Anyone not doing ultrasounds?

quinnash42 · August 2012

I'm planning a home birth with a midwife and she left it up to me if we wanted an ultrasound. Im just curious as to what everyone else is doing. I'm still on the fence.

*LrCg* · August 2012

The only test or medical procedure I've done in my 3 pregnancies was the 20 week A/S. We only do this because it could inform us about clef palate (which would be useful to know since I EBF) and it can pick up additional abnormalities that we would want to prepare our home for (or perhaps change our homebirth decision if necessary). My midwife lets me know when I'm eligble for tests/procedures and its up to us if we want to do it or not- she does provide information.

littlemaybaby · August 2012

I have had many more this time around due to complications and starting pregnancy with an RE. But my MW practice requires the 20 week anatomy scan. Their malpractice and liability insurance actually require it - but even if it didn't, I would have the 20 week scan. By choosing a MW and a birth center, I want the peace-of-mind of knowing that there isn't some high risk problem with the baby (or the pregnancy) that would require immediate intervention after birth. I'd give up my dreams of a natural birth in a birth center in two seconds if my child had a problem that required a medical birth team and a high level NICU. (And I know that problem like that are rare - but I am a worry wart.)

SidraJedi · August 2012

My mom didn't get ultrasounds with any of her children, neither did my MIL. What's good enough for us is good enough for our baby.

I'll get an ultrasound if my midwife suggests it, but if all continues to go well and since my medical history says I'm at no risk, I'll be ultrasound free.

Personally, I'm a minimalist and it just seems gratuitous to me. Plus, it is an extra expense.

I'd say, skip it unless something comes up where your midwife wants you to have one, go team green and see your baby for the first time when s/he sees you for the first time!

Nechie122 · August 2012

I'd be very hesitant to opt out of the anatomy scan, especially if I were having a home birth. There are so many things they can look for that would directly affect outcomes. I know I'd want to make sure, for instance, there that I didn't have placenta previa. I also wouldn't want to risk a surprise twin! And on a more serious note, my own DD was diagnosed with a heart defect at her anatomy scan and as a result has been followed by a top pediatric cardiologist who saw her immediately after birth. DH and I were both in our 20s, healthy, no family history -- and we were blindsided. Are these things relatively uncommon? Sure, but not rare. Birth defects occur in about 3% of pregnancies. And, to me, the benefits of early diagnosis outweigh the risks of ultrasound (virtually none that we know over decades of therapeutic use.)

tokenhoser · August 2012

My cousin's wife is a naturopath and skipped all u/s in her first pregnancy and had a home birth.

And then a hospital transfer for the second baby. Surprise twins!

perplexed59 · August 2012

With my first I only had the 20 week a/s. I wanted to know if there were any problems that would make our delivery high risk. We were having a home birth and would be 2 hours from a hospital that would deal with any birth complications (only 5 minutes from a local hospital). This time I have had 2 early ultrasounds because they feared an ectopic pregnancy and I wanted to get on that to try to minimize any damage that could occur to my Fallopian tubes if that was true, thank goodness everything looked good. I will also have a 20 week a/s again to make sure nothing is obviously out of place. I don't agree with elective u/s just to see the baby or to just the weight, for me there has to be an obvious problem to get one.

I think that argument that our ancestors didn't have u/s and did just fine is a little weak. Yes my Mum didn't have an u/s with me but if she could have to see if there was an issue to make sure I would have the care I needed right after delivery she would have done it in a heart beat. I'm positive there have been many babies born in today's age that would have died historically because they didn't have the information needed ahead of time. I just know I couldn't live with myself if I had another home birth and there was a major complication with my baby that could have been identified and treated better at the hospital with the 20 week u/s and I had chosen not to do it. But that is just me.

Sawyerplus1 · August 2012

Nechie122:
I'd be very hesitant to opt out of the anatomy scan, especially if I were having a home birth. There are so many things they can look for that would directly affect outcomes. I know I'd want to make sure, for instance, there that I didn't have placenta previa.

This is how I feel too. I personally wouldn't opt out of the 20 week, but would be fine skipping any others.

vintagejjane · August 2012

We did a 10 week US at an OB to confirm pregnancy, then I switched to my HB midwife. We did another US at 17 weeks for fun to find out the sex. no 20 week Anatomy scan.

RayRay007 · August 2012

My SIL didn't have u/s with her two. I had the 20wk with DD and ended up having another one at 35 or 36 wks due to suspected breech. We also found a fibroid at 20 wks and was able to measure it's growth again at the second one. However, although we decided on hospital birth and active mgmt of the third stage due to the fibroid, if we had never known of it we probably wouldn't have been the wiser. I am back and forth about testing.

wifeofadam · August 2012

I'm not and this will be a HB. Didn't do them with #3 either (also a HB).

sschwege · August 2012

I am definitely a 'less is more' type of person, but see the value in the a/s scan which is why we did it last time and will this time around as well.

I agree that the argument that our mothers didn't have it done is a weak one. My DH who is 37 rode home from the hospital in his mother's arms. Never rode in a car seat his entire life. Well, he turned out fine, what's the problem with not using a car seat? I'm not trying to say that not having an a/s scan is the same thing as riding around without a car seat. One has obvious proven risks, the other not so much. Even so using the old argument of our parents/grandparents did it and we all survived is not a good one.

blush64 · August 2012

SidraJedi:

My mom didn't get ultrasounds with any of her children, neither did my MIL. What's good enough for us is good enough for our baby.

I'll get an ultrasound if my midwife suggests it, but if all continues to go well and since my medical history says I'm at no risk, I'll be ultrasound free.

Personally, I'm a minimalist and it just seems gratuitous to me. Plus, it is an extra expense.

I'd say, skip it unless something comes up where your midwife wants you to have one, go team green and see your baby for the first time when s/he sees you for the first time!

There are a lot of things people didn't be before but it's a good idea to do now.

I guess I just don't see how it's gratuitous. I know several people who would not be alive if an ultrasound was missed. Most recently a cousin of mine who is in her mid 20s, very low risk and healthy whose baby was saved because of the ultrasound. There were complications that would have been fatal had they not known about them and been able to prepare. She was moved to a different hospital. Now this is a rare thing and would probably not happen but it could.

There are some things that you just can't detect without an ultrasound and there's no way they will know you needed it unless you have it. NO midwife or OBGYN is going to be able to replace the information an ultrasound can give.

I can understand most things but refusing an ultrasound just seems like too much of a risk to me. Surprise twins is great, a surprise diaphramatic hernia is not.

EDIT TO fix something and to add. I respect we all have to do what is right for us I just think refusing an ultrasound can be really dangerous, certainly it's rare where it will matter but the risk of an ultrasound vs. the risk of not knowing is too much for me.

SidraJedi · August 2012

blush64:
SidraJedi:

My mom didn't get ultrasounds with any of her children, neither did my MIL. What's good enough for us is good enough for our baby.

I'll get an ultrasound if my midwife suggests it, but if all continues to go well and since my medical history says I'm at no risk, I'll be ultrasound free.

Personally, I'm a minimalist and it just seems gratuitous to me. Plus, it is an extra expense.

I'd say, skip it unless something comes up where your midwife wants you to have one, go team green and see your baby for the first time when s/he sees you for the first time!

There are a lot of things people didn't be before but it's a good idea to do now.

I guess I just don't see how it's gratuitous. I know several people who would not be alive if an ultrasound was missed. Most recently a cousin of mine who is in her mid 20s, very low risk and healthy whose baby was saved because of the ultrasound. There were complications that would have been fatal had they not known about them and been able to prepare. She was moved to a different hospital. Now this is a rare thing and would probably not happen but it could.

There are some things that you just can't detect without an ultrasound and there's no way they will know you needed it unless you have it. NO midwife or OBGYN is going to be able to replace the information an ultrasound can give.

I can understand most things but refusing an ultrasound just seems like too much of a risk to me. Surprise twins is great, a surprise diaphramatic hernia is not.

EDIT TO fix something and to add. I respect we all have to do what is right for us I just think refusing an ultrasound can be really dangerous, certainly it's rare where it will matter but the risk of an ultrasound vs. the risk of not knowing is too much for me.

Your opinion is valid. Thank you for disagreeing with me without jumping down my throat.

My reason for not getting an ultrasound is that I am not convinced that they are 100% safe. There's a lot of literature out there for my choice. I was hoping not to start an argument. I'm glad that hasn't happened.

I'm not hoping to convince anyone of my belief, especially someone who is uncomfortable with a decision like mine. I was simply answering her question and putting in my two cents. I hope I didn't sound like I was trying to twist her arm.

Sorry if I offended you.

Also: I apologize to all if I seemed flippant.
I did not mean to sound casual about an important issue.

annabelle.27 · August 2012

I did, twice with each pregnancy. Although I don't support elective ultrasounds, I think that the a/s is worth it, given that the risks are minimal/non-existant, and the potential for gain is huge. Many birth defects have been detected during ultrasound- I know someone who found out her baby had a severe congenital heart defect and diaphragm/lung defects and her baby required immediate surgery after birth. She had to deliver via planned c-section while a team of pediatric surgeons waited and immediately set to work on her baby the moment it was lifted out of her belly. Without them ready and waiting, her baby wouldn't have made it, or so I've been told.

I'm not normally a fear-mongerer, but to me, anatomy scans are one of those procedures that only carry potential for good, so why not get one? I would, however, refuse late-term ultrasounds (the ones for weight estimates) unless you have a medical condition that requires close monitoring of baby.

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