First Trimester Sonogram

Quick – how is having a baby like submarine warfare?  If you said that submarines and doctors both use sonar technology, you move to the head of the class! An ultrasound is a procedure that uses high frequency sound waves to scan your uterus.Those waves are then translated into an image of your developing baby. This technology is very similar sonar, which is used to locate and map things which are underwater, like submarines or sharks. In the first trimester, your doctor may perform a traditional abdominal ultrasound… But more commonly, she’ll place sound probes in your vagina for a transvaginal sonogram, which can provide a clearer picture early in pregnancy. During about the sixth week of your pregnancy, either type of ultrasound can confirm that you are indeed pregnant. Your doctor will be able to measure the baby’s size at this point, and can therefore estimate its gestational age. If your baby’s gestational age is a full 6 weeks, it might be possible to detect your baby’s heart rate.  This sonogram will also be able to check for an ectopic pregnancy, whereby a fertilized egg implants outside the uterus. During your eighth week, another sonogram is performed.  By this time, you should see able to see the heart beating strongly.  At any point during the first trimester, a sonogram may also be ordered to check for a suspected miscarriage.  And while all of this can be scary, know that most babies are fine and there is no reason to believe that yours won’t be, too!