While obstetric ultrasonography is still a service where limited uses is best for your baby, you may be surprised at the benefits of use. It is also surprising to hear how some women may see ultrasound pictures of their baby more than once or twice during their pregnancy. Before you begin feeling a little envious, consider the benefits of ulrasounds and learn why other mothers get multiple images.
Establishing Living Fetuses
The very first ultrasound you receive during your pregnancy confirms that you are indeed pregnant and that there is a living fetus inside of you. This verifies that you have a lot more to do to stay healthy and take care of that growing baby. If you participate in government programs for healthy mothers and babies/children, those programs also want to be sure you are pregnant prior to providing you with government benefits.
Confirming Number of Babies
Most women have just "one bun in the oven," but others may have two or more. Obstetric ultrasound can easily determine how many babies there are so that you can effectively plan ahead. While the ultrasonographer counts heads and heartbeats, he or she is also looking for problems.
Looking for Curable Health Risks
Carrying multiples has tons of risks for both mother and babies. During an ultrasound, the technician is looking for bleeding in utero, heartbeat irregularities, conjoined fetuses, and irregularities with the placenta and amniotic sacs. Most, if not all, of these issues can be corrected either before birth or just after birth. Others can be treated so that babies and mother can survive most of the pregnancy and then the babies can be delivered early, if necessary.
Spotting Twists in the Umbilical Cord
The umbilical cord is the direct line of life between baby and child. It is often quite long, and an active fetus tends to get a little tangled in it. While that is normal, kinks in the cord, the cord lacking enough veins for blood supply and blood exchange, and the cord wrapping around your baby's neck and remaining there are all very dangerous situations. Ultrasound imaging quickly finds these issues, and then very special surgeries may be performed to help the baby out of a bad situation.
Why Other Women Get More Ultrasounds
Most OB/GYNs recommend only one or two ultrasound sessions throughout an entire ten-month pregnancy. Since it still has not been established whether or not ultrasonography is extremely safe for unborn babies, the limit is placed to protect your child. So, why do other women get lots of ultrasound sessions and images? Well, if the obstetrician spots ANY unusual features or potential problems in a uterus, it is vital that this be monitored more frequently. Ergo, while you may be jealous that some other mother-to-be gets to see her unborn child or children more often, there is a not-so-nice reason behind it.
Share10 October 2017
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