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Picture Day
A Guide to Ultrasounds
By Shel Franco
"The vaginal ultrasound is not painful; however, some women may find it a little uncomfortable," Nazeri says. "If you think of a transvaginal ultrasound as just a routine gynecologic test, such as a Pap smear, it would not be uncomfortable at all."
Most pregnant women will not experience a transvaginal ultrasound. Their "big day" will usually start with drinking 3 to 4 cups of water about one hour before the appointment.
"The bladder is located in front of the uterus, and when it is full, it provides an excellent window for sound waves through which the deeper organs such as the uterus, the ovaries and the developing baby are viewed," Nazeri explains.
That sounds uncomfortable, and it certainly can be, especially if you are further along in your pregnancy. This is where communication is important. "I just told the sonographer when I couldn't handle the pressure anymore," says Jennifer Paul of Madison, Wis. "She would let me roll over onto my side, and that helped a lot."
"It is significant for pregnant women to know that beides a detailed evaluation of the baby's health, a complete prenatal ultrasound should also include a careful observation of the placenta, amniotic fluid volume and viewing of the cervix," Nazeri says. She also points out that ultrasound can exclude a great number of fetal abnormalities, but there are a number of congenital problems that cannot be detected by the scan.
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