What and when are the typical ultrasounds and scans?

IBackBevo · February 2012

So for all of you ladies out there who are further along then me, I'm wondering when all of the normal or typical scans are and what they do/measure and when you typicall get them. I've read about an NT scan, a gender scan, an anatomy scan and there are probably more I have not even heard of. I would love more info!

ELF4321 · February 2012

Many women only get one u/s their entire pregnancy -- the a/s (some people refer to this as the gender scan) between 18-22 weeks. If you elect the NT scan, it is done between 11w1d-13w6d. Other than that, some OBs do a growth scan very late in pregnancy to see if the baby is in position for birth, size, etc. If you want more than that, you'll have to go to an elective u/s place and pay for it (unless you have complications or high risk, which I don't think anyone would hope for!)

You'll also have b/w done in connection with the NT scan to look for downs/trisomy. There is also 2nd tri b/w done between 16-20 wks: some OBs only check AFP (for spinal cord issues) if you did the NT b/w. Others also check for down's and trisomy in 2nd tri again and combine the results with the NT (the combined results are the Sequential Screen). You should ask your OB what they typically prefer to do. Mine only does the AFP unless the NT results are questionable (because the NT b/w is actually more accurate than the 2nd Tri b/w).

You'll do the Glucose Screening in 2nd Tri (usu. 24-26 wks) to look for gestational diabetes. They'll check your iron level at that time too to make sure you're not anemic.

They'll also check your urine at every OB appt for signs of infection, protein in the urine, etc.

This website has good info: https://www.americanpregnancy.org/prenataltesting/

IBackBevo · February 2012

Thanks for the info!

I guess I'm lucky in that before I go to my OB, I will have already had two u/s's at my RE's office.

ELF4321 · February 2012

IBackBevo:

Thanks for the info!

I guess I'm lucky in that before I go to my OB, I will have already had two u/s's at my RE's office.

It's definitely a hard transition to go from the RE monitoring to the OB where they treat you like everybody else. I forgot to mention, the OB will probably do b/w at your first appt too, just for a general check up and if your RE didn't do genetic testing like CF (if they did, you can just give the OB copies and save yourself a couple of vials of blood at the first draw).

mandalinn25 · February 2012

Mine actually did a dating u/s at our first visit. It is routine for her practice. Each OB is different. My friend went to one who did an u/s at evey visit. A bit of overkill really.

I also did the glucose test the day of my NT scan. I guess because I am AMA they do one then and another later if all is well.

IBackBevo · February 2012

ELF4321:
IBackBevo:

Thanks for the info!

I guess I'm lucky in that before I go to my OB, I will have already had two u/s's at my RE's office.

It's definitely a hard transition to go from the RE monitoring to the OB where they treat you like everybody else. I forgot to mention, the OB will probably do b/w at your first appt too, just for a general check up and if your RE didn't do genetic testing like CF (if they did, you can just give the OB copies and save yourself a couple of vials of blood at the first draw).

They did all sorts of genetic screening before I went through ART. Quite literally, I think they took about 20 total vials of blood. They even had to use both my arms - lol!

Off the top of my head, I remember that they tested me for CF, Turners, STD's (HIV, etc.), the various Hepatitises, Fragile X and a ton of other things that I can't recall. I even went and spoke with a geneticist because my test came back that I was "grayzone" Fragile X carrier. (Luckily, the geneticist said my mutation numbers were so low that there were no reported cases of a full-blown mutation from my number of mutations in any of the academic/medical literature and I was at virtually no risk for having a Fragile X child.)

Would this testing have likely encompassed all of the relevant tests? I can't imagine they would have tested me for something as rare as Fragile X and Turners and not have hit all of the major potential genetic disorders.

ELF4321 · February 2012

IBackBevo:
ELF4321:
IBackBevo:

Thanks for the info!

I guess I'm lucky in that before I go to my OB, I will have already had two u/s's at my RE's office.

It's definitely a hard transition to go from the RE monitoring to the OB where they treat you like everybody else. I forgot to mention, the OB will probably do b/w at your first appt too, just for a general check up and if your RE didn't do genetic testing like CF (if they did, you can just give the OB copies and save yourself a couple of vials of blood at the first draw).

They did all sorts of genetic screening before I went through ART. Quite literally, I think they took about 20 total vials of blood. They even had to use both my arms - lol!

Off the top of my head, I remember that they tested me for CF, Turners, STD's (HIV, etc.), the various Hepatitises, Fragile X and a ton of other things that I can't recall. I even went and spoke with a geneticist because my test came back that I was "grayzone" Fragile X carrier. (Luckily, the geneticist said my mutation numbers were so low that there were no reported cases of a full-blown mutation from my number of mutations in any of the academic/medical literature and I was at virtually no risk for having a Fragile X child.)

Would this testing have likely encompassed all of the relevant tests? I can't imagine they would have tested me for something as rare as Fragile X and Turners and not have hit all of the major potential genetic disorders.

That will cover the genetic testing- - just get copies for the OB. They'll still want to do a CBC workup.

mandalinn25 · February 2012

Oh and one other thing. My OB made me have another HIV test, because she said that the one from my RE was done before I was pregnant and our state requires one to be done after pregnancy is confirmed. Seems like such a waste, especially since I did IVF with donor sperm.

ccam · February 2012

IBackBevo:
ELF4321:
IBackBevo:

Thanks for the info!

I guess I'm lucky in that before I go to my OB, I will have already had two u/s's at my RE's office.

It's definitely a hard transition to go from the RE monitoring to the OB where they treat you like everybody else. I forgot to mention, the OB will probably do b/w at your first appt too, just for a general check up and if your RE didn't do genetic testing like CF (if they did, you can just give the OB copies and save yourself a couple of vials of blood at the first draw).

They did all sorts of genetic screening before I went through ART. Quite literally, I think they took about 20 total vials of blood. They even had to use both my arms - lol!

Off the top of my head, I remember that they tested me for CF, Turners, STD's (HIV, etc.), the various Hepatitises, Fragile X and a ton of other things that I can't recall. I even went and spoke with a geneticist because my test came back that I was "grayzone" Fragile X carrier. (Luckily, the geneticist said my mutation numbers were so low that there were no reported cases of a full-blown mutation from my number of mutations in any of the academic/medical literature and I was at virtually no risk for having a Fragile X child.)

Would this testing have likely encompassed all of the relevant tests? I can't imagine they would have tested me for something as rare as Fragile X and Turners and not have hit all of the major potential genetic disorders.

Even after all of the b/w I did with my RE's office, I still had to do prenatal baseline screening b/w for my OB. It might depend on your RE & OB's relationship (related practices??) or when you had it all done, but be prepared for more b/w. It wasn't as much as the initial RE's draw though, thank god! I would discuss it with the nurse or Dr.

KaliChick · February 2012

For me, I got an ultrasound at my first OB appointment (which happened to be right after my NT scan). I had a second (well not really a second since I had so many early on with my RE), for my anatomy scan at 19 weeks (they tried at 17 and were unsuccessful). I had one at 28 weeks but that's because we were checking growth. I had one when I ended up in L&D for decreased movement and I have one next week at 33 weeks for another growth scan. I'm not sure passed that but I'm assuming there will be at least one more to check positioning.

I think "normal" varies on the doctor but many will do an anatomy/gender scan around 20 weeks and as long as things are progressing normally they won't do another until the end to check positioning.

KaliChick · February 2012

Oh and as for tests ... I think I had 8 or so vials taken at my first OB appointment. Most will rescreen a lot of what you had done in the RE's office. I think I've been screened for the Rubella antibiodies 4 times now. They will also do a standard blood panel. I had HIV testing done again (even though it was done less than a year prior) and I believe Hepatitis. They did screen for CF after we were pregnant. Other than that, I don't think they did any other genetic testing.

In all that blood they were also doing the blood work for the NT Scan (which I think was only 1 vial) and I had to do the 1 hour glucose at 10 weeks because I was high risk I guess (did it again at 26 weeks).

You will do a second blood panel around 25 weeks (they check iron levels, etc at this one) and then after 35 weeks (I think that's right) they do a swab test for, oh I forget ... the bacteria one! LOL

Other than that, there really isn't much involved. Routine OB appointments are pretty boring for the most part ... they will check the baby's heart beat by doppler, measure you (starting around 20 weeks), ask if you have any questions, ask if you are having contractions, bleeding, etc and then send you on your way.

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