ultasounds

[SweetBella]

when getting an ultrasound, what exactly is the procedure?

 

[Entertaining_Angels]

Depends upon how far along you are. In the first trimester, a transvaginal u/s is generally more reliable. I say 'generally' because if you have a tilted uterus or are obese, measurements are often off and babies hide longer. For that u/s, you don't need to worry about filling up with water. They insert a probe and move it around a bit to get various views of the baby. With the transabdominal u/s, they lube up your abdomen and look at the baby that way. That's usually in the second and third trimester. Until the baby is bigger, they'll usually have you drink quite a bit of water which is really no fun since they end up pressing on your bladder.

Was there any specific information you were looking for?

 

[katelyn]

Yeah, I believe it depends on when you are getting it done and for what purpose. I had my 20 week diagnostic ultrasound yesterday. They do all kinds of measurements of the baby and check the organs, plus a doctor has to look at the results to make sure everything is okay, so it takes a while. Earlier on, I had a very brief ultrasound because my midwife could not get the baby's heartbeat at 12 weeks. Then they just checked for a heartbeat and did a quick measurement to check my due date. It probably took less than five minutes.

 

[Singin4Him]

Depends upon how far along you are. In the first trimester, a transvaginal u/s is generally more reliable. I say 'generally' because if you have a tilted uterus or are obese, measurements are often off and babies hide longer. For that u/s, you don't need to worry about filling up with water. They insert a probe and move it around a bit to get various views of the baby. With the transabdominal u/s, they lube up your abdomen and look at the baby that way. That's usually in the second and third trimester. Until the baby is bigger, they'll usually have you drink quite a bit of water which is really no fun since they end up pressing on your bladder.

Was there any specific information you were looking for?

Actually not all doctors are the same, most in Texas that I know of do the transabdominal in the first trimester unless they can't find the baby that way they'll usually go with that. I prefer that to the other because it's MUCH MORE comfortable. I have a slightly tilted uterus and they had no trouble finding my baby at 6 weeks and then again 3 weeks later. It's nothing painful, it's really not a big deal at all. Do you have any concerns about it or specific questions?

 

[Linnis]

I had an ultrasound at 11 weeks. They made me drink 32 ounces of water and hold it. I went in laid on the bed, pulled down my paints and underwear enough, covered them with a towel the tech handed me. pulled up my shirt to the bra so I wouldn't get the goop on it. She found the baby. Measured him and his heart beat. Then I ran to pee came back and we did the "fun" pictures which I got to keep.

I was told I did not need to hold 32ounces of water but after I had and had to get up off the table early to go pee before I wet myself. My 18 week ultrasound was very cool.

I really don't like transvaginal ultrasounds and when they couldn't find my baby at 9 wks I refused one because they didn't have a non-latex condom to put over the probe. I had to have two when I had my ovarian cysts and it was painful and uncomfortable at best.

 

[Entertaining_Angels]

I don't care for the transvag u/s's either. I have a hemorrhaging cyst and have to have them every so often, they are not the most pleasant experience. Also because of my tilted uterus, my babies hide until about nine weeks and with my last pregnancy they tried to talk me into a D&C at both 7 and 8 weeks. Thank God, I know two people who lost all ability to conceive as a result of D&C so that was never an option for me. Problem is that transvag u/s's are not as reliable as generally thought and, unfortunately, too many women are mistakenly given early D&C's because of them. I'd love if they wouldn't do u/s's until after week 12 unless ectopic or some other serious condition was suspected. Because the u/s's superheat the baby, it's not a bad idea to avoid them when possible.

 

[SweetBella]

im sorry .. i should have been more specific.
i need to get an ultrasound done so she can just see whats going on inside of me, i am not pregnant.

can anyone tell me what this procedure is like...
thank you!

 

[seamonster]

When I had ultrasounds to check my uterus, bladder, and kidneys, it was exactly as Linnis described, but without drinking water first. Pretty painless and not embarrassing or scary

 

[Entertaining_Angels]

Ah, you'll probably start with the transab and then they'll do a transvag u/s. The transvag is really pretty discrete. You're under a blanket of sorts and they'll usually ask if you'd like to insert the probe yourself. Those are uncomfortable for me but mostly because of my tilted uterus. It's tilted all the way back and I have to elevate my hips for them to get a better view.

 

[Singin4Him]

Ah, you'll probably start with the transab and then they'll do a transvag u/s. The transvag is really pretty discrete. You're under a blanket of sorts and they'll usually ask if you'd like to insert the probe yourself. Those are uncomfortable for me but mostly because of my tilted uterus. It's tilted all the way back and I have to elevate my hips for them to get a better view.

Yeah that would be my guess as to how they would do things.

 

[Linnis]

When I had ultrasounds to check my uterus, bladder, and kidneys, it was exactly as Linnis described, but without drinking water first. Pretty painless and not embarrassing or scary

Yep, pretty much. They look for all your organs, measure them, look for abnormalities. Unless you have cysts or some other problem it shoudn't hurt and not have to drink the water, thank God.

 

[SweetBella]

so, what you are saying is, the camera goes inside of me, not on my stomach?

 

[Linnis]

Most likely it'll be on your tummy. Only if they can't see everything will they do a vaginal ultrasound. You can always refuse the vaginal ultrasound and tell them to look harder using the tummy one.

 

[seamonster]

They'll probably try the one on your tummy first and they can usually see quite a bit through those. My doctor found my ovarian cysts through a stomach ultrasound and didn't even have to do a vaginal one. And, like Linnis said, you can always refuse the vaginal one.

 

[Entertaining_Angels]

Really depends upon what they are looking for. With my cysts, they've always had to do the abdominal and vaginal u/s's. Seriously, if you've had a pap smear, that is far more uncomfortable. The vaginal u/s is only uncomfortable for me because of the tilt of my uterus and only 1/3 of women have a retroverted uterus.

 

[SweetBella]

Really depends upon what they are looking for. With my cysts, they've always had to do the abdominal and vaginal u/s's. Seriously, if you've had a pap smear, that is far more uncomfortable. The vaginal u/s is only uncomfortable for me because of the tilt of my uterus and only 1/3 of women have a retroverted uterus.

okay... so, if that is not as uncomfy as a pap then im okay with it!! good to know, thank you!

 

[Marionette]

If you end up with a vaginal ultrasound and they tell you before hand to go pee, take their word for it. I was a bit befuddled when the nurse told me to but while she was doing the ultrasound I was sure if I relaxed I was going to pee on her Yay for poking around at my bladder with a stick!

 

[lin1235]

I had an u/s when I had a cyst way before we got married, I was a virgin. The dr told me she is not allowed to do a transvaginal u/s on a virgin so they worked through my belly; I'm pretty sure they'll do it like that anyway if you ask. But the main thing is you HAVE to have a full bladder, otherwise it's very hard to see anything. If your bladder is full, it provides a nice black background to everything else, if it's empty the picture shows up white and it's much harder to see anything.

As far as I'm concerned, the transvaginal u/s is not that bad; I've had it twice in this pregnancy (at 8 weeks and 12 weeks, both times we couldn't see enough through my belly because of abdominal fat, I'm overweight) and it has never bothered me. But then, I'm not that squeamish so I'm fine with that.

Either way, just make sure you relax, it was really amazing to me to see everything when I had that first u/s, even though there was the bad news of the cyst.

 

[lin1235]

Oh and yes I absolutely agree that it's much less uncomfortable than a pap smear! It didn't hurt me at all, just slightly uncomfortable.

 

[Naomi4Christ]

Lots of different experiences of ultrasound.

The only time I have had to have a full bladder was when I had a scan almost 16 years ago. I think the machines have moved on a lot since then, especially the ones in UK hospitals.

For my UK pregnancies, I had a 13 week dating scan and a 21 week anomaly scan. In both cases, you lie on the bed and they tuck some tissue down you pants before applying gel. They then do whatever they need to do in terms of measurements and screening. In my 13 week scans, I was offered nuchal fold measurements (a screening for Downs). In the 21 week scans, the ultrasonographer did a quick scan with the screen turned away, and then went over what she saw in detail with us, starting from the top down. She then filled in a check box saying that she had seen each area, and that they were no abnormalities that she could see. She wrote in the notes and marked the growth on the chart - we carry our own notes in the UK. We were then offered several scan pictures of the baby, and there was an option of having a video.

In my US pregnancy, I had just the 20 week scan, and it really seemed like a sexing scan. It was done in the OB's office and the ultrasonographer would say nothing except the sex of the baby, and that the OB would get in touch with me. I was so scared, thinking there must be something wrong. Fortunately, my midwife called me within a couple of hours and put my mind at rest.

The only time I had a vaginal scan was when the baby's face was turned away and they couldn't do the necessary screening for cleft palate/lip and other facial defects. I think they resorted to this after tipping the bed this way and that and then sending me off for a cup of tea. I can't remember it being a big deal.