What an Ultrasound Can Tell You About Your Baby

Prenatal care has one overriding objective: keeping you and your baby healthy as your pregnancy progresses. At Capital Women’s Care in Frederick and Mount Airy, Maryland, ultrasound screenings are an invaluable component of this care. 

Ultrasound imaging gives your obstetrician a safe and easy way to monitor fetal growth and development and monitor maternal health throughout pregnancy. Simply put, it provides a “noninvasive window” to observe your growing baby so we can detect problems early and take steps to address them. 

Read on as our obstetrics team explains why pregnancy ultrasounds are essential, what they can tell you about your baby, and when they’re recommended. 

How a prenatal ultrasound works

A prenatal ultrasound, also called a fetal or pregnancy ultrasound, uses harmless soundwaves to generate sonogram images of your baby and uterus. This noninvasive test is quick and easy: A hand-held transducer emits high-frequency soundwaves, which bounce back to the device in the form of echoes. 

Ultrasound echoes “paint” detailed images of the internal structures they encounter, which the device converts into live moving pictures in real-time on a nearby video monitor.

An important part of prenatal care 

Ultrasound screenings are essential to prenatal care because they provide visual information that helps your obstetrician keep tabs on fetal health and development, identify common congenital anomalies, and monitor your pregnancy. 

We can use ultrasound imaging to: 

• Confirm your pregnancy (i.e., detect fetal heartbeat)
• See if your baby is growing and developing as expected
• Detect abnormalities in your baby’s brain, heart, kidneys, and bones
• Spot concerns with your placenta (i.e., bad location, detachment)
• Assess your amniotic fluid levels (i.e., low or normal volume)

Discovered early, concerns related to fetal health or the pregnancy itself can often be managed to protect fetal and maternal health. The visual information from an ultrasound helps us tailor our prenatal care to your specific needs.  

What prenatal ultrasounds show

Standard prenatal care in a normal, healthy pregnancy usually includes two ultrasound scans: One in the first trimester and another in the second. Let’s take a closer look at what each of these tests can tell you about your baby: 

First trimester ultrasound 

An early pregnancy ultrasound is often done around eight weeks of gestation but may occur as late as your 12th week. Called a fetal dating ultrasound, we use this scan to rule out a non-viable ectopic pregnancy and:

• Listen to your baby’s heart 
• Measure the size of your baby
• Calculate gestational age
• Estimate your likely due date
• Check for multiples (i.e., twins)

Transvaginal ultrasound provides the clearest images in the first trimester. With this method, we cover the transducer wand in a latex sheath, lubricate it, and gently insert it a few inches into your vagina to get an unobstructed view of your uterus and your baby. 

Second trimester ultrasound 

In your second trimester, you have another ultrasound sometime between 18 and 22 weeks of gestation. This scan is done transabdominally, meaning we pass the transducer device across your abdomen after lubricating your skin with a water-based conductive gel. 

Also known as a fetal anatomy or anomaly scan, your second-trimester ultrasound reveals even more visual information about fetal growth. We use it to check your baby’s:

• Heart activity 
• Movement
• Size and weight
• Development
• Apparent gender 

An ultrasound anatomy scan also involves examining your baby’s organs (i.e., brain, heart, lungs, kidneys, bladder, stomach, intestines) and body parts (limbs, spine, face). We also check umbilical cord attachment, blood flow, placental placement, and amniotic fluid levels. 

At this stage of gestation, ultrasound can help us detect signs and markers of common congenital anomalies, including cleft palate, neural tube defects, Down syndrome, and congenital heart disease.  

Your prenatal ultrasound experts

Suppose you have a healthy pregnancy, and your two benchmark ultrasound scans are normal. In that case, you probably won’t need more ultrasound screenings before you deliver — most women only have two prenatal ultrasounds during their pregnancy.

If we notice something abnormal on one of your ultrasounds (i.e., slow fetal growth), if you have a high-risk pregnancy (i.e., multiples), or if you experience a concerning problem (i.e., vaginal bleeding), you may require additional ultrasound scans to check your baby’s health.  

Do you have questions about prenatal ultrasounds? We have answers. Call to schedule a visit at your nearest Capital Women’s Care office in Frederick or Mount Airy, Maryland, today.