When are you having your first ultrasound?

[anatoliy24]

When are you going to have your first ultrasound? I assume that they are generally harmless, but I still want to keep it to a minimum. So should I do one and only one at 20 weeks? Or should I do it at 6-8 weeks (I'm at 6 weeks tomorrow) for the heartbeat? I actually might manage to wait to 20, so I could wait for that, or is there something specific to look for at 6-8 weeks? I could wait for 12 weeks to hear the heartbeat with the doppler....

Thanks!

[cmili]

I'm having one at my next visit if he can't hear the heart beat. I'll be 10 weeks.

[Meli65]

I talked to a lay midwife about this the other day, and her recommendation is no u/s in the first trimester, since all the baby's organs are forming then. There is no conclusive evidence that it is harmful, but it does create heat and some kind of air bubbles (?) -- I'm not sure about all the reasons, but it was enough for me to postpone u/s until at least twelve weeks, if not longer.
I'd go without all together if possible -- I plan to get one only if medically necessary. Too much of an unknown quantity for me.

[stacyg]

We had only one with our first pregnancy - to find out how far along I was (9 weeks it was 3cm big -- you wouldn't be able to tell anything about it) and after that we started The Bradley Method classes and found that it may not be as harmless as the medical community would have you believe. While there is no conclusive evidence it's harmful it's not be completely safe either. I think for it to be used for high risk pregnancies it could be a life saver but for the "normal low risk" pregnancy...well let's just say I don't feel it's safe or worth taking a chance. We are due at the end of November and we haven't had one for this pregnancy.

[mclisa]

If you just want to see the heartbeat then you should do it after 6 weeks. If you want all of the baby's anatomy looked at (heart, lungs, stomach, kidneys, bladder, etc) you need to wait until 20 weeks.

[jerawo]

I'm pretty sure I'm not going to have any.

[4Marmalade]

I will only have the one ultrasound done at the 18-20 week mark. Before that I will rely on the Doppler to get the heartbeat to ease my mind.

[NiksMom]

I'm not sure- I don't even have my first appt. until Nov. 22. I'm almost 6 weeks.
I had about 10 ultrasounds with my son- I had gestational diabetes and I have a bicornate uterus, so they took u.s. a lot to measure fluid.

[aja-belly]

my first, an possibly only ultrasound is monday! i am so excited, and kinda nervous.

aja

[Karennnnn]

I'm having one on November 3; I'll be a few days shy of 7 weeks. We're doing it to verify that there's a human being growing in there and not just a sac I went back and forth about it but would rather know especially if this turns out to be a chronic problem. I had a dream about it last night and it wasn't good I'll just feel better KNOWING.
After that I'm leaving the ob's and turning it over to my midwife. She'll order an u/s at 20 weeks if I want it, which I do. If there are any anomalies I want to know because I'm planning a home birth. Should there be something serious I obviously would want to birth in a hospital.
I applaud those who avoid u/s!!! I don't know that I could do it. Kind of like I don't know if I can live without cable lol!!!
Take care,
Karen

[dani76]

I will get an ultrasound as soon as possible since my last pregnancy was ectopic. I want to make sure that my bean is growing in the right place! After that, I'm not sure. I'd like to be surprised about the sex of the baby. Can you tell your OB no? This is my first full length pg so I don't know "the rules".

[Awaken]

Originally Posted by dani76

I'd like to be surprised about the sex of the baby. Can you tell your OB no? This is my first full length pg so I don't know "the rules".

Sure, lots of people don't want to know the sex- we didn't last time- just tell them at the beginning of the u/s that you don't want to know. actually, I couldn't even recognize all the stuff they were pointing out to me on the screen, so even if they were looking right at a penis I doubt I would have seen that it was a boy!

I'm probably only going to have the one around 20 weeks...although i'm still worried b/c I don't think I am getting any bigger, and I just realized that my 1st appt. is at 9 weeks, not 10 so they prob. won't be able to hear the heartbeat so I'll STILL be wondering if this pregnancy is for real! I'm sure if I was really worried they'd offer me an u/s earlier just to check- but I don't know if I should, and also we have no one to babysit my son for me to go to another appt!

[aja-belly]

i read that you should be able to hear a heartbeat by 8 weeks.

aja

[Karennnnn]

A heartbeat at 8 weeks I think would be pretty rare. Although maybe it's possible. My ob always checked for a heartbeat at about 9 weeks. From talking to other women online though it seems like on average no one really tries till 10 weeks. And even sometimes at that point if you can't hear it they kind of say "Wait till the next appt". That would drive me nuts!!!!
I won't get to hear it until 12 weeks, but at my u/s I guess I might if we see the heart beating at around 6 weeks? I'm unsure though.
Take care,
Karen

[5kidsmama]

I'll probably have 1 around 20ish weeks. And that to check to make sure everything's alright. Though since this is my last baby, I want to find out what the sex is. I found out with my first 2, then the next 2 we were surprised, and the last one I found out (my friend went with me, and was no support in not findig out! lol) But this time I really want to know!

[aja-belly]

ok, you were talking about hearing the heartbeat like with the doppler. i was thinking seeing it on ultrasound. gotcha.

i was abou to cry. lol. i was thinking - but i need to see that heartbeat today! yeah, a heartbeat on doppler at 8 weeks would be amazing!

aja

[Hooni]

I will definetely be getting an ultrasound at 20 weeks. My first daughter was diagnoised with lethal birth defects at that u/s and I just have to know. I couldn't not skip it.

Besides, if we don't know the sex then we will have to hire a lawyer to help mediate the naming of the baby. :LOL Lets at least cut the fighting in half.

[melixxa]

I'm definitely going to be getting an u/s at 20 weeks. I'm 40 and a little concerned about the higher risk of defects. I'm not sure what we'll do with the information we get, but I know we feel we need to get it.

Last time I was with a OBGYN practice until five months, then switched to my midwife. So I had all the standard testing up till then, including an initial u/s at 12 weeks or so, then another at 20 weeks, and also the quadruple screen, etc. So we heard the heartbeat/saw the fetus really early, etc.

So my question is: How soon can you hear the heartbeat using a doppler?

[fuzzypeach]

I just want to second Melixxa's question - I'm going in next week and they're going to try to hear the heartbeat.. I'll be nine weeks and two days. I'm pretty slender, I've heard that can make it easier to hear...

[dani76]

I just had my first appt today at 5 weeks and 2 days, and my first ultrasound is scheduled on Nov.8. I will be nearly 7 weeks. They want to make sure that the baby is in the right place. Then I'll probably have one at 20 weeks.