Fetal Ultrasound

Ultrasounds are an important part of a healthy pregnancy. They use sound waves to create images of your baby and are safe for both mother and baby.

Typically, an expecting mother will get a minimum of two fetal ultrasounds during the pregnancy. The first ultrasound will occur at your new OB appointment. Between 20 to 22 weeks of pregnancy, you will generally be referred to the perinatal center for a detailed ultrasound.

Ultrasounds can reveal a number of important factors relating to your pregnancy including:

• Your baby’s heartbeat
• Your baby’s size and growth
• How the organs are developing
• The position of the placenta
• The number of babies
• The gender of the baby (if you wish to know)

Ultrasounds are noninvasive and low risk, however, there are limitations to what they are able to detect. For example, certain abnormalities such as Down’s Syndrome and cleft palate are not generally detected by ultrasound.