the mother and the fetus in order to make a final diagnosis and refute the suspicions that have arisen.

Second trimester: the child continues to grow

A pregnant woman should have a second ultrasound scan at week 20-24. The diagnostician will evaluate how much the mother’s stomach and the child developing inside have grown. At this time, screening is done to determine the pathology:

• heart
• nervous system;
• brain;
• Bifid's back;
• cleft lip;
• lack of a brain;
• cleft palate.

The second wave study identifies Patau and Edwards syndromes, as well as the gender of the unborn baby. You can invite the father of the child with you to find out together who will be born: daughter or son. Doctors at 24 weeks conduct an ultrasound examination of the vessels of the placenta to prevent gestosis. Pregnant women should visit the diagnostician on time, follow the recommendations of the gynecologist and not be afraid to undergo additional ultrasound.

Third trimester: final conclusions

In the period from 32 to 34 weeks, the woman will have the last planned screening. Diagnosis allows you to determine the child's malformations that can be removed surgically. The fetus will be operated on in the womb, and the baby will be born completely healthy.

Thanks to ultrasound, doctors will determine the weight and size of the baby, and then decide which method of delivery to choose: natural or cesarean section. The diagnostician evaluates:

• fetal position: with a head in the left or right side, up or down;
• condition of the uterus and birth canal;
• the cord is not wrapping around the neck or body of the baby.

Additionally compare the size of the birth canal and the volume of the fetal head. If the baby seems too large, the woman will be offered a cesarean section. Planned surgical intervention will avoid serious injuries and heavy blood loss.

Ultrasound in the third trimester is necessary for doctors to develop tactics for childbirth. In addition to screening, the child measures the pulse and makes a cardiogram, conducts an examination of the circulatory system. A pregnant woman may be given an additional ultrasound immediately before birth if a previous examination revealed a cord entanglement, an incorrect position of the baby, or a mother’s problem.

Reasons for additional research

A healthy mother for all nine months should visit the diagnostic room 3 to 5 times. It is safe and does not harm the baby or the woman herself. Ultrasonic waves are emitted at a frequency of 2 to 10 MHz, fending off the soft tissues of the fetus. The device does not irradiate the child and does not cause the development of pathologies.

It is possible to undergo an ultrasound at least every 2-3 weeks, if the gynecologist considers that there is a need. Pregnant women can become regular visitors to the diagnostic room, in whom:

• there was rubella during gestation;
• previous pregnancy ended in a miscarriage or the birth of a dead baby;
• the father of the baby is a close relative;
• family history has hereditary diseases;
• Rhesus conflict with the baby;
• chronic diseases can threaten the life of a woman or fetus.

Additional studies are carried out when the pregnant woman expects twins or triplets, or all symptoms indicate placental abruption. The patient may also be advised to undergo unscheduled Doppler ultrasonography if her blood coagulation has changed or gestosis has begun.

3D study

In ordinary clinics, a two-dimensional scan of the fetus is used, which allows you to consider anomalies and monitor the development of the child. In some modern centers, expectant mothers offer a new service - three-dimensional ultrasound.

This procedure should be done only from 20-21 weeks. The number of scans can be unlimited, but it is advisable to resort to this type of research only in cases where there are serious reasons for it:

• suspicion of an abnormality or disease that two-dimensional scanning cannot detect;
• fertilization occurred artificially using IVF;
• the woman decided to become a surrogate mother;
• gestation is accompanied by serious complications.

Numerous studies have shown that ultrasound does not lead to fetal abnormalities. But the procedure, like taking pills or vaccination, is not completely harmless. You do not need to refuse screening, but you should not do additional diagnostics without the recommendation of a gynecologist. Three-and four-dimensional scans should not be abused, because they use more powerful radiation.

Ultrasound is an important and necessary procedure that a pregnant woman should not be neglected. It is painless and safe, helps control fetal development. For the entire period of gestation, from 3-5 scans to 10-30 can be done if there is a threat of miscarriage or complications. But do not be afraid that this will harm the baby. No, an ultrasound scan will help to endure and give birth to a healthy baby who will delight her mother every day.

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