is it normal not to get your first ultrasound until you are 18-20 weeks?

Question

i went for my first app. today and was told i will not get a ultrasound until i am 18-20 weeks i thought was odd

Answer 1

I've had two kids and both times, I only got an ultrasound at 18-20 weeks. There's really not much to look at before then and because they are still not certain of the effects of ultrasounds on babies (although the only thing that seems to come up that are possibly related are recurrent ear infections) they try to limit them to 1.

Answer 2

18-20 weeks is exactly when you will receive your first ultrasound. It is when insurance covers it (they only LIKE to cover one) and also when the baby is big enough to really tell what the sex is.

The only reason why women have earlier ultrasounds is because they have some medical history that calls for it. Medical history can run anything from..... irregular periods, history of miscarriage, previous abortion, family full of twins.....etc.

If your doctor is not alarmed at this time because of anything you will not experience your first ultrasound for several more weeks (18-20 weeks pregnant). Feel blessed that you won't, means all is going well.

I know the anticipation will kill ya but it's worth the wait. You will hear the heartbeat at your visits soon and that is more than enough to keep your anticipation at bay. You can always go online to babycenter.com or any other site to see where baby would be growth wise. They have lots of sites with photos and information!

Answer 3

Nope very very common :) thats when they do the ultrasound where they check for abnormalties and the sex of the child if you want to know...They do all the mesurments and make sure the placenta is in the right spot, check the babies spine and things like this. Its very common to wait until 18-20 weeks for the ultrasound, and that might be the only one you have. The only way they would do it sooner, is if there seems to be a problem, a high risk pregnancy, or if you were unsure of how far along you were. Goodluck and CONGRATS!!!!!!!


Mom of 4 boys and 25 weeks with boy 5!

Answer 4

sure all they are doing before this time is measuring your baby to the accuracy of the due date and growth patterns but they really cant tell much in ultrasounds until 18-20 weeks (gender, birth defects ect.) because the fetus is not developed enough i am 161/2 weeks and the only reason my doctor did a an ultrasound on me was to get a due date (due to unknown date of conception). so if your doctor doesn't see a reason to get one or if you waited a little longer to go into the obgyn it is perfectly normal.

Answer 5

i didn't have my first until 22 weeks. It's not a big deal My doctor only does 2nd and 3rd trimester ultrasounds before then there isnt much use for one, unless the doctor deems it necessary for some health factore like figuring out whether or not a prenancy is ectopic. Insurance companies cover very few, and it'd be a waste before then, they are already unlcear as it is and then to be looking at the fetus which is the size of a peanut.

Answer 6

That is completely normal. I have had 4 pregnancies and always get my ultrasounds around 19 or 20 weeks. I had different doctors with each pregnancy and that was the same with all of them.

Answer 7

that is perfectly normal. in a normal pregnancy you will only get about 2 or 3 ultrasounds. if you are a high risk you will get a lot more. im considered a high rish because of high blood pressure issues and i had 6 ultrasounds already. my first one was at 5 weeks. i9 now get them every month. i only have 7 more weeks to go....

Answer 8

Hi there
I am in Australia and here we do a 1st scan at 12weeks. If you are unsure of your dates then you have a scan before the 12th week. The 12th wk scan is called a NUCHAL Scan. This scan detects any abnormalities such as down syndrome and spinabifida. It also does a full health, bone and organ scan on your bub. It is done at the end of the 1st trimester to give parents choices and options if their baby is abnormal and also to make future preparations for their baby if they decide to go on with the pregnancy. It is odd to me but every country's medical system is different. If you want a scan to check the health of your baby insist on one, especially if your body dosent feel right. I have 6 children with number 7 on the way and I have been a paediatric nurse for 10yrs.
All the best!
ockie2005

Answer 9

That is completely normal. They usually don't do ultrasounds earlier unless there is confusion with gestational age, it is a high risk pregnancy or there may be something going on with the baby and need to make sure it is okay.

Answer 10

My insurance will only pay for ONE ultra sound starting at 16 weeks, UNLESS there are problems.

(I had 6 ultrasounds with my first pregnancy starting at 12 weeks.)