Ultrasound heads up/advice needed

[willemsmamma]

My ultrasound is tomorrow morning. I'm kinda nervous. Haven't had a sonogram since I was 16 (it was for lumps in my breasts) but never when I've been pregnant. Anyone whose had one, can you kind of tell me what to expect? It's supposed to be a level one scan for dates but we are going to try and shmoozle the tech into telling us how the amnio fluid levels and placental integrity (damn OB still won't just give the go ahead for a full biophysical which is what I requested in the first place!!!). Any heads up would be really appreciated. I don't know why I'm so worried... I think it has to do with the fact that I have to go to the hospital to have it done and my secret fear is that they'll admit and induce me... though I know that couldn't possibly happen without my consent (right? :o ).
Thanks all :D

[spughy]

I don't think you have anything to worry about! I've always found pregnancy ultrasounds to be fun. This far along you shouldn't have to drink gobs of water before you go so it won't even be uncomfortable. You can see your baby wriggling about and waving at you and you'll probably even get to see his/her/its heart and other internal organs and bones and stuff.

And unless you are going to some weird hospital run by sadistic psychopaths, you won't be strapped down or anything - the only monitoring device is the ultrasound "wand" thingy and that's just handheld by the tech.

If they DO want to induce you based on the results of the scan, remember you CAN refuse, and it's always a good idea to ask questions like "is this a true emergency? What if I waited a few hours so I can consult with my midwife?" But given that all they're looking for is an idea of when to expect the baby, I doubt that anything untoward will happen and you will just get a good "sneak preview" of your little one. Enjoy!

[flyingspaghettimama]

willemsmama, I would appreciate hearing what you find out. They aren't doing a full biophysical profile, but you are overdue, correct? Is that sort of strange? I don't know what happens at a biophysical though...it might be interesting or stressful - I don't know.

I wonder because tonight I'll be talking with my MW about getting one done as well (she suggests it). I will be 41 weeks on Sunday, and at most I am only a few days off my EDD.

Argh! As my pirate grandpa always said.

I have had ultrasounds done though - once at 20 weeks in this pregnancy, last pregnancy all the freakin' time (high-risk). This time, it was with a very experienced person and was thankfully extremely brief (maybe 10 minutes) but I have heard of 40 minute ones (!). The lights are usually low, which for me really decreases stress.

[carla72]

I was made to have an ultra sound a week past my due date because I was planning a home birth. It was very very quick. It was quite easy to see what they needed. I told them I wanted it done as quickly as possible as I didn't want it in the first place and they were qquick.

[MamaFern]

my midwives never pushed an ultrasound on me because im having a homebirth.. weird.

williemsmama.. its a bit uncomfy i find but then again the only time i had one was at 10 weeks with elwynn and they made me drink a lot of water then pushed all around my belly.. they probably wont have to push hard to get a pic of your baby since its so big now!! i hope it all goes well for you. a peek into your belly to see that baby.. i probably woulnnt say no to the if someone wanted to do one on me at this point.. i wanna see this child!

[BensMom]

Well, first, make sure you are very clear if you dont want to know the gender! :D

I went to the hospital and it was in a separate area in the womens center, where most of the clientele were women getting mammograms, bone density scans, etc. So there was no doctor around to pressure for any action. The tech did her thing and wrote up a report to send to my Dr.

And typically, the tech will not diagnose anything for you, but if you want to ask questions about what they see, you might get answers. If you want a picture, make sure to ask and they might be able to print a few for you.

But at this stage, you wont see a whole baby. Just different parts as they slide around on your belly.

Oh, and the gel is pretty cold! :lol

[MrsMoe]

I love having ultrasounds because you can see the baby! :love

[samsmamma]

Got to agree - at this point, it should be quick and easy. Fetal sonograms are not invasive at this stage - no dildo wands in the land of yon or anything like that. They'll make you pull your pants down to around the top of your pubic line, spread on the gel which should be a nice temps, and gently run the want over your bump. Mine the other day was like 5-10 minutes or something. You won't need a full bladder (then again, I've never had a full bladder for a sono). They'll look at head position I'm sure, check the position of your placenta and your fluid levels. They might look at the 4 chambers of the heart, which is also super quick. Don't know about where you go for it, but mine was in the antenatal unit of the hospital so there were lots of other preggo moms waiting, some of them also as far along as me, so it was kind of a little bonding experience.

Let us know how it goes.

[flapjack]

Something to expect (you don't normally use ultrasound, right?) Babies seem to be aware of the ultrasound, and baby WILL be more active during and up to half an hour afterwards. This is really, really common. I thought I'd mention it so you don't freak :)

I'm not sure how they're expecting an ultrasound at this stage to give you a date, though, if they're not doing a BPP: something you might want to get your midwife to explain to you. I'd say placental condition and amniotic fluid levels are the two biggest concerns, and if your OB won't refer you to check for that you should try and get the midwives to liaise on your behalf (or, of course, find a new OB.)