Pregnancy is full of exciting milestones, from the time you first get a positive test to meeting your baby for the first time. For many parents to be, the first ultrasound can’t come soon enough. Hearing your baby’s heartbeat and seeing them move is incredibly exciting. However, you typically won’t be able to see your baby in ultrasound until several weeks after you’ve gotten your positive test.
First Trimester Scans
Many parents are filled with questions like ‘When do you get your first ultrasound,’ and ‘How many ultrasounds during pregnancy.’ Sadly, there is no one-size-fits-all answer to those questions because every pregnancy requires a different level of observation to ensure health and proper development.
Although the exact timing of the first ultrasound will be different for every family, the consensus is that it is good to have one within the first trimester, which is the first twelve weeks of pregnancy. Within that twelve-week frame, scans are typically done in the latter half, sometime between eight and twelve weeks.
Ultimately, the answer to the question ‘when can you get your first ultrasound’ will be decided by you and your doctor in order to have the best outcomes for all parties involved.
If scans are done too early, the baby may be too small to detect, which can cause unnecessary nervousness and stress for parents. However, sometimes, your obstetrician does recommend that the ultrasound be conducted earlier than usual if the mother displays any warning signs of complications. Some issues can be spotted as early as six weeks into the pregnancy.
Estimating The Length of the Pregnancy
Knowing the approximation of how long you have been pregnant can help you calculate when you should get your first ultrasound to see if you are too early or overdue for a scan of your uterus.
Having a ‘dating scan’ with your doctor can tell you your approximate due date and conception date, so speaking with a doctor is a great way to accurately gauge how far along a pregnancy is. This can be done within five or six weeks in some cases. It is hard to properly time a dating scan if you haven’t yet reached the six-week mark.
There are a few ways you can estimate on your own before you go to your appointment:
- If you used ovulation tests to pinpoint when you ovulated before conception, then the child was likely conceived around that date, as fertilization can only occur when an egg and sperm are in the same place at the same time. Most full-term pregnancies last thirty-eight weeks from conception.
- Many doctors also recommend using the start date of your last period as the reference point of the last time you were confirmed not to be pregnant. Adding forty weeks to that gives you an approximate due date that considers that you likely ovulated and conceived within two or three weeks of that.
If all is going well, scheduling an ultrasound when you have calculated that you are eight to ten weeks pregnant is ideal. If you are experiencing worrying health problems, speak with a doctor about them immediately, even if you are in the very early stages of pregnancy.
Reasons for Early Ultrasounds During Pregnancy
You likely need an early ultrasound if you have experienced an accidental injury or an incident of violence that may have harmed your baby or if you are experiencing harmful symptoms such as:
- Vaginal bleeding
- Abdominal pain
- Severe nausea or vomiting
- Strange vaginal discharge
- Excessive and unexplained weight loss
- Dizziness or headaches
- Pain with urination
- Prolonged mood changes
These signs can indicate various complications ranging from miscarriage to ectopic pregnancy, which is when the fertilized egg has attached to the fallopian tubes rather than the uterine lining. Some complications can be fatal to both mother and baby if not acted on quickly.
Early ultrasounds may be able to detect issues with the developing baby or rule that out as a cause so that you can be checked for other health problems.
Types of Ultrasounds Offered
When you can get your first ultrasound, the time frame and relative normalcy of the pregnancy may affect what type of ultrasound you have. There are two primary types of ultrasounds: transabdominal and transvaginal.
Transabdominal Ultrasound
Most people are more familiar with a transabdominal ultrasound because it is often what’s shown in movies and pictures. The process of getting a transabdominal ultrasound includes having gel put on your stomach, and a transducer rubbed across it.
A transducer works by pulsing sound waves into your belly to give you a picture of what’s happening inside your body. The process is similar to when a bat uses echolocation. Special software then uses this sound data to create a picture of the womb.
There are multiple types of transabdominal ultrasounds that can fit more specific needs and allow you to see different views of the baby in the ultrasound. These include:
- 3D ultrasound: can detect deformations and defects in the neural tube.
- Doppler Ultrasound: used to evaluate the fetus’s blood flow.
- Fetal Echocardiography: used to observe heart and potential defects.
- Specialized sonographic evaluation: a general observation when an unknown complication is expected.
Transvaginal Ultrasound
Some scans that take place early in pregnancy are done transvaginally because it is easier to detect the baby in the ultrasound that way. Given that many early scans are done because of potential complications, transvaginal ultrasounds can also help observe the ovaries and other parts of the womb that may be affected.
The process for this type of ultrasound is a bit more invasive, as the transducer has to scan the womb from within the vagina. It can be helpful at detecting early issues and making it easier for the parent/s to make informed decisions about everyone’s health.
How Many Ultrasounds During Pregnancy
Many routine pregnancies with no complications only require two ultrasounds, the first being in the first trimester and the second being in the second trimester. However, high-risk pregnancies that are more likely to have complications often require more than that.
In those situations, the decision about how many ultrasounds during pregnancy is left up to the parents and the doctor, who will advise how often is necessary for safe and thorough observation.
When Do You Get Your First Ultrasound?
Getting an ultrasound within weeks six and twelve of your pregnancy allows you to be prepared for your baby’s specific needs and understand if there are any physical issues your child is likely to face. Suppose you are in the late first trimester or later. In that case, it is important that you have an ultrasound done as soon as possible to see if there are any interventions necessary to ensure your continued health and that of your baby.
Scheduling an ultrasound appointment with us can easily be done on our website. We have excellent staff in our OBGYN department who can help answer any further questions you have. We would love to hear from you and support you on this exciting journey through pregnancy!
