How often can do ultrasound in pregnancy

Prospective parents are often worried about how often you can do ultrasound during pregnancy.Despite the fact that this method of research is safe for the baby and the mother does not give any unpleasant sensations, it is believed that too often (without appropriate indications) ultrasound should not be done, because its impact on the child has not been fully investigated.

Usually ultrasound during pregnancy is prescribed 3 times: 11-12, 18-22 and 33-35 weeks.But if something goes wrong, the amount recommended by ultrasound may increase.For example, if the baby is diagnosed intrauterine growth retardation, the mother shall be appointed by certain drugs, and in the course of treatment carried additional US (and sometimes more than one), allowing to evaluate the dynamics of growth of the fetus and the effectiveness of the therapy.

Some expectant mothers, not knowing how often you can do ultrasound, generally waive the survey.Some motivate its rejection of the US that its impact on the child is not fully understood, others say that, even if the baby will show up pathology development, termination of pregnancy, they will not.But a short exposure to ultrasound is not dangerous for the crumbs, but the failure to detect certain problems can pose a serious threat to his health.Especially since most of the problems that can be detected by ultrasound, are not cause for termination of pregnancy.Many state successfully treated (the same developmental delay or failure of the placenta), others need close supervision, while others require some techniques of birth (sometimes in a specialized hospital in which the necessary means for the care of children who were born with certain problems).

Many expectant parents want to find out the sex of their baby before his birth, and therefore asked the doctors how often you can do ultrasound for this purpose.It should be noted that the determination of sex of the baby during the ultrasound - is not an end in itself, but "nice bonus", which can be obtained under favorable circumstances (if pipsqueak closes causal place pen or will not turn back).Therefore, make additional ultrasound to determine the sex of the baby, it is not necessary.

Very often, the first ultrasound is not on the period of 11-12 weeks, but much earlier.The fact that it is using ultrasound is possible in the earliest periods to establish the fact of pregnancy and check whether the embryo was attached where it should (ie, to exclude the possibility of ectopic pregnancy).No other methods of diagnosis in such small terms that can not be set.Therefore, if a pregnant woman has any complaints, lower abdominal pain, isolation - it is a direct indication for ultrasound.How often can do ultrasound in early pregnancy?Generally, once enough, but when in doubt, the doctor may prescribe some additional research, during which checks whether entrenched the embryo in the uterus to see if it has a heartbeat and whether its dimensions are real term pregnancy.

ultrasound, which is carried out in standard 11-12 weeks allows definitively confirm the pregnancy, to see how the baby is developing the future and to establish the absence of gross pathology development.Also in this period the doctor checks to see if the crumbs of certain symptoms that might indicate Down syndrome.

When making a second US?By default, this survey appointed for a period of 18-22 weeks, but many doctors insist that a pregnant woman held him to 20 weeks.This is due to the fact that in case of detection of any abnormalities on this term still have the opportunity to terminate the pregnancy due to the presence of medical indications.On the other hand, in some 22-24 weeks of fetal organs and systems (e.g., heart) can be considered much better.Therefore, if the second standard screening doctor something alerted, he is likely to repeat the survey will offer a couple of weeks.

third ultrasound is usually assigned to the 33-35 week to once again examine the organs and systems of the baby, check the condition of the placenta and umbilical cord (length and degree of "entanglement"), as well as to estimate the size of the child.

Does ultrasound before birth?This largely depends on the characteristics of pregnancy.If there were previous studies of cord entanglement, malpresentation if there is a suspicion that a child is too large, or if the last mother underwent some surgery on the uterus, such ultrasound can help doctors to evaluate all the risks and develop the right strategy delivery.Also, ultrasound before birth do in case my mother got "perenashivaet" baby, that is, when the term of pregnancy passes for 40 weeks, in order to understand whether to induce labor or you can wait a little longer.If the third ultrasound everything was fine, and the woman goes to the hospital already in labor (with opening), the additional prenatal ultrasound is often not necessary.