Parenting: Pregnancy

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 chord, placenta and amniotic fluid surrounding the baby. According to Woo, the gestational sac can be seen as early as four and a half weeks and the yolk sac can be seen at five 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.

"Ultrasound may detect many obvious and subtle fetal abnormalities. Limb, cardiac and cranial defects are easily seen. Spinal, kidney and intestinal defects may be noted as well. Physicians specializing in ultrasound are most sophisticated at detecting subtle fetal abnormalities," says Jay M. Kulkin, doctor and medical director of Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Georgia. It is important to discuss with your provider what level of ultrasound expertise each case warrants.

A Cesarean section may be scheduled if an ultrasound shows a breech baby, very large baby or misplaced placenta. Knowledge of these conditions in advance can be a lifesaver for mother and baby.

Cristina Solomon started bleeding during the fourth week of her pregnancy. She dashed over to her doctor's office and a trans-vaginal ultrasound was performed. A trans-vaginal ultrasound works best during the very first few weeks of pregnancy. The ultrasound showed no signs of an embryo. Cristina and her husband's dream was crushed as it appeared that they had a failed pregnancy. Cristina was preparing herself for a D & C the following week and felt empty inside.

Thankfully, Cristina's doctor continued to check her hormone levels, which were rising. A true sign of pregnancy! A second ultrasound -- this time an abdominal ultrasound -- showed a heartbeat and an embryo that was a few weeks more mature than originally thought. That little embryo emerged as a little girl named Amber 7-1/2 months later.