Ultrasound

[happynaturalmama]

I was just curious, how many of you get ultrasounds when you are planning an UC and are primarily UP'ing (no prenatal appts except possibly one for an u/s)

[MittensKittens]

Originally Posted by happynaturalmama 

I was just curious, how many of you get ultrasounds when you are planning an UC and are primarily UP'ing (no prenatal appts except possibly one for an u/s)

I had an ultrasound at about 20 weeks. I wanted to make sure that 1. there were no major, immediately identifiable problems, ie all the parts were there, and 2. the placenta was in a good position, no previa or low-lying placenta. Towards the end, I got good at palpating for fetal position, so I didn't get another ultrasound to confirm that he was head down. My son was breech for a while, but he turned before labor. 

[LadyofFlowers]

We had a threatened miscarriage and had one ultrasound at 12 weeks to see if the baby was ok and another ultrasound at 25 weeks after I went in to preterm labor. We would have had one to check for placenta previa and any obvious problems if all had gone smoothly and that's it.

[newsolarmomma2]

I had lots of US because of possible hemolytic disease (DS did end up with it) I was planning a UC, but didn't UP. This time I will only have one or two, as I am uninsured. I liked seeing him on the US. :-)

[SublimeBirthGirl]

I had a UP/UC and didn't have any ultrasounds.  I didn't use a doppler either.  I listened with a fetoscope once I got far enough along though I admit it was mostly for fun.

[happynaturalmama]

We've been completely UP'ing this far, I scheduled an appt with an OB in order to get an u/s to just "check on things" but for some reason it always feels SO wrong setting up appts (not the first one i've set up, but I've always chickened out before)  I've talked about it some before but I really don't know what the deal is,  I mean, what could one u/s hurt, right?  Am I just being stubborn not wanting to go at all? 

[lightinmyhands]

for a moment part of me wanted an u/s just to check on things (mostly position of placenta), however I found the more I really thought about why I wanted to do this and the reality of doing it....seeing an OB, probably having a pelvic, being harassed about a bunch of other "tests" the more I realized I wanted/want the u/s because of the fears culturally instilled in me surrounding birth and I do not in fact want to go anywhere near an OB and possibly put a damper on this blissful pregnancy.  

[DirtyHippyMama]

i voted "multiple" ...i did not UP though, fwiw.  i may have chosen to do that, if i had known from the start that i would end up UC'ing, and if there is a next time, i probably will (if for no other reason than i have probably been "blacklisted" by local care providers ).   i have all the typical prenatal care equipment and a history of relatively complication-free pregnancies, so i would be comfortable doing that.

i had a 20 week ultrasound with the HB MWs' backup OB for 2 main reasons:  1) i have had twins, and wanted to rule them out for certain (even though i pretty much knew that it wasn't), and 2) i was taking a category D medication and wanted to rule out birth defects (which imo, would make the option to UC null and void).  this, incidentally, was the appointment that initially spurred my exploration of UC as an option -- the OB decided i was too high risk to have a HB, and refused to sign off on it.  (among these ridiculous "risk factors" were my history of twins -- this wasn't twins, a history of premature birth, with my twins -- this wasn't twins and i had had a full term birth since then, and the category D meds, for which major birth defects had been ruled out by his very own ultrasound skills.  uuuuuuuugh.  sorry, OT. )  i was able to continue prenatal care with my midwives, however, until my 37th week.  then i went along with being transferred to the OB's hosp MW, even though i had no plans of going to the hosp if things went okay (and they did ).

i also had a 3D u/s at ~30 weeks, both for "fun" and to confirm gender (she had her legs closed at the 20wk u/s, and i am one of those mamas who just HAS TO KNOW for planning purposes).  BUT, that required proof of professional care, so if i have another babe i might have a problem with that, but i wouldn't necessarily need or want one anyway.  it also cost $100+ out of pocket.  however, going to one prenatal appt before that u/s would probably have provided me with the "proof" i needed. 

i have a friend who UP/UC'ed and she got a 20wk u/s at our local crisis pregnancy center, for free (i think?  or at least really cheap), and without proof of care.  she was able to have her dates confirmed and general defect screening that way.

[DirtyHippyMama]

Originally Posted by MittensKittens 

I had an ultrasound at about 20 weeks. I wanted to make sure that 1. there were no major, immediately identifiable problems, ie all the parts were there, and 2. the placenta was in a good position, no previa or low-lying placenta. Towards the end, I got good at palpating for fetal position, so I didn't get another ultrasound to confirm that he was head down. My son was breech for a while, but he turned before labor. 

whoops, that brings up a few more things.  i also wanted to make sure my placenta was in a safe place (it was), and the u/s showed that she was breech at 20 wks (nbd in general, i know), so i had another (very brief, about 3 minutes) u/s at 28 wks, again with the HB backup OB, to see if she had turned (she had), and to try to see the gender again (she still had her legs crossed - argh!).  in the end i was able to confirm vertex presentation with self-cervical checks (i start dilating by 36 wks typically, and it's pretty obvious when there's a skull presenting!).  i did zero cervical checks on myself after my water broke, however.

so, i actually had 3 u/s with my UC baby.  forgot about that middle one!

[firecat]

 I am not uping but I haven't had any ultrasounds during the course of my prenatal care (w/ cnms). 

[happynaturalmama]

I don't know why I'm so uneasy about going in :/  It really doesn't feel "right", though.  This would also be for our confirmation of pregnancy.  Blah.  Too bad there isn't someone to make these decisions for us lol

[Azadehhast]

If you don't feel right about it, why go? There's no true reason you need a u/s, and if you're already confident things are fine (which I guess, since you aren't too keen on seeing the doctors), and you have negative feelings about it, maybe you should listen to them! Lots of people have very healthy births and babies without ultrsounds (and of course, they haven't been around for very long--clearly not essential to pregnancy). Also, I don't know how registration works where you are, but here, if you don't have Proof of Pregnancy, you just have to have notarized statements from two people who attest you were pregnant and you have given birth. Simple.

So I say (and let it be known, I am not medically trained, just another pregnant mama), if doesn't feel right, stay home.

[happynaturalmama]

Thank you for your input :)  I think we actually decided yesterday that we'd just wait it out and not go.  My husband was just wanting it really for a pregnancy confirmation but we'll just cross that bridge when/if we come to it. 

[tutucrazy]

I'm not having any ultrasounds unless a problem arises but I have had prenatal care from a midwife and ob up to this point. I will likely continue my prenatal care until the end and then UC.

[yoma2468]

I decided to get an ultrasound around 31wks only because my body was telling me I may be further along than I thought, and for some reason after 5 children going full term, 

I began to worry about delivering a premie. The measurements suggested I was actually 35wks and should be delivering around 6/16, instead of 7/3. Lo and Behold today, June 24, 2010 at 4:16pm, I am still pregnant. So, either their ultrasound was not correct or I am waaaay late, made me wish I would have never done it. 

[lightinmyhands]

Yoma.... I am really thinking I might be 4 weeks off on my dates as well (measuring larger and things happened really early, like fetal movement) and I'd like an U/S so that DH can let his job know a rough time frame for baby's arrival..... is there any way to get one without a prenatal appt. and an ob?  I don't have insurance and besides not wanting the appt. with the OB, i don't want to pay for something that would bother me that much out of pocket.....

[yoma2468]

I went to Planned Parenthood. They let me make an appointment without an OB. I just had to pay $100. No problem, although they did act a little weird when I told them 
I hadn't been to any doctor at all. Once I explained to them that I am well within my rights to decide when or if I chose to go to a doctor and that I do my own prenatals they dropped it, but I would keep in mind that any date is just an estimate. They were wrong for me, but it may be because I usually have big babies, last child was 9'5oz. Good luck to you!!!!

[Multimomma]

Some of my pregnancies have had no ultrasounds, my last had three (I think). One, because I did not know my dates. I had a partial previa at that point, so I had another at 20 weeks to check location. I think I had a third one to make sure my placenta had moved up, but honestly I'm not sure. If it had remained, I would have transferred care to an OB.

[lightinmyhands]

I tried to get an ultrasound at planned parenthood and they told me in my third trimester i am too far along for their scope of practice.  they only do them early on for "procedural reasons".  how far along were you when you got yours at planned parenthood? I've decided to give up on my ultrasound quest and since I'm measuring 37 weeks and I the baby has been head down for the last 2 weeks and I've had a pretty big hormonal shift recently, i'm going to imagine that i'm 37 weeks pregnant.  makes everything make more sense from earlier in the pregnancy, like how quickly my morning sickness ended and how strangely impossibly early i first felt the baby move.... 

[yoma2468]

I was 31wks when I went in but they did explain to me that they provide ultrasounds for gestational age purposes only and that their equipment was not advanced enough to determine things like weight of baby or even sex. Honestly I would just trust the signs your body is showing you and prepare as best you can. When the baby is done cooking the timer will go off.