Is it more common for midwives NOT to order ultrasounds?

Annierose1

I've been seeing a midwife throughout my entire pregnancy. I had the usual initial scan and the 16-20wk scan to determine the sex and make sure everything was developing properly. However, I'm reading all these posts of women getting scans done in their 3rd tri, growth scans. My midwife hasn't mentioned it and I spoke with my clinic's finance manager to go over my insurance policy the other day and she said there will be no more scans.

I'm fine with not having anymore and I just figured that the scans are a more common practice for OBs. Does anyone else find this to be the case with their midwife?

andrea922

I had 2 with my son, 12 weeks and 20 weeks, and then a growth one at 41 weeks 3 days. With my m/w now they typically only do 20 weeks, although I had a 12 week one as well for other reasons. I won't have any more unless I go past 41 weeks.

kesrya

My MW does one scan only -- at 19 to 21 weeks, and only if the patient requests it.  Otherwise, no u/s the entire time.  This is standard for the MWs in this area.  Most OBs I know are reducing the number of scans they do, but they do still do more than the MWs.

jteneback

My MW really leaves it up to us.  She did say she has clients who have no ultrasounds at all.

My insurance allows 3 without pre-certification and I had them at 8 weeks, 12 weeks (NT scan) and 19 weeks (anatomy scan).  I am not planning any more unless there is an issue and the OB's office where I get them done didn't seem to think this was unusual. 

ETA: I am required to have another one if I hit 41 weeks (NJ home birth laws) so I assume insurance would approve it...

MissyOlivePants

I do believe that MW's are definitely more conservative with U/S's.  I know the birthing center that I went to with DD only did them around 20wks for the anatomy scan and only did additional if it was medically necessary.  For as "fun" as it is to have it done multiple times, I'm definitely going to error on the side of caution this time around and try to limit to only once for the anatomy scan.   (Last time I had 3 total, plus a freebie 3/4D with my DH's client).

mesr

my mws will prescribe you one if you ask for one, but many clients opt not to have one.  with my last pregnancy, i had one ultrasound with my ob/gyn before i switched to midwifery care at 8 weeks along.  once i got to the mws, they didn't seem to think i needed one unless i really wanted one, so i decided to spare myself the stress.  i was intent on being team green anyway. 

WannaBeCrunchyMama

I don't think it's typical to get scans in the third tri. 

Unless there is a problem/concern or something.  

iris427

It seems like the more "natural friendly" a doctor or midwife is, the less likely they are to do unnecessary tests like growth ultrasounds.  Personally, I would be wary of a doctor or midwife who ordered a growth ultrasound for me, unless there was a specific indication like GD or I was measuring off.

~adamwife~

My CNM with my last two babies worked in an office with OBs and did the standard dating u/s and 20 wk u/s.

My current HBMWs do not do any u/s at all.  I haven't had one yet and won't unless we suspect an issue that would require one.

Nechie122

I think it comes down to the fact that a practice that invests in such expensive technology is more likely to use it. My current OB practice has an u/s machine in every exam room, which I had never seen before. When I had spotting at 16 weeks, it was just as easy for her to use the u/s wand as the Doppler. My insurance plan doesn't set a cap on u/s as long as it's coded/billed a certain a way, and I've had four in-office and one level II at the hospital.

Temp34783000004059

My first pregnancy I was under the care of a MW who worked in an OB's office. I elected to have the 1st trimester screening and had the 20 week u/s but that was it.

My second pregnancy was with a homebirth MW, who provides referrals for u/s if so desired or if there is a concern warranting having one. I requested a referral for the 1st tri screening, and she said I was one of the very very few women she'd worked with who had done so. That was going to be my only u/s, but some measurements came back borderline which they suggested could be linked to a heart problem, so we opted to have another u/s at 21 weeks.

flyer23

iris427:

It seems like the more "natural friendly" a doctor or midwife is, the less likely they are to do unnecessary tests like growth ultrasounds.  Personally, I would be wary of a doctor or midwife who ordered a growth ultrasound for me, unless there was a specific indication like GD or I was measuring off.

This!

I saw a group of OBs with DD, and a group of hospital-based midwives for most of my pregnancy with DS. I had similar ultrasounds with both... a dating ultrasound early on, NT scan at the end of the first trimester, anatomy scan at 20 weeks. I did have a few extra ultrasounds at the end with DD, starting at 41 weeks, to check on fluid levels, etc. DS came at 39 weeks, so no extra ultrasounds were needed.

nate_and_britt

 My MW only does one u/s if we want it.  We did it at 24 weeks.  

barine

lrachelle80:

When I was seeing a midwife, the practice only scheduled one u/s at the anatomy scan unless other complications arose.

This! Yes it is common. Most midwives do only 1.