Water before u/s??

Lindseykaz

I clearly don't remember this from my first kid... I have my a/s tomorrow morning and I'm supposed to drink 32 oz of water 1 hr before the appt and not pee my pants. Seriously there is no way!!! Anyone else have to drink that much?

typeset

No, I only needed a full bladder for the early dating u/s. 

dragossoul84

They didnt tell me to drink anything, I was told by a tech drinking juice right before would help I'm not sure if its true but its the only thing I've been told in regards to drinking and ultrasounds

CamrynnsMommy

I had to drink that much also with my last two pregnancies.

I have to drink that much this time as well.

Lindseykaz

Ok so maybe I'll try for 1/2 that bc there's no way I'll survive otherwise

Crazijewel

I think it depends on where you go. I didn't have to with my 1st and a/s was at my dr's office. This time bc of diff insurance I have to go to Booth Radiology and I do have to drink water before. Weird

hatrats

My written instructions for my a/s appt said to have a full bladder, but then when I went in, the tech asked if I had to pee and I certainly did.  She blessedly let me go before the u/s.

talkthewholetime

I would pee my pants, without a doubt, pregnant or not!! Thank god my office didn't mention anything.

spacepotatoes

Yes, I was also asked to drink that much for my upcoming scan. It's standard for the clinic I'm going to for pelvic and obstetrical ultrasounds to have a full bladder. I had to do it when they were checking my ovaries earlier in the year and it was incredibly uncomfortable. Not looking forward to this one, though I have heard from friends that sometimes they will allow you to go to relieve some of the pressure (but not completely empty the bladder).

jjh471

I was told 16 ounces of water before every ultrasound. Something about a full bladder pushes the baby up and makes it easier for measurements. I forgot to before my A/S and I peed right before, the baby was in a funny position and now I have to go back and do another ultrasound so they can finish the measurements. She said if I had a full bladder it would have pushed the baby out of that position. So I don't know. I'm sure every office is different. Thats just my experience. Hope you appointment goes great!

sammy.k

They tested my urine and had me pee before my a/s. I chugged a bunch if water before because I read it was good to have a full bladder, but it wasn't necessary.

Mimaloo

My office told me nothing about drinking or full bladder......nothing.  

bumpuser9353653

The radiology place i go to said to have a full bladder only if the scan was prior to 16 weeks. Otherwise, they just make you drink juice when you get there. The tech today said it's because a lot of people come in and haven't eaten so they to put a little sugar in the system to get good shots of baby 

Miggg

Yep. 32 oz here as well. And then the ultrasound tech was pushing on my belly like crazy to get LO to flip over. I was THISFUCKINGCLOSE to peeing on the table.
Good luck!

lv2011

I'm not sure why, but I think it may depend on the office. My MFM did a full abdominal ultrasound today and I hadn't had anything in me yet and she had no problems getting great shots of everything. On the other hand, my regular OB always has instructions for me to drink that much before they do an abdominal u/s. I don't know how they don't expect pregnant women to make it that long without peeing, or accidentally vomitting it all.

flowerx2

My office didn't mention it. I'm grateful I didn't have to. I don't think I would have made it if they were applying any pressure during my ultra sound.

lauralou3x3

I'm always supposed to. I have a small bladder so I don't follow instructions. I just chug water on the way to the appt and I'm fine. At my nt scan they had me empty my bladder in the middle of the ultrasound and it didn't make a difference.

hfooter

Was told the same but then they told me to go pee twice during the scan, once in the beginning and another in the middle...

jenb_99

My OB's office gives the same instructions. I followed them to the letter when I was pregnant with DS, and I was miserable. Actually in pain. This time around I've only gone in with a bladder that's full but not painfully so. Liquid goes through me so quickly that I only need a glass about half an hour beforehand.

For anatomy scans I also caffeinate. I had a sugary full-caff white mocha before my elective US on Saturday, and I plan to do the same for my anatomy scan at the OB's office next month.

mmks

Never been told this.  Had probably 5 u/s with my son and never had to drink more.  Am at a different office now and still haven't heard this from anyone.

Hallil

I think it depends on the place. With my DD I don't recall any special instructions but this time around they told me to empty my bladder 1 hour before my appointment and drink 3 glasses of water. I didn't. I drank my xl tea like normal and didn't go pee so my bladder was plenty full. She thanked me, took the ultrasound pics that she needed that pertained to having a full bladder, let me go pee, then finished the rest of the ultrasound.

hbird0723

They never tell me to drink water and they've actually asked if I needed to empty my bladder before the ultrasound although at the 20 week one they didn't ask if I wanted to use the bathroom first but they never told me to drink a certain amount of water before it either.

RedInLove

The office I was seeing when I was out of town during 1Tri was going to have me come with a full bladder if I had my a/s with them. When I got home and made the appointment, I asked them if it was necessary and they said no. I went to the 1pm appointment having had some coffee and OJ in the morning and then a normal amount of sipping water since then, and with using the bathroom at home late morning, so I knew there was some fluid in my bladder but it definitely wasn't full, and I definitely didn't drink 32oz in an hour. They never said anything about it when they started the scan and they had no problems getting all the images they needed.

RachelCA29

Ha ha. I was told to drink 40 ounces of water 2 hours before my appointment. And then they were running 45 minutes behind. I almost went to the washroom after waiting 30 minutes past my appointment time with a plan to just start chugging water to prep again. But somehow I held it. I was literally groaning whenever the tech was moving the wand thing around my belly and pressed near my bladder. Luckily they let you pee halfway through, because they only need certain views with a full bladder.

I think 40 ounces of water held for 2+ hours is some kind of pregnancy record!

sparklingdiamond

I have never had to have a full bladder for any of my u/s.  In fact, they always have my pee in a cup right before I go to them anyways.

MrsT2008

Nope.  The tech even asked if I needed to go to the bathroom before we started.

kristine526

My office told me to have a full bladder. There's no way I could have done 32 or 40 oz and held it.

Post US was the best pee I've ever taken.

RachelCA29

kristine526 said:

My office told me to have a full bladder. There's no way I could have done 32 or 40 oz and held it. Post US was the best pee I've ever taken.

Yes! When I got to pee halfway through my U/S I thought it would never stop ... and I kind of didn't want it to. The Relief!

crystalmir91385

I didn't drink anything out of the ordinary. My office also has you leave a urine sample after checking in, so my bladder was empty anyway.

Kageer

Depends on the machine they are using. Some doctor offices have machines that are so sensitive that they don't need you to have a full bladder to get the measurements they need. Sometimes other places like the imaging department of a hospital do not have machines that are sensitive enough to get the measurements they need without a full bladder. This is what the nurse told me when I didn't have to drink a ton of water for my second child's ultrasound-which took place in the doctor's office.

Lindseykaz

Well I almost peed my pants, but she very quickly got what she needed and let me pee. I was writhing in pain lol. And we found out we will be welcoming a little GIRL

noice247

I have to drink 24oz and even that seems hard. I feel for ya!

momthatlifts

They made me keep mine because I was only 18 weeks. I think it depends on the place you go

CopperPoppy

I had to drink tons of water during my earlier u/s's but for the NT scan at 11ish weeks they didn't have me do that and only did an abdominal scan. For the AS, they didn't say to drink water either. I think by this time the baby is usually high enough now that the uterus is expanded up that they don't usually need to your bladder to push things up. I never understood that anyway, that's why they have a vag wand, right?

@rachelca29, you are some kind of goddess to be able to hold your bladder that long with so much liquid. Were you dehydrated or something, I would have had involuntary peeing issues for sure.

RachelCA29

CopperPoppy said:

I had to drink tons of water during my earlier u/s's but for the NT scan at 11ish weeks they didn't have me do that and only did an abdominal scan. For the AS, they didn't say to drink water either. I think by this time the baby is usually high enough now that the uterus is expanded up that they don't usually need to your bladder to push things up. I never understood that anyway, that's why they have a vag wand, right?

@rachelca29, you are some kind of goddess to be able to hold your bladder that long with so much liquid. Were you dehydrated or something, I would have had involuntary peeing issues for sure.

Thanks @CopperPoppy.

Definitely not dehydrated, I usually drink at least that much water in a regular day (but peeing throughout the day thankfully). I can't believe I was actually able to do it, but I do know I was super bitchy during the 45 minute wait. It's annoying to have to wait that long anyway, but the painfully full bladder didn't help. Luckily no one set me off in the waiting room, or I would have snapped! (And then probably peed on them.)

deanna1313

Monday will be my third one and they never tell me anything either way. I went to my first one with a full bladder and they let me go to the bathroom because I had a fifteen minute wait. Every office is different, I guess.
I know if I drank 32 oz I would pee myself for sure!

RandD6

I haven't been told to do this until O scheduled my big ultrasound to find out the gender, etc. (which is in 4 days!!!!!) I was told to drink 32 oz of water and that drinking something sweet beforehand might be a good idea too! Can't wait although now I'm hoping they let me pee before I lay on that table! Haha

Ziegeficker

I have to drink that much water. But it is only for one of the many measurements, which the tech looks at first and then breaks so I can pee. Also, I kinda cheat and just shoot for a full bladder before my appointment rather than following those insane instructions verbatim.