You may be wondering when you should schedule your first prenatal scan if you just learned that you're expecting. The Nuchal Scan is often the last one a woman has, although there are advantages to having one done sooner. Let’s learn more about Early Pregnancy Scan!
What is an Early Pregnancy Scan?
The early ultrasound scan in pregnancy is crucial since it confirms the pregnancy and ensures the baby is growing normally. You may repeat it in a couple of weeks to make sure your baby is developing normally and to hear whether the heartbeat is regular.
Why Should You Do It?
An Early Pregnancy Scan in the first trimester of pregnancy is beneficial for several reasons.
Pregnancy may be confirmed with early ultrasound.
The results will indicate whether or not your pregnancy is ectopic. When an egg fertilizes outside of the uterus, a condition known as ectopic pregnancy occurs.
It has the ability to determine the number of babies you are carrying, whether it's just one or multiple.
One of the most important things it can do is pick up on the fetus's regular heartbeat.
Your Sonographer may determine the date of conception based on the gestational sac size and hence confirm your expected date of delivery. In the event of irregular periods, this strategy is even more accurate than counting backwards from your previous period to determine your due date.
It's a sad fact, yet many pregnancies terminate in the first three months. Problems in the first trimester may be avoided with frequent Ultrasound exams for supervision and monitoring of the development. Ultrasound scan is the only test that can help monitor a pregnancy so early on with such accuracy.
When Can Early Pregnancy Scan Be Done?
Six weeks following your last period or during the sixth week of pregnancy, you may have an ultrasound to confirm your pregnancy and check on the health of your unborn child. Up to the 14th week, you may do it again.
Pregnancy scans should not be performed before the sixth week since the baby may not be grown enough to have a detectable heartbeat before then, which might lead to inaccurate findings.
How does one go about doing this?
When it comes to getting that first ultrasound of pregnancy done, you have a few options.
X-ray of the abdomen
A frequent diagnostic method is an abdominal Early Pregnancy Scan, which is why it is presented first. An ultrasound confirms pregnancy by sending sound waves into the uterus, and the process begins with the Sonographer rubbing gel over the patient's stomach before sliding hand-held equipment called a "translucent probe" or "ultrasonic transducer" across the area.
In addition, it is recommended that you urinate before the scan since a full bladder allows for more efficient transmission of sound waves. About an hour before your appointment, drink three to four glasses of water and try not to use the restroom. To get the most accurate findings from the test, you'll have to put up with a little discomfort.
Transvaginal imaging procedure
This alternative method is often used in the early stages of pregnancy or when the findings of a standard belly scan are ambiguous.
The probe is placed inside after being lubricated with gel so that it does not have to be used on the stomach. This ensures that the final product is both accurate and easy to understand. Note that this technique poses no risk to you or your unborn child and is absolutely painless.
All pregnancies, not just high-risk ones, should be screened early on. As the pregnancy progresses, it may provide useful information such as the total number of pregnancies, the fetus's stage of development, the fetal heart rate, and the likelihood of future difficulties.
Conclusion
It's best to have this done as soon as possible with Bump2Baby Scans and have it repeated periodically; knowing that your baby is growing normally will give you relaxation and make pregnancy more enjoyable overall.
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