Ultrasounds

Joyfullnoise

With my first we had two ultrasounds: one to help date my pregnancy at the beginning and our 20 week a/s for which he lounged about and was fully cooperative.

With pregnancy #2 we are a bit more comfortable with the labor and birth process and are working with a home birth midwife. We had no need for an early ultrasound and had our anatomy scan yesterday. This baby was much, much less cooperative. It was suggested that we might be called back in if, upon review, they can't see all of the baby's internal organs adequately. After more than an hour and having me do some stretches and walking, baby was in child's pose at the bottom of my uterus, face down, legs tucked, with arms up over it's face.

How useful are these ultrasounds? We didn't get to see it's face and limbs at all. Should I be excited that we might get another chance at it or concerned that we may be needlessly exposing it to more testing?

Thanks 

GraceInCA

I feel very comfortable with ultrasounds. Other than the ones at those boutique elective places, I would be ok with having ultrasounds to check anatomy at a reputable doctor's office or medical center. The midwife with whom I now speak also said that the risk from the actual ultrasound is virtually nil, and that some women will have dozens of ultrasounds by the time they deliver because of risk factors, and the ultrasounds do not have any impact on growing baby.

Now if the ultrasounds were being used to push other testing or diagostics with which I was not comfortable, I might put my foot down. But for actually having the ultrasound itself, I wouldn't be stressed.

nosoup4u

It's really up to you, but I wouldn't worry about having another u/s for diagnostic reasons.

wifeofadam

I'm not a fan of ultrasounds, especially if they aren't medically necessary.  This pregnancy and my last I haven't had a single one.  I would avoid it unless they indicate there is a medical reason for it.

Mrs E in Oregon

There is a lot of speculation about the risks, and like most things they start doing with pregnant women, we are guinea pigs and they try stuff before they know all the side effects. I don't believe that doppler and u/s are completely risk free so we opted for only the one u/s and as soon as our midwives could start using the fetoscope, she did. I had 1 that lasted 2 hours because we had a special echocardiogram done at the same time, and she wasn't being super helpful with the first tech. Unless necessary, I wouldn't have any more.

mlrafiki

I'm under the impression that 2 per pregnancy is standard unless you request otherwise or have a unique risk factor. Due to a potential issue with the placenta, I've been scheduled for my third and last ultrasound this week. If that problem is ruled out, though, I may refuse any more than one ultrasound with my next baby, since (as other PPs have said) the long-term effects of multiple ultrasounds are unknown.

Do you have a risk factor that makes them definitely want to see the organs?

honkytonk_kid

An incomplete a/s is, IMO, a medical reason to have another ultrasound.

I'm wary enough of ANY procedure, invasive or not, to not want to go crazy with the sonos and have 27 just for kicks, but I really think a good, complete anatomy scan is important- especially if you are planning an out of hospital birth.

Joyfullnoise

Thanks so much for your responses. I'm clearly feeling some doubt and uncertainty and I wish the first attempt had gone better. I'll see the midwife again on Tuesday and we'll likely do a 2nd u/s at the end of the week. Baby seemed to be looking fine from what they got but I do have an anterior placenta this time and the reasons for doing an a/s at all weren't fulfilled.