What to Expect During Your Prenatal Ultrasound

Most pregnant women will have an ultrasound at some point during their pregnancy. Many doctors schedule a routine ultrasound at around the 20th week of pregnancy. At this point, the ultrasound technician can get great views of the growing baby and examine all the organs and measure the size. This ultrasound is also a very exciting time for the expectant parents as the first glimpse of their growing baby can be seen clearly. Little preparation is needed for this ultrasound exam and the procedure is fairly simple. I'll cover what to expect before, during and after your first prenatal ultrasound in this article.

Many ultrasound technicians prefer to schedule prenatal ultrasounds in the morning. You can however, schedule the ultrasound at the best time for your schedule. Morning is usually a bit slower for the technicians, so they can take a longer time to ensure proper measurements and photos of the growing baby.

For early pregnancy ultrasounds you will be instructed to drink four 8 ounce glasses of water in the 4 hours prior to the ultrasound exam. This will fill your bladder and lift the baby and your uterus away from your pelvis. A full bladder is obviously very uncomfortable during pregnancy, but remember that this will allow the ultrasound technician to get some great views of your growing baby.

When you arrive at the ultrasound location, you may or may not be asked to fill out a questionnaire. Some technicians like a little information about the mother before completing the ultrasound. Simple questions like: is this your first baby, how far along you believe you are, estimated due date, and estimated date of conception, and several other questions may all be asked on the questionnaire.

Once the ultrasound technician calls you back to their room, you may be given a gown to change into. Many technicians will just ask you to lower your pants and lift your shirt over your belly to scan your stomach.