Can i request an ultrasound

Ultimately, the decision is up to you. Here are some good questions to ask yourself as you decide whether to have the genetic screening:. Whether you choose to have genetic screening done at this time is entirely your decision. Some women prefer to have as much information as possible as early as possible, while other women do not.

This is the ultrasound that people look forward to the most! The full anatomy ultrasound is typically performed at about 20 weeks, or 5 months. The full anatomy scan is a transabdominal ultrasound. It uses a transducer that looks a lot like a store checkout scanner.

The ultrasound technician will put warm ultrasound gel on your stomach and then slide the transducer in the gel around your stomach. The gel helps the sound waves travel through your skin. Tip: Come to your appointment with a relatively full bladder. This will make it easier for your ultrasound technician to get better images of your baby.

Because there are so many things to look for, this ultrasound will take at least 45 minutes—if your little one cooperates! During the full anatomy, week ultrasound, you can find out if your baby is male or female. When the scan is complete, Meriter will even send you a link to view some fun photos of your baby! For many, seeing that black-and-white blob is the moment their impending parenthood starts to feel real.

But how many ultrasounds will you get over the next nine months? And is there such a thing as too many? Ultrasound technicians create an image of your baby by pointing sound waves at soft tissues in your body using a handheld probe that is either inserted into your vagina or a transducer that is rubbed over your belly. The waves that bounce back are translated into a picture by the imaging technology. Midwives and doctors use those images to monitor things like how the baby is growing or to look at the health of the uterus, says Jasmin Tecson, a registered midwife who has been practising for almost 13 years with Sages-Femmes Rouge Valley Midwives in Scarborough, Ont.

This may be done separately or at the same time as a scan offered at weeks as part of the optional screening for trisomy 21 or Down syndrome. Some doctors may order a routine growth scan in the third trimester, but that depends on the pregnancy, says Berger. If your due date passes , an ultrasound to assess amniotic fluid volume and fetal health is often performed.

There are no known risks from the sound waves used in an ultrasound scan. Unlike some other scans, such as CT scans , ultrasound scans don't involve exposure to radiation. External and internal ultrasound scans don't have any side effects and are generally painless, although you may experience some discomfort as the probe is pressed over your skin or inserted into your body.

If you're having an internal scan and are allergic to latex, it's important to let the sonographer or doctor carrying out the scan know this so they can use a latex-free probe cover. Endoscopic ultrasounds can be a bit more uncomfortable and can cause temporary side effects, such as a sore throat or bloating.

There's also a small risk of more serious complications, such as internal bleeding. Page last reviewed: 28 July Next review due: 28 July Ultrasound scan. How ultrasound scans work A small device called an ultrasound probe is used, which gives off high-frequency sound waves. This image is displayed on a monitor while the scan is carried out. Preparing for an ultrasound scan Before having some types of ultrasound scan, you may be asked to follow certain instructions to help improve the quality of the images produced.

For example, you may be advised to: drink water and not go to the toilet until after the scan — this may be needed before a scan of your unborn baby or your pelvic area avoid eating or drinking for several hours before the scan — this may be needed before a scan of your digestive system, including the liver and gallbladder Depending on the area of your body being examined, the hospital may ask you to remove some clothing and wear a hospital gown.

What happens during an ultrasound scan Most ultrasound scans last between 15 and 45 minutes. If you have any questions or concerns about private ultrasound scans, self-referral and GP referrals then feel free to contact our customer care team on 45 45 or alternatively you can email us at customercare thescanclinic.

It is this mission that continues to drive us to this day and in this current global crisis. We continually strive to find the right balance between delivering on our mission and maintaining high levels of health and safety for our clients as well as our staff. We have always maintained high levels of cleanliness and infection control and since the start of the pandemic have taken additional daily infection control measures across the clinic as well as ensuring all staff have adequate PPE personal protective equipment.

You will notice that some of our services are no longer available at the moment and this is because we are limiting our range of available services to essential scans only until further notice. Furthermore all Off-Peak clinics have been suspended until further notice. We have been continually monitoring the ongoing situation and taking all official guidance, however as this is an evolving situation the information and guidelines given below are subject to change and can change with immediate effect.

We appreciate this can be challenging but please bear in mind that the steps we take are for the health and safety of all our staff and clients and we really appreciate your support and understanding to follow them. If you have any questions, queries or concerns about any of this then please get in touch with our customer care team who are more than happy to help.