Understanding Each Phase of Your Cycle
Did you know there's more to menstruation than just your period? Learn about each phase of your menstrual cycle and how it affects fertility and your period.
What to Expect During Your First Ultrasound
The first trimester of pregnancy involves many firsts: your first positive pregnancy test, your first time revealing the news to loved ones, and, of course, your first ultrasound. The excitement of the initial ultrasound is usually overwhelming, even if you know what to expect.
At New England Women's Healthcare, our team specializes in obstetrics and gynecology, including prenatal appointments and ultrasounds. Our team of OB/GYN specialists provides compassionate care and everything you need during pregnancy.
Understanding prenatal ultrasounds
An ultrasound is a diagnostic test that utilizes sound waves to provide a picture of the structures in the body. A prenatal ultrasound is a test to see images of the baby to check on its health and development.
Most women have two ultrasounds during pregnancy: the first takes place around 8-12 weeks, and the second at about 20 weeks. The goal of prenatal ultrasound is to evaluate the overall health and development of the fetus and find medical issues related to pregnancy.
An ultrasound is fine to have during pregnancy because sound waves are safer than radiation, which an X-ray uses. During the ultrasound, we use a transducer, which we place against the skin to allow sound waves to travel through the uterus.
The ultrasound is painless and typically takes only a few minutes. We can evaluate the fetus with a transducer on the abdomen or one that fits in the vagina.
What happens at the initial ultrasound?
The initial ultrasound confirms your pregnancy and does many other things to provide information, such as:
- Detecting a fetal heartbeat
- Looking for multiple fetuses
- Confirming gestational age
- Predicting due date
- Measuring fetal size
We perform the initial ultrasound using a transvaginal transducer that goes inside the vagina. We put gel on the transducer to make the exam more comfortable.
To improve the quality of the images, we suggest you have a full bladder before the ultrasound. We allow you to watch the screen during the ultrasound, and we point out the gestational sac, fetal pole, and heartbeat.
You can ask questions during the ultrasound to help you understand what you're seeing. We also discuss any concerns or health issues you have and how they may affect your pregnancy.
Other information about your first ultrasound
You can bring a support person to the ultrasound, but refrain from bringing other children. We ask you to change into a gown and take off your underwear for a transvaginal ultrasound.
If we're performing an abdominal ultrasound, you can choose to change into a gown or leave your clothing on and expose the abdomen. The ultrasound gel may be cold, but it won't stain or damage clothing.
Will I need more than two ultrasounds?
Most women need only two ultrasounds during pregnancy, but that's not always the case. If you’re healthy and don't have any pregnancy issues, you have an initial ultrasound and a second one around 20 weeks to do an anatomy scan on the baby.
However, you may need additional ultrasounds if you have certain health issues, or one of the previous tests reveals a concern. Additional ultrasounds allow us to monitor the baby's growth and development while also watching your internal health.
We discuss the need for further ultrasounds at your appointment. Advanced maternal age and multiple fetuses also warrant more than two ultrasound appointments during pregnancy.
Call your nearest New England Women's Healthcare office to schedule a prenatal ultrasound, or request an appointment on the website. We're a premier, full-service practice with convenient locations in Woburn and Wilmington, Massachusetts.
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