An ultrasound is a type of technology that uses sound waves to create images. It is the type of imaging used most in pregnancy and performed by pacing a wand on your belly or inside your vagina. The sound waves bounce off your baby’s tissues and creates images on the monitor. Ultrasound is used in pregnancy to evaluate the following:

• how long a woman has been pregnant and her expected due date
• the location of the pregnancy
• how many babies a woman is carrying
• the baby’s growth and development
• the position of the placenta and umbilical cord
• the amount of amniotic fluid
• abnormalities in the baby or mother

Ultrasounds are performed as part of routine medical screening or if there is a concern. The following are the 3 types of ultrasounds that all pregnancy women can expect to have performed during pregnancy:

• confirmation of pregnancy:  The first ultrasound performed after a positive pregnancy test. It confirms the number of babies, location, dating, and viability of your pregnancy. This ultrasound is typically performed between 6 and 8 weeks of pregnancy. 
• nuchal translucency (NT):  An ultrasound which measures the fluid filled space at the back of the baby’s neck to determine their risk of chromosomal abnormalities.  This ultrasound is performed between 11 and 14 weeks of pregnancy.
• anatomy scan:  An ultrasound which assesses the baby’s organs/ physician structures, placenta, and umbilical cord. This ultrasound is performed around 20 weeks of pregnancy.  

If you or your baby have certain medical conditions which make you high risk, you may have additional ultrasounds or testing throughout your pregnancy, also known as antenatal testing. 

At Alliance Obstetrics & Gynecology, we recognize that your time is valuable.  As such, our state-of-the-art ultrasound suite was designed for your convenience.  Our full-time sonographer, Claire, will perform your ultrasounds in the comfort of our office.

We know how important it is to see your little bundle of joy!  Our office offers 3D/4D ultrasound to meet these needs.  This ultrasound is best performed at 30 weeks of pregnancy when you can see your baby yawn and smile as you get a glimpse of their features and personality.   All of the high quality images will be captured and saved on a flash drive for your convenience.

Antenatal testing refers to various tests which are performed during pregnancy to check on the wellbeing of your baby.  Methods of antenatal testing include growth scans, biophysical profiles, and non-stress tests. 

A growth scan is a type of ultrasound where your baby’s head, abdominal girth, and femur length are measured to determine their estimated fetal weight.  An estimated fetal weight which is in the normal range provides reassurance that your baby is growing well.  If the estimated fetal weight is much less than expected, additional testing is needed.

A biophysical profile (BPP) is an ultrasound used to evaluate the health of your baby and placenta. This is done by assessing the baby’s movement, muscle tone, breathing, and amniotic fluid. The goal of a BPP is to prevent pregnancy loss and detect any signs of fetal stress which may require additional interventions to be performed. The BPP is performed once a week for any pregnancy considered high risk. These tests begin at either 32 or 36 weeks of pregnancy, depending on the condition necessitating testing. 

A non-stress test (NST) is a non-invasive test which uses an electronic heart rate monitor to detect and graph your baby’s heart rate to determine their well-being and proper perfusion (blood blow) through the placenta. The test involves attaching one belt to the mother’s abdomen to measure fetal heart rate and another belt to measure contractions. A normal fetal heart rate pattern indicates that your baby is healthy and is receiving adequate oxygen.  If an abnormal fetal heart rate pattern is detected, your provider will inform you of what additional interventions or testing need to be performed.  NSTs are performed twice a week for any pregnancy consider high risk. These tests begin at either 28 or 36 weeks of pregnancy, depending on the condition necessitating testing. In many situations, a weekly BPP can be performed in lieu of the twice weekly NSTs.