Why are Ultrasounds So Important During Pregnancy?

Why Are Ultrasounds So Important During Pregnancy?

Early in pregnancy, ultrasounds are used to confirm during pregnancy, the heartbeat of the fetus and a set of three kinds of pregnancy.

Ultrasounds as we know today, have now become a regular and very welcome part of prenatal care. It is evident that you don't have pictures of yourself while you were still in your mother's womb. However, young children born in this era have this first photo of themselves.

The instrument used to take a peek at the growing fetus is called an ultrasound. Sound waves are used to examine the baby and to create a picture without any potentially harmful effects often associated with x-rays.

The outstanding part of an ultrasound is that; it is easy to use and painless. If you're in the early stages of your pregnancy, you may be advised to drink some amount of water before carrying out the procedure, this is because sound waves travel more easily through the fluid present in your bladder. To commence an ultrasound, you will be required to lie on your back or side on the examination table and expose the lower part of your abdomen. Then, your doctor applies an odorless, water-soluble gel to your skin. This gel makes it easier for sound waves to travel through your body.

Ultrasound is essential for the following reasons:

1. It can be used to date the pregnancy. The Ultrasound enables your doctor to see if the size of your baby matches what would be expected if the estimated due date is on target.

2. Can be used to monitor the growth. With the use of an ultrasound, your doctor can observe if a baby is too large or too small for his or her age, which could foretell a problem.

3. It can be used to check for more than one baby. An Ultrasound can confirm or rather cancel suspicions of twins, triplets, or more and also to assess the baby's health.

4. An Ultrasound allows your doctor to check the location of the placenta and the amount of amniotic fluid present in the uterus, and the general health of the baby.

5. It can also be used to determine the reason for vaginal bleeding and can be used to figure out the health of a fetus.

6. An ultrasound can be used to check for suspected abnormalities, doctors are actually able to see the baby's organs and central nervous system.

7. It can be used to show the position of the baby before birth and to safeguard delivery.

At the initial stage of your pregnancy, you will be able to see some organs; from the beating heart, the curve of the spine, to the head, arms, and legs. At an actual stage, you might even spot your baby sucking his or her thumb. Sometimes you can go as far as seeing the genitals and then you will get a good idea about the gender of your baby. In essence, ultrasound uses sound waves instead of radiation, it is a safe way to assess your baby's well-being and according to research, there are no known side effects from ultrasound imaging.