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September 2017 Moms
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Ultrasound at radiology facility questions...

ashley2824ashley2824 member
in September 2017 Moms
I asked in the appts thread but only got one response (thanks @GhanimaAtreides !) and I have more questions...

So for my other 2 PGs, I got my ultrasounds in the office, but with my new insurance it's not covered, so I have to go to a radiology facility for my first 8 week ultrasound (I think it's mostly for dating). So this is a first for me.
Anyway, the woman that scheduled me said no one can come back with me. After @GhanimaAtreides comment, I asked my H to come anyway for afterwards just in case. So for others that went to a radiology facility, do they all really not let your H/SO come back with you?
Do they usually talk and tell you anything? At least show the heartbeat? 
Do you get pictures? 
If it's bad will they tell me?
And last, do I really need to drink 32 oz of water an hour before my appt?!?

TIA!
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Re: Ultrasound at radiology facility questions...

  • JNR6510JNR6510 member
    You should drink the water. It helps them to get a better view of your uterus and LO. You will get better pictures that way.  As far as allowing others back it depends on the facility / doctor. 
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  • MplsKateMplsKate member
    I had to go to a separate clinic today because my midwife doesn't do vaginal ultrasounds (which seems like something they might have considered telling me BEFORE I made this appointment, but I digress...).

    My experience was:
    - My DH couldn't come anyway, so that was a non-issue for me, but at my midwifery appointment (which he could attend), they did do part of it without him and then got him afterward.
    - My ultrasound tech told me some things, but not a lot. Like, she took a TON of pictures and measurements of my ovaries and didn't explain why. I assumed that is just normal, but it would have been nice if she had said, "Hey, we do this for everyone all the time to look for X, Y, Z." When we FINALLY got to actually looking at the tiny little person in there, she did talk a bit more and explained what we were looking at and that things "look pretty normal." That was reassuring.
    - They offered me a picture, but also said they would be available in the electronic medical chart that I have access to, so I decided I would just wait for them to show up there. Really, at 7w3d, the picture is somewhat unremarkable. :smile:
    - She did say that a radiologist and my midwife would take a look at the images and contact me with my "results." I don't know what that would really mean-- I thought I was looking at the "results"-- a tiny human with a tiny little heartbeat? 
    - Mine only recommended I drink 16 oz of water, which I did, and then we had to stop the ultrasound because my ULTRA-FULL bladder was crowding out all the other organs and she couldn't get a good image of anything. Once I went to the bathroom, we could see things much better. I guess I'd still do it (maybe not 32 oz because I would burst before I got there), but be prepared to have to pee.

    Best of luck-- I hope it goes well!
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  • GhanimaAtreidesGhanimaAtreides member
    I was ready with a full bladder and they laughed and were like, "no, you need to empty that. A vaginal with a full bladder can't be comfortable." This is at an advanced repro clinic though.

    i remember from a long time ago the naval hospital instructions were to drink like, 64oz of water and hold it for 2hrs. It. Was. Torture.

    Even emptying my bladder this time, it was full again by the end of the ultrasound because I was sitting around waiting on the tech and then the doc forever. They think my uterus might be heart shaped. I was like, that can't be, I've never been told that before through multiple pregnant and non-pregnant ultrasounds, and I've had 3 term pregnancies. I'm sure it would've been an issue before now, right? So the tech suggested maybe my heavy bladder was weighing down the top of my uterus so much that it looked heart shaped.

    If their instructions say to, do it.
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  • MplsKateMplsKate member
    GhanimaAtreides said:

    i remember from a long time ago the naval hospital instructions were to drink like, 64oz of water and hold it for 2hrs. It. Was. Torture.
    Oh god. 
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  • ColoradoHikerColoradoHiker member
    edited January 2017
    With DS, we did all of our u/s at the hospital's Mother and Fetal Medicine dept, rather than at the clinic where the midwives were located.  DH was allowed, and encouraged, to come back with me.

    We didn't have an 8w appt with DS, but at our 12w the tech talked us through what she was looking for, what she saw, blood flow, heart beat, etc.  

    We did get pictures, a bunch of them in fact.  The technician is not allowed to tell you if they see something wrong, that is something that a doctor will have to do after examining the pictures.  

    Drink water if the directions you received say to do so.  Otherwise, I'd skip it.
    DS1: Born 11.18.15
    DS2: EDD- 09.08.17

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  • ashley2824ashley2824 member
    Thanks everyone!

    @GhanimaAtreides 64 oz?!?!? How did you not explode?
    I'm worrying about holding it and/or throwing it up. Ive read it helps the image, a full bladder, I'm just worried about it coming out either end! Lol 
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  • GhanimaAtreidesGhanimaAtreides member
    I honestly can't remember the amount, but it was freaking ridiculous and was more painful than your worst self-imposed "Hold it until the end of the movie" experience. I had goosebumps and was shaking when I finally got to release. 

    Cue up skeptical Futurama meme: Not sure if they seriously needed that or were trying to make early ultrasounds really inconvenient so they weren't bombarded unnecessarily with requests.
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  • towntownstowntowns member
    I had this issue with radiology during my last pregnancy. They didn't want me to have anyone back there with me, they also didn't want to show me the screen at all. Which was mind boggling to me. I asked this before my appointment because one of my friends had the same issue. Essentially I kindly demanded that he was allowed back and we would see - they said no. So I had my ob office call who referred me and they took care of it. I understand that for legal reasons they can't always tell us what they are looking at however I have such terrible anxiety there is no way I was going back there alone. Plus this is such a special moment I wouldn't want Dad hanging in the waiting room if he wants to be in there. 

    I would call them back and explain how important this is to you, and if it doesn't work ask your ob to call or refer you to a different clinic. 
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  • MyNamesTakenMyNamesTaken member
    In Ontario all I've ever done is go to a radiologist clinic. I've never heard of a Dr who has one in house.

    The technologist does all the measurements needed to send to the radiologist for his/her report. Then DH was allowed in after that and we were shown the baby and all the fun stuff.

    The technologist can't tell you anything really. TW - when my MMC was discovered, the technologist called the radiologist on the phone to talk to me after she sent him my images. She only told me that she something didn't look how she expected and I should wait in the waiting room. She never called DH back.
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  • ashley2824ashley2824 member
    Thanks everyone! She ended up letting my husband back after she finished the measurements. Showed us the heartbeat and printed a picture. She didn't tell us the rate or say much else, but was very nice. 
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