Having a 3D/4D and now HD Ultrasound during your pregnancy is one of the most exciting moments of the journey. Words cannot describe the joy a new mom feels when she sees her baby’s face for the first time. Years ago, women had to wait 40 long weeks for that incredible moment. Now, we are able to offer remarkable images of your baby developing and a way for parents to experience the excitement of seeing detailed images of the baby throughout the journey!
You just made an appointment for an elective ultrasound and you are soooooo excited to see your baby! You tell all your friends and family, announce your appointment date and time to all your Facebook friends, and gloat about the pictures and videos to come! During all the excitement and anxiousness, sometimes it’s easy to forget a few important things you need to do to prepare for the appointment. Whether you are coming in for a gender determination ultrasound, or just to get some great shots of your baby’s face, here are some tips we recommend to prepare for the appointment:
1. Plan your appointment date/time around when your baby is most active
When a baby is awake and moving, it makes the ultrasound more interesting. You will have a better chance of catching those super cute facial expressions, the baby opening their eyes (yes they do that in the womb too!), and it will make it easier to get the baby to put hands or feet down if they are blocking the face or gender.
2. Stay EXTRA hydrated the week leading up to the appointment
The recommended daily fluid intake when pregnant is 64-84 ounces. It is important to drink at least this amount, if not more, to make sure there is sufficient fluid in the amniotic sac. This will help with the clarity of the photos.
3. Eat or drink something with sugar right before your appointment
Sometimes this will help make sure baby is active and moving during the ultrasound.
4. Don’t wear a dress for the appointment
Since the ultrasound will be transabdominal (over the stomach), if you wear a dress that has to be pulled up you will be leaving your entire bottom half exposed (don’t worry though, we can supply a blanket for extra coverage).
5. Empty your bladder before the appointment
6. Bring proof of prenatal care
At Mother Nurture Ultrasound and most other elective facilities, we require that you show proof you are under the care of a doctor or midwife for the pregnancy. You can bring in a picture from a past ultrasound, an appointment reminder, or an actual letter from your doctor.
7. BE EXCITED!
You’re about to get to see what your baby looks like and watch it move inside of you, that’s exciting! Your ultrasound will be a pre-birth bonding experience you will never forget!
Know who is scanning you!
Believe it or not, in many states (including Ohio) you do NOT have to have ANY medical training to perform ultrasounds. When choosing an elective facility be sure to ask what type of education and training the technicians receive. Becoming Mom is the only elective Cincinnati area Ultrasound facility that employs sonographers who have gone through an independent and accredited multi-year program in medical ultrasound and also have extensive experience in OB/GYN scanning. This allows us to provide you with both peace of mind and reliable imaging.
Ask if the person performing your ultrasound is RDMS Certified (Registered Diagnostic Medical Sonographer) … a nurse or someone that has been trained for a few weeks to take baby pictures is NOT the same thing and has not received the extensive training required to know what it is they are looking at on an ultrasound!
When to do an ultrasound
This is a very common question and there are a few different things to consider when picking a time to do an ultrasound.
Gender can be accurately determined after 16 weeks. At this time you can see more of your baby and the amazing development already underway. We often get asked if we are able to determine gender prior to 16 weeks. We recently conducted a trial to test our accuracy prior to 16 weeks, and while we were right more than we were wrong we did not feel that the rate of accuracy was high enough for our standards. So many important decisions, feelings and plans will be made based on baby’s gender. We want to feel confident in baby’s development and the images we obtain before telling you to go and buy pink and blue.
Between 24-26 weeks facial features are becoming more defined. If you are having multiples this is also a good time to capture 3D pictures of the babies.
If you are only going to have one elective ultrasound, between 27-32 weeks is the BEST TIME. The baby has had time to build up body fat, but still has room to move around.
Between 33-37 weeks is also a great time, if baby will cooperate. Because the baby is getting larger and may start to drop… getting the desired facial pictures becomes a little more challenging.
Drink plenty of fluids
Drink plenty of water in the DAYS leading up to your ultrasound. This simple tasks is one of the most important factors in determining the quality of pictures you will receive. Drinking water will increase the quality and clarity of your amniotic fluid which is like the “window” to view baby. The clearer the “window” the clearer the pictures. Because we are looking for clarity, water truly is the best option. It is important to note we are relying on amniotic fluid vs. hydration. It can take days for the water you drink to turn into amniotic fluid. You do not need a full bladder for these scans so use the restroom often and drink up!
When do you have ultrasounds during pregnancy?
Most women get an ultrasound in their second trimester at 18 to 20 weeks of pregnancy. Some also get a first-trimester ultrasound (also called an early ultrasound) before 14 weeks of pregnancy. The number of ultrasounds and timing may be different for women with certain health conditions like as asthma and obesity.
