Ultrasounds?

Question

I know you get an ultrasound at 20wks, I'm getting mine on August 16th!!!! But do you have another after that???? Also my tummy isn't big yet, like a little pooch, I'm 17wks. Will they still be able to do the ultrasound or would they wait until later thinking I'm not that far along because of my little belly?? 1st pregnancy!!!!

My fundal height has been right on my doc's said.

Answer 1

Whether you got a basketball tummy or a deflated balloon looking belly, an ultrasound will see your baby, no matter how big he/she is. At 20 weeks, an ultrasound is used to measure the baby to make sure development is on track, check the head and look for any abnormalities such as holes in the heart, lung development and other could be problems. Not to mention whether you will be buying pink or blue clothes. Having another ultrasound done later in your pregnancy will depend on who your caregiver is, whether you have developed any problems, or if there is an issue with your babys growth. The good thing now is that there are some places who will give you a 3d or 4d ultrasound where you can see the babys features. I did this with my second baby and now have a dvd momento of her inside my belly. Do a search for this. Good Luck with your bundle of love.

Answer 2

Different caregivers do different things. Some caregivers do routine ultrasounds at a certain week in the pregnancy. (With my first child I had a "routine u/s" at about 16 weeks to check development. We chose to find out the sex at that point and they were able to tell.)

Some caregivers do an u/s right away to help confirm mom's due date. Other caregivers will only do one around 16 to 20 weeks with the intent of finding out that the baby is developing properly. If one is done after that, it is typically to follow up on a concern that they had or maybe to confirm position if they think the baby is breech.

Some caregivers NEVER do one as a routine procedure, only if there is a medical indication that one is needed. (I didn't have ANY u/s with my second or third babies.)

The ACOG actually recommends against doing u/s as a routine procedure.

How far your belly sticks out doesn't mean anything. What has your fundal height been like? That is more likely to help confirm how far along you are and how the baby is growing than how much you've gained or how big your belly is.

Answer 3

I think that part of the reason they do the ultrasound is to determine the baby's true gestational age (just to make sure that you or they weren't mistaken about how far along you are) and to make sure that he or she is developing well, so I don't think they won't do it just because your belly isn't big. I'm not sure whether they do another one or not later in the pregnancy; my understanding is that these days ultrasound is a tool that's used to determine and help control any problems and not something that's routinely done throughout the pregnancy (but I'm not certain what will occur in your case). Someone who's been that far along and your doctor could tell more about it.

Answer 4

Unfortunately, most insurance companies are too cheap to pay for more than one ultrasound. If your doctor is worried about something he finds in your first U/S, or suspects a problem, or you're high risk, you could have another one, and your insurance company will pay for it if your doctor deems it medically necessary.

With my first pregnancy, I had...oh jeez, I don't know how many. 5 or 6, starting at about 6 weeks, all the way through to nearly the end of my pregnancy. They were all covered by insurance because I was considered high risk (seizure disorder which required me to take Class C meds). With my second pregnancy, our insurance plan changed slightly. I had several ultrasounds, but not as many as the first one. Insurance balked at them and tried to get out of paying them, but my OB (I love that man, lol!) fought them and won.

Answer 5

You can have an ultrasound no matter how big or small you are. However sometimes they do have a problem finding the fetus and they will do an inside ultrasound and no it isn't painful. It depends on your dr. if you will have another ultrasound. I had 12 with my daughter(2nd child) and 5 with my son(1st child) but i had different drs.

Answer 6

you can have a ultrasound at 17 weeks but most likely they will not be able to see the sex...they do them at 20 weeks because there is more of a chance to tell the sex if you want...too many ultrasounds are bad for the baby...unless there is something that your OB/GYN is concerned about you usually dont need another one after that... plus they are expensive and most insureances only pay for 1. I wasnt showing but alittle( you had to push on my belly to feel it) when i was 20 weeks but make sure that you have a empty bladder before going in...I've seen many women pee on their selfs

Answer 7

You'll be able to see a lot at 17 weeks. I was not really showing when I had mone at 19 weeks, and we saw everything! He/She will be moving alot and you'll see all the body parts. Most of the time you do not get another ultrasound, unless they are checking on something or there is a problem.

Answer 8

They might do an internal ultrasound if they can't see the baby by doing an external ultrasound. And they might do another in months from now to check the baby's weight and length and mainly brain development. Good luck ans congrats sweetie

Answer 9

Don't worry - 1st preggies are not as expanded as the rest. The ultrasound people see everything so you don't need to explain things to them. They look at the development of the foetus to see how far along you are. You'll be fine!

Answer 10

You will be amazed at what you can see during the ultrasound. I had to have them every month because of fibroids and I couldn't believe what I saw at 13 weeks....his arms were waving like windmills. Its the most awesome thing to see.