What happens at the big u/s?

laurenrobbie

We have our "big u/s" next Weds. I am curious as to exactly what happens. They look at the brain, heart, kidneys, right? Do they measure limbs, etc and tell you where you are measuring? Does the u/s tech tell you if she sees anything alarming or does she just quietly note it and have the doc tell you? Anything you can tell me - no matter how detailed - about the scan would be very helpful!!

Barneso

They look at all of the organs, measure all of the limbs, measure the head, etc.  For me, she pointed out some things but it went so long, after awhile, she stopped pointing everything out.  The U/S Tech performs everything.  Then a Dr. came in and looked at the slides and said "Looks good, looks good, looks good," etc.

When I went to see my OB a few weeks later, he just confirmed that everything looked good.  

If something were alarming, I would imagine they would handle it as, "This looks a bit different than what we normally see so we'll just need to take a closer look."  I'm not sure though. 

mitchelltheojua

 

I got the information below from the following website:

https://www.babycenter.com.au/pregnancy/antenatalhealth/scans/secondtrimesterscans/

What is examined at the 20 week scan?

Your baby's internal organs are examined in cross-sectional views which may be difficult for you to make out. Bones appear white on the scan, fluid is black, and soft tissues look grey and speckled.

? The head is usually examined first, to check its shape and internal structures. Some severe brain problems are visible at this stage. The sonographer will look at the baby?s face to see if she can see any cleft of the lip, but clefts of the palate inside of the baby?s mouth are difficult to see and are not often picked up on scans.

? The spine is checked in both the long view and in cross section, to make sure that all the vertebrae are in alignment and that the skin covers the spine at the back. The baby's abdominal wall is also checked to make sure it covers all the internal organs at the front.

? The heart is looked at for its size and shape. The top two chambers, or "atria", and the bottom two chambers, or "ventricles", should be equal in size, and the valves should open and close with each heartbeat. Some hospitals offer a more detailed scan of the heart to look at the major blood vessels. Whether your hospital offers this level of scan depends on the quality of the ultrasound machines, the time available for each scan and on whether the sonographers have had special training.

? The stomach should be visible below the heart. Your baby swallows some of the amniotic fluid that it lies in, which is seen in the stomach as a black bubble.

? The sonographer will check that your baby has two kidneys, and that urine flows freely into the bladder. If the bladder is empty it should fill up during the scan and be easy to see - your baby has been weeing every half an hour or so for some months now!

? Hands and feet are examined and the fingers and toes are looked at.

? The placenta, umbilical cord and amniotic fluid are all checked
The placenta may be on the front or the back wall of your womb, usually near the top (or fundus) so may be described as "fundal" on your scan report. Many are described as "low" because they reach down to or cover the neck of the womb (cervix). If your placenta is low, another scan will be arranged in the third trimester, by which time most placenta will have moved away from the cervix. (Read more about having a low-lying placenta.)

It is possible to count the three blood vessels in the umbilical cord.There should be enough amniotic fluid surrounding the baby to allow it to move freely at this stage.

Taylor44

They usually start with the fun things, gender(if you want), face, arms and fingers, legs and toes, etc.  Then they start with all of the measurements, which is quite extensive.  Legs, spine, head, brain, heart, heart rate, kidneys, bladder, etc.  Some techs will talk the entire time, and point out the organs as they go along; others just proceed quietly.  I would imagine if the tech thought something was unusual or alarming, they would just quietly note it for the doctor to review.  You can ask questions, which most techs will answer if they are general questions.  But as far as detailed, personal information, they will let that to the doctor to discuss with you.

lildevil968

From what I remember it lasts about 45 minutes to an hour. They will measure the baby crown to rump, measure the arms, legs, abdomen. They will also take a look at all the organs, and the brain. At the middle or end they will try and determine the sex of the baby. They will also look at the Placenta, and umbilical cord.

If there is something wrong the tech may or may not tell you. With DD the tech by law could not tell us that she couldn't find DD kidneys, and the Dr. had to tell us.

app1e3

I just had mine and it's a very detailed process. The PP outlined what they look for perfectly. They measure everything to make sure the baby is right on track for gestational age and to be sure all of it's organs, limbs, etc are well formed and measuring correctly. I have a low lying placenta/placenta previa and I'll admit, I was super scared. But in talking with some friends and also calling the nurse back, I've calmed down considerably...I just keep thinking that as long as LO is fine, then all is well! Best wishes to you and enjoy the experience!