Womb to Bloom - Maternity & Beyond

It’s love at first sight! You stare at the screen as the sonographer scans your uterus and affords you your first glimpse of your little one. As tiny fists punch and feet kick, your heart skips a beat and is forever changed! Years ago, mothers waited to feel the first movement or hear the swooshing heartbeat to “connect” with their unborn child. It was then that the pregnancy became more real.

Now, long before you can hear it, you can see the tiny heartbeat during your first sonogram.  But is it safe? Should you be concerned about the affects an ultrasound can have on your baby? Are there any benefits to being scanned?

Twenty-year follow-up studies have proven that there are no apparent harmful effects to the thousands of babies and mothers observed. That alone should make you feel better if you’re concerned about having a sonogram. Diagnostic ultrasound is safe to be done at any time during your pregnancy with no risk to either you or your unborn child. This is the same as an x-ray, as there is no use of radiation.

Used in frequencies higher than the human ear can hear, sound waves travel from the probe to your baby in the much the same way as sonar waves search for a submarine. Echoes are captured by a receiver, translated by a computer and then visualized on a screen, displaying your baby’s image in all his or her glory! Many sonographers will provide you with, not only pictures, but a video as well.

If you’re one who wants to know what color to paint the nursery as soon as possible, try to schedule a sonogram around 18 – 20 weeks. Of course, the little bambino will have to cooperate! You need the right angle to determine if you need to pick up some robin’s egg blue or cotton candy pink paint on the way home!

The benefits of having an ultrasound done are numerous. Initially, an early sonogram validates the existence of a viable pregnancy. An ectopic pregnancy can also be determined before it becomes life threatening. If twins or, gasp, triplets run in your family, the sight of a single heartbeat can ease your curiosity!

Placenta previa and placental abruption can be found early, as can abnormalities of the uterus and developmental abnormalities. Amniotic fluid can be measured and sonograms are invaluable in the assisting of medical or surgical procedures, such as amniocentesis, chorionic villus sampling, turning a breech baby, fetoscopy, and intrauterine transfusion. They’re also used to confirm the position of a baby, check his or her size and to determine the cause of unexplained vaginal bleeding.

What can you expect when you have your first scan? Well, to be honest, it can be a bit uncomfortable. A full bladder is necessary, so you’ll have to drink what seems to be an unreasonable amount of water, and then hold it!

As the sonographer glides the ultrasound transmitter across your abdomen, the pressure can be a bit miserable, but then you catch a glimpse of the new little love of your life and you let go….well, not let go, let go! You simply let go of the discomfort and focus on what’s in front of you. The technician will apply some gel to your stomach, which aids in sound conduction and gives you a clearer picture of your baby. But be warned…some kind techs will heat the gel before applying and some won’t.

This is an experience you will never forget! Those tiny hands and ears, that tiny nose and mouth…they’re all part of a precious life growing inside of you! The discomfort quickly fades away as your little one jumps right off the sonogram screen and right into your heart!