Fetal growth scan - what does the
ultrasound show?
An ultrasound examination in the third trimester is useful
for several reasons.
It enables us to see:
•That the fetal heart is beating
•The fetal presentation and position
•The fetal size and growth
•The volume of amniotic fluid around the baby
•The position of the placenta
•The blood flow to the baby through the umbilical cord
•The activity and movements of the baby are normal
•The length of the cervix
•The position of any uterine fibroids
Obstetricians and midwives frequently request an
ultrasound examination to check for fetal growth and
wellbeing.
This is often indicated if you think that the baby has
stopped moving, or if they suspect the baby is small for
dates, large for dates, suspected breech presentation,
multiple pregnancy, or a maternal disease like diabetes,
high blood pressure or heart disease.
Other common reasons are some unexpected bleeding
or contractions.
What does it involve?
The scan is performed by placing an ultrasound
transducer on your abdomen. It is moved around with
the aid of some slippery gel.
Your bladder does not need to be full. It is better if it is
just in between full and empty. The whole scan takes
around 20 minutes.
Occasionally at the end of the examination, we need to
do a trans-vaginal scan with an empty bladder, to get a
better look at the lower edge of the placenta and its
relationship to the cervix.
Sometimes we need the transvaginal approach to
measure the length of the cervix accurately.
What if something is wrong?
If we are concerned about the findings of this scan, we
will explain it to you. The doctors in the practice are all
fully qualified obstetricians, so they are in a good
position to interpret the findings.
If any problems are suspected you will have the opportunity
to discuss them and their implications with the
obstetrician here, as well as your own obstetrician or
midwife. Occasionally we are so concerned that we
have to take you straight to Delivery Suite.
Can we see the baby in 3D or 4D?
Certainly. We usually manage to get gorgeous baby
photos for you. However, the picture is affected a lot by
the position of the baby.
If it is head down and facing your spine, we only get to
see its back. Sometimes it takes persistence and
patience to see the baby when it is facing up.
Maternal skin thickness and the amount of amniotic fluid
around the baby’s face, can also affect the quality of
the image.
The best time to get the baby in a good position is from
about 24 weeks gestation to 34 weeks gestation.
We are happy to do 3D and 4D scanning for you, but
we also believe that it is also important that we find out if
there are any problems with the baby first.
We always do a comprehensive assessment of the
baby’s growth and wellbeing at the same examination.
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