There are many questions about ultrasounds that an expectant mother may ask her sonographer.  It is prudent to be well versed in what might come up while you are performing an ultrasound.  While obtaining your sonography degree, your education may or may not have time to address bedside manner:  We will attempt to do some of that in this blog….consider it continuing education.

Question: I’m very nervous about my first scan.  What happens during the scan and what does it feel like?

Answer:  Although not painful, early scans can cause discomfort since you need a full bladder to perform it.  Ultrasound scans it is important to have a full bladder to make it possible to view the baby.  This is because until 12 weeks, the uterus stays in the pelvis, and the bowel obscures the view; a full bladder raises the uterus and pushes the bowel out of the way.  You may need a full bladder for nuchal scan, between 11 and 14 weeks.  Some practices do transvaginal scans which are a small ultrasound probe placed inside the vagina in the first trimester.  This method is generally used if the image from the abdominal scan is poor.  In this case, you won’t need a full bladder and research indicates that transvaginal scans are more comfortable in early pregnancy then abdominal scans.  You don’t need a full bladder for the 18-20 week scan, since the position of the uterus has changed.  This may make the beginning ultrasound scans a bit uncomfortable in the beginning.  There are also 3D and 4D scans that many companies now offer to reveal a baby in three dimensions or moving on film or video.  These 26-32 week scans can be expensive and are usually done out of curiosity of the couple, rather then for medical knowledge or gain.  The quality of these images are amazing and parents sometimes are even able to spot genetic similarities between themselves and their baby.  However, these 3D and 4D scans are often lengthy, which means the baby is exposed to ultrasound for longer then is normal. Also, if the baby is in the wrong position, it can be difficult to get a clear picture.  The position of the placenta, the amount of amniotic fluid, and the size of the mother can also affect the quality of the picture obtained.

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