When do i have first scan

Experts discourage these "keepsake" ultrasounds since untrained personnel may give out inaccurate information, says Michele Hakakha, M. Plus, although ultrasounds are safe in medical settings, they might heat tissues or produce bubbles cavitation during use.

Experts aren't sure about the long-term effects of heated tissues or cavitation when ultrasounds are conducted outside of a medical need with non-trained professionals. Ultrasounds aren't cheap procedures; they can cost hundreds or thousands of dollars, depending on your location and provider. Most health insurance plans will cover the cost of the ultrasound at least partially if it's for medical purposes.

Always ask your insurance provider if you're unsure about expenses. Pregnancy Ultrasounds Week by Week. Save Pin FB More. Comments 2. Sort by: Newest. Newest Oldest. All ultrasounds should be performed with a FULL bladder!!! Read More. Excellent Read More. Load More Comments. Close this dialog window Add a comment. Add your comment Cancel Submit.

Close this dialog window Review for. Back to story Comment on this project. For most women, the dating scan is their first scan. During the scan, the sonographer will put gel on your tummy and move the transducer over your skin.

Your sonographer will show you an image of your baby on the screen, and then they'll look closely at the image to: Measure your baby's length from their head to their bottom, called the crown rump length CRL. This will date your pregnancy.

Reveal whether you're carrying one baby, twins , or more. Check your baby's heartbeat. A dating scan is a more accurate way of establishing your due date than counting from your last monthly period LMP. It's also an opportunity to check how your baby is growing and developing. An accurate due date is particularly important if you choose to have a screening test for Down's syndrome. That's because screening needs to be carried out between 11 weeks and 13 weeks plus six days of pregnancy.

When will I have my first midwife appointment and what will happen? Our midwife takes you through what to expect in your first antenatal appointment. More pregnancy videos. A practical solution to combining data and screening for Down's syndrome. Ultrasound Fetal anomaly screening programme: handbook for ultrasound practitioners. The pregnancy dating scan. Antenatal care - uncomplicated pregnancies. Ectopic pregnancy and miscarriage: diagnosis and initial management National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, Guideline NHS fetal anomaly screening programme handbook.

Public Health England. Screening in pregnancy: dating scan. The transducer transmits sound waves that create a picture of the baby inside. If you're ticklish, you might find yourself challenged during this procedure.

Take a deep breath and try to relax! Some doctors perform the first ultrasound exam around 6 to 8 weeks of pregnancy , often during the first prenatal visit.

Others only recommend this exam if a woman has symptoms of a high-risk pregnancy—for example, bleeding, abdominal pain, or a history of miscarriage , birth defects , or pregnancy complications.

During this time, your baby is very small and your uterus and fallopian tubes are closer to your birth canal than to your abdomen, so your OB-GYN might conduct the test transvaginally to get a clearer picture.

From this test, your doctor will be able to determine a more accurate due date and track milestones during your pregnancy. She'll also be able to tell if you're pregnant with multiples, and she'll determine if you have an ectopic pregnancy. This is when the fetus grows in the fallopian tube instead of the uterus.

Don't worry: Ectopic pregnancy occurs only 1 percent of the time. If you didn't get an ultrasound around weeks, you'll probably have a "dating ultrasound" around weeks of pregnancy. This transabdominal exam will also predict your due date , check the fetal heartbeat, and reveal the number of babies in the womb. One of the most common early pregnancy measurements is crown-rump length, which measures measures your baby's size from head to tush. The reason it's important? At the same time as your dating ultrasound, pregnant women are offered a nuchal translucency NT test , which evaluates your risk of having a baby with Down syndrome, other chromosomal abnormalities, or certain heart defects.

In this two-part exam, a blood test measures levels of certain hormones and proteins in your body, and an ultrasound determines the thickness at the back of the baby's neck increased thickness indicates that he may be at risk for birth defects such as Down syndrome and trisomy If you don't have a first trimester pregnancy screening, your first ultrasound will typically be done between 18 and 20 weeks. Your baby will also have measurements taken of the diameter and circumference of her head, the circumference of her abdomen, and the length of her femur bone.

The examiner is looking for physical characteristics that might indicate any abnormality. Ultrasounds can't detect all birth defects, and a normal ultrasound doesn't guarantee a healthy baby.

However, ultrasound is a wonderful diagnostic tool that can help ensure that your pregnancy and your baby are both on the right track. After you make your appointment, your doctor will give you an instruction sheet telling you what you need to do.

Generally, women who are less than 14 weeks pregnant will be asked to fill their bladder to capacity. Sound waves travel better through liquid, so a full bladder improves the quality of an ultrasound during early pregnancy.