Having a Mid Trimester Ultrasound Pregnancy scan in Sydney
This is a routine ultrasound to check that your baby is growing and developing normally. You usually have this between 19 and 20 weeks.
Transabdominal ultrasound
This ultrasound is done ‘transabdominally’, which means scanning through your lower abdomen. A small amount of ultrasound gel is put on the skin of your lower abdomen, the ultrasound probe scans through this gel.
How to prepare for your ultrasound – to get the best results
Better images can be achieved when your bladder is a bit full. So please empty your bladder one hour before your appointment, then drink two glasses of water and do not empty your bladder again until after your scan.
Your bladder should not be that full that it causes you pain. If your bladder is very full and painful, you should empty a small amount so you are more comfortable.
What to do if you feel faint during your scan?
Please tell the sonographer if you begin to feel faint or nauseous during our scan. This is nothing to be alarmed at. This feeling is due to a fall in your blood pressure, caused by compression of the veins that run at the back of your abdomen by the uterus and baby, thanks to your uterus being larger and heavier. Your position can easily be changed, lying more on your side or more upright will usually help resolve your symptoms.
What do we look for in this scan?
The baby is examined from head to toe. This includes the brain, face, spine, heart, kidneys and limbs etc. If there is a family history of birth defects, genetic problems or taking medications eg anti-epileptic drugs, it advisable to notify us. Many abnormalities can be detected by scan but some eg brain and heart problems may be difficult to detect or may evolve later in pregnancy. A good 19-20-week scan on overall is expected to diagnose more than half of the serious problems.
Are you having a boy or girl?
We can usually tell if you are having a boy or girl at this scan. However please be aware that we are not always able to confirm this 100%. This is because your baby may be in a position that will hinder the view of this area of the baby, during the ultrasound.
It is a good idea to tell the Sonographer before your scan if you would like to know the sex of your baby, or if you would rather keep it a surprise.
The purpose of this scan is not to tell the sex of your baby but to make sure it is healthy, developing correctly and is structurally normal. At this scan we also check the position of the placenta, length of cervix and volume of amniotic fluid around the baby. If a problem or abnormal change is detected, we will discuss this comprehensively with you and your family and give you guidance as to what the next steps may be, if any e.g. follow up scans, further testing, referral to other specialities etc.