How many ultrasounds can I do during pregnancy? Does ultrasound affect fetal development?

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

During pregnancy, the he alth of a woman and her developing baby is under constant control. To help doctors, modern science has invented many different devices, one of the key places in prenatal diagnostics is occupied by an ultrasound machine. Most patients undergo this study for various indications. It allows you to diagnose the presence of diseases or pathologies of various organs, check the condition of the vessels. When a woman finds out about her interesting situation, then one of the questions that may concern her before the study is about how much ultrasound can be done during pregnancy. This is usually caused by fear of harm to the baby.

Why are they sent for ultrasound

The easiest way to look inside the human body is to conduct an ultrasound. In real time, you can see what is currently happening with the developing embryo. If a woman only found out that she would become a mother(for example, donated blood to determine the level of hCG or did a rapid pregnancy test), then the next step, as a rule, is an ultrasound examination. This raises the question of when the first ultrasound is done during pregnancy. Doctors recommend to refrain from frequent research in the first trimester. This is justified by the fact that in the first months the embryo is not yet protected by the placenta and any pressure or influence on the body of the uterus from the outside can provoke tone and contractile function. As a result, there is a threat to carrying a pregnancy.

If there are complaints of pain in the lower abdomen, brown discharge, the doctor may recommend an unscheduled ultrasound to exclude the threat of miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy.

Who appoints an ultrasound study

You can get a referral for a study from a gynecologist observing a woman. If the pregnant woman feels well and she has no complaints, the first ultrasound during pregnancy is done when the critical period has passed. As a rule, this is the end of the first trimester. However, you can visit a private medical center that provides ultrasound specialist services from without a special referral. Such a study is paid, carried out by appointment. Additional preparation may be required if ultrasound is performed with a transabdominal transducer.

Frequency

Doctors have their own regulations regarding how many ultrasounds can be done during pregnancy. It is believed that during its normal course in a more frequent visitthere is no need for a specialist. This has its own rational grain. Any pressure or intrusion into the body of a pregnant woman can provoke a muscle spasm. However, modern methods of research allow minimizing this risk and at the same time obtaining maximum information about how a child develops inside the womb.

So, a woman receives her first referral for an ultrasound scan at 10-12 weeks. This period was chosen for a reason, since the most dangerous period is behind us. By this time, it becomes known whether the fetus has a heartbeat, how it is located (ectopic pregnancy is excluded).

First Screening

As a rule, in the first month of pregnancy, a woman does not yet know that she is pregnant. The exception is those who plan and control their cycle and the changes that occur in the body (for example, with the help of tests, basal temperature charting). The main thing that ultrasound shows during pregnancy for a period of 2-6 weeks is the presence of a fetal egg in the body of the uterus, the functioning of the corpus luteum. At the seventh week of gestation, a specialist can diagnose his heartbeat. This is a key point that justifies the expediency of conducting the study before the date of the first screening.

Types of ultrasound

Before you sign up for an ultrasound, you must wait out the so-called critical period of pregnancy. This is especially important when visiting a specialist in the first trimester. It depends on how longway the research will be carried out. Thanks to the development of the medical industry, a specialist can use a sensor during the session, which will avoid excessive pressure on the abdomen.

Several years ago there was only one sensor - transabdominal. He allowed to conduct research through the abdomen. With the advent of the transvaginal sensor, even during critical periods of pregnancy, the study can be carried out without harm to the developing fetus. It is worth considering separately each type of ultrasound.

Transvaginal ultrasound

This is the most modern and progressive way to diagnose the he alth status of the female reproductive system. During pregnancy, this type of ultrasound allows a woman to avoid such an unpleasant moment as preparation. She does not need to fill her bladder additionally before the study. It has been proven that in this way the diagnosis can be carried out as many times as necessary. There are questions about whether it is harmful to do ultrasound in the early stages using a transvaginal sensor. Experts convince that no, if you follow the doctor's recommendations. Ultrasonic waves do not have any negative effect on the fetus. However, a doctor's referral is necessary for such a study and should not be done more often than necessary.

Transabdominal examination

More familiar to many ultrasound, which is carried out through the abdomen. Modern technology allows you to get 3D and even4D high definition image. In the first trimester of pregnancy, some preparation is required before the study. A woman should drink about a liter of water to fill her bladder. Thus, the image received on the screen will be more informative and clear. If a woman follows the doctor's recommendations, then the first visit to the ultrasound room will be at the end of the first trimester, when the critical period has passed. In the second and third trimester, no additional preparation is required.

In some cases, the question arises of how much ultrasound can be done during pregnancy using a transabdominal probe. Experts recommend sticking to the schedule for prenatal diagnosis (screening). It is desirable not earlier than the second trimester, when the placenta begins to function normally, protecting the fetus from external stimuli. During an ultrasound with a transabdominal probe, the specialist has to pass them over the abdomen, which can lead to uterine tone.

Doppler

You can check the blood circulation in the heart and vessels of the fetus using a special Doppler sensor. This study is carried out only according to the testimony of a doctor. Therefore, the question of how much ultrasound can be done during pregnancy in this way can only be answered by a gynecologist observing a woman. Since this diagnosis is completely harmless to the fetus, you should not worry about his well-being. However, it can also reveal internal changes in the functioning of the heart and blood vessels.

If a child falls behind indevelopment, then, most likely, he lacks nutrients or oxygen. The most disturbing moment when the reason lies in the development of congenital malformations. With the help of Doppler, it is possible to identify diseases at the initial stage and take the necessary actions to eliminate them in time. In this case, a control ultrasound may be recommended in order to compare the data and establish the effectiveness of the treatment.

Is it bad for baby?

It is important to understand that the goal of any prenatal diagnosis at an early stage is to identify the risk of developing a pathology that can negatively affect the course of pregnancy. The questions that the expectant mother has about whether ultrasound affects the development of the fetus, and if so, how, are quite natural and normal. We can say that this is how the maternal instinct works in a woman who worries about the well-being of her baby. However, many years of experience show that fears about ultrasound are completely unfounded. The procedure most often takes not so much time, but at the same time it allows you to get all the information regarding the development and he alth of the fetus.

Contraindications

Any study has its own set of conditions for the appointment. Therefore, situations may arise when it is necessary to adhere to the ultrasound schedule. During pregnancy, you have to avoid amateur performances, even if curiosity is bursting or feelings are haunting. It is worth refraining from visiting a specialist who conducts an ultrasound examination if a woman feels unwell,there are bleeding. It is necessary to consult a doctor before making an appointment for an ultrasound.

Otherwise, there are no direct contraindications in order to undergo the study. In extreme cases, doctors do not oppose those who are very worried and insist on an unscheduled diagnosis during pregnancy.

Second and third screening

It is difficult to imagine modern diagnostics without ultrasound. After the pregnancy has been established and confirmed at the first screening, the pregnant woman is advised to wait for the next one. Here the question may arise as to what period of pregnancy the second ultrasound is done. Doctors recommend waiting until the 22nd week. By this time, you can see the sex of the baby, take the necessary measurements of his body, the amount of amniotic fluid.

The second screening is necessary to identify the risks and pathologies associated with the development of the fetus, the functioning of the placenta. Since the procedure is completely safe and painless, you should not worry about how the study affects the child. Movement of the transducer across the abdomen cannot harm it in any way, as it is surrounded by amniotic fluid.

At the third screening, the doctor can determine the degree of maturity of the lungs, evaluate the uteroplacental blood flow, and measure the baby. If there are congenital malformations, then at this time (32-36 weeks) they are already quite clearly visible. For the doctor and future parents, this is an occasion to choose the right tactics for conducting childbirth, as well asnecessary measures after the birth of the baby. In the normal course of pregnancy, the third screening (including ultrasound) is the final one in terms of prenatal diagnosis. Therefore, it is worth noting that experienced gynecologists do not recommend ultrasound more than three times during the entire pregnancy.