Your Pregnancy and Your First Ultrasound: What to Expect

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Surprise, you’re pregnant! This moment is a daunting experience and can hurl you into a full spectrum of emotions. Whether your pregnancy is planned or not, finding out you’re pregnant and the thought of having a baby can be one of the most exciting moments but at the same time the most overwhelming moments of your life. In the beginning, it can be hard to grasp what’s happening and understand all the new information that comes with pregnancy. From our obstetrics doctor, here’s what you can expect.

What Happens During The Appointment?

During this ultrasound, your obstetrics doctor will look at all the developing parts of your baby’s body that are appropriate for your gestational age. Typically, these parts include their head, spine, heart, and limbs. They will also check for any signs of abnormalities or defects with the sac around your baby, i.e., the gestational and yolk sac.  The ultrasound technician will measure the heart rate but will not use sound waves to create images of your baby’s heart until you are beyond 14 weeks. Listening to the heartbeat using ultrasound technology too soon increases the heat around the baby and can theoretically cause a structural defect in the baby that could otherwise be prevented by avoiding this event. There are recreational ultrasound opportunities where families like to preview and pay to hear and see the heartbeat before seeing their obstetrician. We implore parents to avoid this non-medical opportunity and leave it to their obstetrician to be safest. The opportunities for you to see and hear baby are endless as you move through your pregnancy journey. We at Magnolia Place love to do so and witness your life miracle.

Timing Of Your Appointment

One key milestone for pregnant women is their first ultrasound when the eyes see what the brain knows.  Typically, the first ultrasound is offered around seven to eight weeks of pregnancy, i.e. three to four weeks after your missed period. During this appointment, you will get a glimpse of your little one for the first time and learn vital information about their development and a decision to establish your due date for a pregnancy. The timing for your ultrasound is for a very specific intention. It is to have the very best timing to see your baby in its early stages, with the heart in motion and we call this the heart flicker.  If an ultrasound is done too soon, one may not be able to see this reassuring time point and may cause unnecessary stress. It can be difficult to determine abnormal from normal pregnancy if an ultrasound is done too soon when the timing of your last menstrual cycle is in question. In this case, our obstetrics doctor will order blood work to help assess your pregnancy dating, and waiting a week is well worth the reassurance to see what we need to feel confident about the health of your pregnancy.

What Can Be Seen During The Ultrasound

A healthy fetal heartbeat depends on the age of your baby. If you are in your first trimester the heart rate will be as high as 170s versus in your third trimester, the heart rate slows down to somewhere in between 110-160 as a normal range. This is in direct relation to the maturation of your baby’s nervous system as well as in relation to the mother’s own heartbeat. Any time your obstetrics doctor or team feels the heartbeat is too low or too high, this could indicate a red flag and will be evaluated. We at Magnolia Place work diligently to know your baby well and watch for deviations from normal pregnancy to keep you and your baby safe until delivery day.

During your very first ultrasound, your sonographer and OBGYN may measure different parts of your baby, like their crown–rump length (CRL) which is used to estimate gestational age.  When you reach 17-18 weeks, more detailed measures are made to ensure that every part of your baby’s anatomy grows according to plan.  Each appointment, no matter your gestation or timing of pregnancy, is a great time to ask our OBGYN Greenville NC, any questions you may have about pregnancy.

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Magnolia Place | Obstetrics Doctor

Your very first ultrasound, whether it be an eight-week ultrasound or the first dating discovery of your pregnancy, this time point serves as a milestone in your pregnancy journey.  At Magnolia Place, our obstetrics doctor believes in trust and creed to ensure everything about your pregnancy is going according to plan.  If not, we aim to use modern medicine and obstetrical care to capture every opportunity to safeguard your pregnancy whenever possible.  We believe in taking nothing for granted and we consider your developing baby as our own and feel equally invested in the well-being of mother and baby.  Whether you’re pregnant, looking to become pregnant, and want to make sure you are in your best health before pregnancy or have other reproductive health needs, our Magnolia Place Team OBGYN Greenville NC is here to help! Visit our website today to learn more about doctors, facilities, and women’s wellness.

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