Marie, I am worried about my baby, and I would like to ask for an ultrasound to get reassurance. Can I ask my doctor for one? Thanks for your answer, Annie-Claude.
Annie-Claude, I don’t know how many weeks pregnant you are and what exactly scares you about your baby. But you can’t demand this exam if your doctor or health worker doesn’t feel the need for it.
Imagine if all pregnant women asked for multiple ultrasounds during their pregnancy. The health care system would simply not be able to handle that. It already struggles to meet the demand in some regions, so it’s just not feasible. I think you need to talk to your doctor or midwife about your fears and get the answers to your questions. This may reassure you about your condition and your baby’s development. If health professionals have doubts, an ultrasound will be requested to review you and your baby’s situation.
Also, I think you might be interested to know the different types of ultrasounds that can be performed during pregnancy:
- Dating ultrasound: is performed when the woman does not know the exact date of her last menstruation. This assessment dates the pregnancy and predicts the delivery date.
- Viability ultrasound: is most often performed if the pregnant woman has significant bleeding, when the fetal heart is not heard at the end of the first trimester or when the woman no longer feels fetal movements.
- Screening ultrasound: This ultrasound attempts to identify potential risks for specific pathologies that can be discovered during the gestational period. The best known is undoubtedly the “nuchal translucency,” performed at the end of the first trimester to screen for Down’s Syndrome. premier trimestre pour dépister la trisomie 21.
- Morphological ultrasound: it is the ultrasound at about 20 weeks of pregnancy, which is given free to all pregnant women in Quebec. This examination determines the age of the pregnancy, confirms the expected delivery date, observes fetal growth using different measurements, examines its structures and organs and observes the fluid, placenta, etc.
- Growth ultrasound: This ultrasound can be performed throughout the pregnancy if the doctor deems it necessary, primarily if the fundal height of the pregnant woman’s womb does not correspond to her pregnancy age. If the uterus appears higher or too low for her pregnancy time, a growth ultrasound may be requested. This ultrasound can also be performed if they want to review the location of the placenta, which was poorly positioned during the 20-week ultrasound, or for other medical reasons.
- Expert ultrasound: this ultrasound is performed for specific reasons, for example, examining the fetal heart.
- Transvaginal ultrasound: Using a probe with a camera at the end performed vaginally, the doctor can assess the thickness of the woman’s cervix if there is a risk of premature labour, for example. It is also used to observe the contents of the uterus if the pregnancy is very recent.
As you can see, Annie-Claude, there are a lot of possible ultrasounds, but they all have a purpose. Again, I suggest you talk to your doctor to better understand his point of view regarding your request.
Talk soon,
Marie
The Baby Expert
