There’s quite a bit of discussion about ultrasounds going on right now. Although the recommendation for the number of ultrasounds during an uncomplicated pregnancy is two, an increasing number of women are having three or more. Ultrasounds are safe for both mom and baby, but extra ultrasounds across a large group of pregnant women can add up to quite a bit in medical costs. Another problem that could result from too many ultrasounds is increased anxiety over test results, particularly when something appears to be wrong in one ultrasound, and then fine in the next.
Typically, a healthy pregnant woman will have one ultrasound in her first trimester to determine the due date and check for other things such as a multiple pregnancy. If the heart beat is not detected by the Doppler, an additional ultrasound may be done to check on the baby and get a visual of the heart beating. Another ultrasound is usually done in the second trimester to check for birth defects and also to determine the gender of the child if requested. Sometimes additional ultrasounds are ordered to confirm or dismiss a potential diagnosis. Reasons an ultrasound might be done during the third trimester would be to check fluid levels, the position of the baby, and/or to determine the size of the baby in preparation for delivery. Fetal weight estimates are usually done if the baby is suspected to be large based on the size of the mother’s belly.
Personally, I had four ultrasounds. I had one at 6 weeks to confirm the pregnancy, one at 10 weeks because we couldn’t pick up the heartbeat with the Doppler, one at 18 weeks to check for birth defects and determine the gender, and another the week before I gave birth to estimate the weight, since I appeared to be having a ten-pounder (he was only 8lb 5oz).
How many ultrasounds did you have and what were the reasons?