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Ultrasound
Seeing Is Believing
By Sharon Waldrop
For many women, the most glorious part of pregnancy is feeling the baby kick, stretch, roll and hiccup. It's one thing to imagine what is going on inside the womb, and another to actually see it. Thanks to ultrasound technology, we can now see what goes on in the womb: finger-waving, thumb-sucking and an array of motion.
Ultrasounds are so routine now that many doctors perform them in their own examination rooms right along with checking blood pressure and heartbeats. The timeliness and quantity of ultrasounds will be based on your health care provider's preference and medical necessity. Inquire about the possibility of bringing a blank video tape to your appointment to capture your baby's first video appearance. You won't want to miss that milestone in your baby's life and the opportunity to show the video to everyone you can get to sit and watch it.
An ultrasound is not an X-ray and causes no danger to Mother or Baby. There is no radiation involved, so you won't see your doctor or technician hide behind a two-inch apron or leave the room during part of the procedure. According to Obstetric Ultrasound: A Comprehensive Guide by Dr. Joseph S.K. Woo, high-frequency sound waves between 3.5 to 7 megahertz (3.5 to 7 million cycles per second) form a live-action picture of the fetus, which is transmitted onto a computer screen right before your eyes.
Many things can be seen via ultrasound technology, such as the umbilical cord, placenta and amniotic fluid surrounding the baby. According to Woo, the gestational sac can be seen as early as 4 1/2 weeks and the yolk sac can be seen at 5 weeks. The baby's heartbeat can be detected, as can the four valves connected to the heart. If you're curious – and lucky – you may also be given a probable sex determination. Gestational age can be estimated via ultrasound. As a parent, it is exhilarating to see hands moving and feet kicking. Baby boys have been seen urinating during ultrasounds, a definite clue of sex. An ultrasound is indispensable in the diagnosis of placenta previa and multiple fetuses.
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