Sonogram

Sonograms are ultrasound tests that generate a picture of the fetus inside your womb. These images allow your gynecologist to safely observe your baby’s growth and development while still in your uterus. By bouncing sound waves off your internal tissues, sonograms deliver an accurate picture of your child’s movements for diagnostic and preventative purposes.

Your first fetal sonogram usually occurs during your first trimester. The sonogram images confirm your pregnancy and help your doctor determine how long you’ve been pregnant. With this information, your prenatal gynecologist provides an estimated due date. If your pregnancy is uneventful, your next sonogram occurs in your second trimester to ensure proper growth and anatomical development.

If your doctor has some concerns regarding your pregnancy or the baby’s growth, you may need follow-up ultrasounds or even other imaging tests, such as a magnetic resonance imaging or MRI. Additional tests help diagnose and treat abnormalities. Fortunately, everything you need for proper prenatal support is available.

Types of Sonograms Available

Depending on your condition, your doctor chooses from six different types of sonograms to view your abdomen. All are painless, safe and effective diagnostic tools. All send sound waves to your uterus and translates the reflected waves into a picture on a monitor. While all are common, most physicians prefer to use either a transabdominal or a transvaginal ultrasound. The six types of sonograms are:

1. Transabdominal ultrasound. Your technician moves a wand or transducer across your abdomen, pressing slightly to get the best view.
2. Transvaginal ultrasound. This sonogram is needed either early in your pregnancy or if a transabdominal ultrasound doesn’t provide a clear picture. As the name implies, this imaging test is performed by inserting a thin wand into your vagina.
3. Fetal echocardiography. This test monitors your baby’s heart rate to detect any congenital heart conditions.
4. 3D ultrasound. This exam helps your doctor identify any facial anomalies or other neurological conditions.
5. Specialized sonographic evaluation. This is a more advanced test that helps your doctor diagnose and eventually treat any unusual or suspicious development.
6. Doppler ultrasound. This specialized ultrasound detects minute movements. It’s especially useful for observing your baby’s blood flow.

Reasons Your Doctor Requests a Sonogram

Sonograms during your pregnancy allow you to keep a close watch on your baby’s development. Having access to clear pictures of your baby’s growth helps your prenatal specialist provide the best possible treatment for many fetal abnormalities, protecting both the mother and child. Other reasons your doctor may request a sonogram are to:

• Confirm a pregnancy.
• Determine if you’re carrying more than one baby. Multiple births require closer monitoring.
• Detect the fetus’s location and size. Occasionally, a fetus may start developing outside the uterus in your fallopian tubes. This can be a life-threatening development, as the rupture of a fallopian tube causes internal bleeding.
• Estimate how long you’ve been pregnant. Knowing the length of the pregnancy allows your doctor to check for the normal benchmark developments.
• Monitor your baby’s growth, keeping track of your baby’s heart rate, breathing and movement.
• Evaluate the amount of amniotic fluid and the health of your placenta. These tissues provide your baby with the proper nutrients for development.
• Investigate any complications. If you start bleeding or cramping, your doctor needs to pinpoint the cause.
• Detect birth defects.
• Perform other prenatal tests, such as guiding a needle used for amniocentesis or other sampling tests.
• Identify your baby’s position before birth. Most babies are born head first; different orientations may require manual manipulation or a c-section to protect you and your baby.

What Happens During a Sonogram?

During your sonogram, the technician then moves the transducer —a wand or probe that emits the sound waves — across your abdomen to gain a clear picture of your baby. Depending on your pregnancy stage, you may be able to see arms, legs, hands, feet and a face. Meanwhile, your prenatal doctor takes measurements and checks for abnormalities.