Pregnancy is a wonderful thing, and being able to see your baby on an ultrasound allows doctors to check for several different things. Not only can it allow the doctor to see what your baby looks like inside of the womb, and what gender it is, but it also allows them to check for several different risk factors as well. This can then allow the doctor to prepare for whatever this risk factor may mean in terms of things you may need to do for the rest of your pregnancy and delivery. This article will discuss 3 different risk factors that an ultrasound is used to check.
Check If the Placenta Is below the Baby
Sometimes your placenta may be located below your baby in the birth canal. If this happens early in your pregnancy, your doctor is going to want to watch it to see if it will move on its own. To do this, your doctor will schedule you to have regular ultrasounds to monitor the placement of the placenta. If the placenta is still located below your baby at 28 weeks, then it is likely that it will not move. If this is the case, then your cervix will be completely blocked by the placenta, and your baby cannot be born vaginally. You will then need to be scheduled to receive a c-section, so you can safely give birth to your baby when the time comes.
Check Baby's Size
At your routine appointments, your doctor will likely measure your stomach using a measuring tape. The week that you are at should correlate with how your stomach is measuring. For example, if you are 35 weeks along, then the top of your uterus to your pelvic bone should measure 35 centimeters. If this measurement is 3 weeks smaller than it should be, or 3 centimeters smaller than it should be, then your doctor will likely request that you get an ultrasound so that they can see the baby. The ultrasound will allow the doctor to see if the baby is proportional, or if one area of their body is smaller than the other. It will also allow the doctor to see if you need to be induced since the baby is no longer getting what it needs from your placenta in the womb.
Check if Baby is Breech
Often times your doctor may think that your baby might be breech in the womb, but to know for sure, they may want an ultrasound. Sometimes a breech baby can be turned, but this isn't a major concern unless you are close to delivery. Your doctor may have you get ultrasounds regularly at the end of your pregnancy, so they can determine whether or not the baby will turn on their own, if they need to try and turn the baby, or if it is safest to get a c-section.
For more information on ultrasounds, contact EVDI Medical Imaging.
Share3 April 2015
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