Drinking copious amounts of water for ultrasound?

[stormgirl]

I'm going in for my 20 week ultrasound tomorrow, and the paperwork specifies to drink 32 ounces of water 2 hours before and not pee until after the ultrasound... What??? Did you guys do this? I'd need depends! If I took in that much fluid and didn't pee, I'd probably explode. I'm nervous about this. I get the rationale for baby visibility and optimal amniotic fluid levels, but I just don't know if I have the physical capacity to do that.

Opinions? What did you do?

[taramoon13]

i just had a 15 week ultrasound where i had to first empty my bladder, then drink 24 oz. of water an hour before the appt. i think since i did pee right before i drank the water it helped me make it through without bursting!! i know that having the full bladder enables them to get a much better view of the baby.

[MacroMama]

I did it during my first pregnancy and it's so worth it. I went to the bathroom in the middle of the u/s since they had gotten the important stuff and I couldn't wait any longer. The difference in the images was amazing.

So, try if you can!

[ein328]

When I went to have my u/s with DD#1, I actually had to go back and sit in the waiting room until I could drink enough water- the tech wasn't able to see everything he needed to, so we had to put it on hold until I could drink more.

This time, I made sure to follow the directions, and like pp said, the difference in image quality was amazing. Once the tech got several measurements (I'm not sure exactly which ones), he let me go pee, then I came back to finish the u/s.

[adoremybabe]

It is possible to have too much in your bladder. I had to pee in the middle of an ultrasound once. The tech couldn't see properly.

Just drink what you are comfortable drinking. Don't cause yourself pain in order to keep that large amount of water in.

[NewMaMaZenLovin]

This is my story;

For my 20 wk they said to come in with a full bladder. they didnt specify anything else they just said full bladder. So i wake up that morning empty my bladder then drink one oooohhhh lets say 15 oz glass of water. by the time I get to the doc 1 hour later i start to feel that limit of bein able to hold it. Now I have never waited at this doctors office for more that 5 min. So I was like, "okay, cool I can do this." They get me into the room pretty quick as my bladder starts to yell at me, and tell me to undress and the Doc will be right in. Okay....... 10 minutes later......15 minutes later ("hunny can you go find a nurse and tell them they have a pregnant woman in here about to burst and that its very mean of them *bottem lip quivers* to keep me waiting like this, PLEASE." Nurse takes 2-3 horribly long minutes to asses the situation and find my doc. "She'll be right in Miss, she is stlll with another aptient. Im so sorry." Me: "......Okay....*insert tinkle wiggle here*" 5 min later Doc comes in, "Im so sorry to keep you waiting darlin, are you Okay?" "Yeeeeahhh" Doc, "do you think you just wanna let a little out so its not so bad?" me: "uh there is no such thing as lettin a lil out right now" Her, "Alright lets get this over with then." I lay down, Me: "oh my god" Doc puts jelly then the wand on my tummy. I can tell shes tryin not to push to hard but OH MY FREAGIN GOSH! "Yup thats your completley full bladder squishin the baby's head,......you know i dont know why they tell you to fill your bladder up, it dosnt ever help.....Hunny do you want to go empty your bladder? I dont see any reason why not to." Me; "oh my god yes please!"

Run to the bathroom, do the deed, and have a seamless ultrasound right after.

Ironically thats the day when I started having to run to the potty every 15 minutes.

Thanks stupid come with your bladder full rule.....




Just drink a glass of water before. You'll be fine.

[St. Margaret]

The tech at my u/s was angry for me that they told me to drink that much. She says that even the lower amount is still PLENTY and maybe too much. She let me go empty after the first part, too. I think it's ridiculous to expect a prego mama who's already peeing NONSTOP to drink that much and hold it. The tech was actually horrified at how full my bladder was, and said it wouldn't help at all to be THAT full.

[Drummer's Wife]

It's ideal b/c it will that much easier to see baby - but it's not required. I've had numerous ultrasounds with four pregnancies, and even when not gestating, I have an overactive bladder. So, there were times when I couldn't hold it and peed right before going into see the sonographer. It still went fine, and we could see the baby. It's just helpful to have a full-ish bladder. Even so, I had to pee like crazy the second they were finished! All that action with the wand, I guess.

[Pippi L.]

No!!! My midwife told me to ignore the instructions because they were so overboard. She said a full bladder would be fine -- just drink enough water to feel it's full and don't go the washroom. I was still uncomfortable because they were a half hour or more behind for mine. Eventually they told me to use the washroom but only pee a little bit. And I didn't even come close to drinking the recommend amount!

[macandcheese]

For my 20 week ultrasound I wasn't told to drink any specific quantity beforehand. I drink a ton of water anyway, though, so I made sure to not pee beforehand just in case. By the time it was my turn I was about to pee all over the waiting room, so I asked the tech if I could pee and she said yes.

She has 20 years of experience and said that there's no reason to drink a ton beforehand as long as you're typically well-hydrated. From what others are saying here, though, you can see the baby more clearly if you're full of pee. Maybe my tech was just experienced enough to be fine with the blurrier images?

[mija y mijo]

When I was pregnant with my daughter I had to drink an insane amount of water. It was beyond uncomfortable and I remember the scan taking longer than usual because DD wouldn't cooperate. I ended up having to ask the tech if I could go relieve myself a little. It was that bad.

When I had my ultrasound with my son I asked about drinking the water and they told me not to. The technology or equipment they had didn't require it. The ultrasound tech ended up asking if she could use my scan for a model towards her recertification. She said it was "perfect." So having a full bladder doesn't really make sense... I thought that was across the board and they weren't requiring mamas to drink water anymore??

These were totally different practices in different parts of the country, so maybe that makes a difference.

[kalamos23]

Honey, I just went in for an abdominal u/s today at 6w6d, and had nothing in my bladder whatsoever, and they got measurements just fine. I about died when I tried to drink the water beforehand that they tell you to drink - my bladder was so uncomfortably full it was spasming! So yeah, make sure you have to pee, but you don't have to go overboard, you'll be fine

[lifeguard]

I actually never had to drink anything before my u/s but I know it is common practice here.

[spargel]

I had a full bladder for my 20 wk US yesterday. The tech didn't seem to care - he just noted that it caused my uterus to rise up higher - so I'm assuming it was easier to see everything.

[MaerynPearl]

my hospital did not require a full bladder at the 20 week ultrasound... first trimester ultrasounds it does but the baby is so tiny that it makes a difference then (and really, only need it then if its an abdominal one, not if its so early its trans-vaginal)

[TheGirls]

I've had several ultrasounds (at several different practices) and my DP has had like 8 (also at 2 different practices). Neither of us has ever been told to have a full blader or drink more. For DP, they did her scans vaginally until the baby came up out of the cervix, then abdominally. My scans were all abdominal. We've both asked, and been told that there's no need to have a full bladder. In fact for one of mine I had a full bladder by chance, and the tech started looking around and said "it looks like you need to pee, why don't you do that real quick and this will all be more comfortable."

[MyFullHouse]

I've experienced both ends of the spectrum. I've been told to go back out to the waiting room and chug, and I've been told to empty my bladder b/c it was making the u/s more difficult. I think a lot depends on Baby's positioning.

Personally, I feel it's a lot easier to go in and be told to pee than it is to go in and be told to wait and drink, so I err on the side of caution!

[bella99]

When I was pregnant with my daughter, I had 3 early u/s at my RE's office and then three more during my pregnancy. I was never asked to have a full bladder, and measurements were taken just fine.

This pregnancy, I had an early u/s at the hospital where they had me fill my bladder beforehand, and let me empty halfway through.

I've two more, after I changed providers. Neither of those times was I asked to have a full bladder. In fact, last week at my anatomy scan, the tech asked me to try and empty my bladder halfway through because it was restricting how much room the baby has.

The images were very clear and measurements were taken just fine again.

[Cujobunny]

Originally Posted by NewMaMaZenLovin

This is my story;

For my 20 wk they said to come in with a full bladder. they didnt specify anything else they just said full bladder. So i wake up that morning empty my bladder then drink one oooohhhh lets say 15 oz glass of water. by the time I get to the doc 1 hour later i start to feel that limit of bein able to hold it. Now I have never waited at this doctors office for more that 5 min. So I was like, "okay, cool I can do this." They get me into the room pretty quick as my bladder starts to yell at me, and tell me to undress and the Doc will be right in. Okay....... 10 minutes later......15 minutes later ("hunny can you go find a nurse and tell them they have a pregnant woman in here about to burst and that its very mean of them *bottem lip quivers* to keep me waiting like this, PLEASE." Nurse takes 2-3 horribly long minutes to asses the situation and find my doc. "She'll be right in Miss, she is stlll with another aptient. Im so sorry." Me: "......Okay....*insert tinkle wiggle here*" 5 min later Doc comes in, "Im so sorry to keep you waiting darlin, are you Okay?" "Yeeeeahhh" Doc, "do you think you just wanna let a little out so its not so bad?" me: "uh there is no such thing as lettin a lil out right now" Her, "Alright lets get this over with then." I lay down, Me: "oh my god" Doc puts jelly then the wand on my tummy. I can tell shes tryin not to push to hard but OH MY FREAGIN GOSH! "Yup thats your completley full bladder squishin the baby's head,......you know i dont know why they tell you to fill your bladder up, it dosnt ever help.....Hunny do you want to go empty your bladder? I dont see any reason why not to." Me; "oh my god yes please!"

Run to the bathroom, do the deed, and have a seamless ultrasound right after.

Ironically thats the day when I started having to run to the potty every 15 minutes.

Thanks stupid come with your bladder full rule.....




Just drink a glass of water before. You'll be fine.

Ohhhh yes. ITA that the recommended amount is way too much, and way awful. I drank that much & finished drinking 1 hr before my appt time as stated on my u/s instructions. WELL. I got to the appt at the right time and had to wait 45 TORTUROUS MINUTES!!! I had to pee so bad I thought I was going to cry. Then I got on the u/s table and the tech told me "Wow your bladder is very full." I was like uhhhhh yeah, can I go let some out? She said "You can go completely empty it." ALL THAT FOR NOTHING.

[DanielleT]

I too have had numerous u/s but recently had a 10 w one and my instructions were to drink 40oz an hour before...The tech did the first part and told me to go pee my bladder was too full so i peed came back she did the rest and said my bladder STILL had plenty of fluid...she said when i come back for my 20w not to drink so much...I think it depends on how new their equipment is and how experienced the tech is...