ULTRASOUNDS
Like any medical intervention, there’s benefits and risks. Until an ultrasound tech mentioned to me there could be risks associated with ultrasounds, I hadn’t thought twice about it.
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Some benefits:
-Early dating
-Find out gender
-Measure babies growth
-Measure organs and other body parts
-Detect some abnormalities
-Detect ectopic or multiple pregnancies
-Measure placenta and it’s position
-See babies position
-Measure amniotic fluid levels
-Super fun and exiting to see baby
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Some possible risks
-Detect abnormalities that may or may not be there
-Detect something that can cause panic when unnecessary
-May lead to further interventions that may be unnecessary including termination of pregnancy (yes this happens often)
-possible harm to the baby from the ultrasound technology like cell damage and other defects
-40 percent of abnormalities go undetected anyways even if an ultrasound is performed
-Many “defects” or “abnormalities” have no intervention anyways while pregnant
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This isn’t exhaustive and there’s so much more research out there. I encourage you to look into it further and just be educated on some of the research out there! I made a whole highlight of just some of the information I have.
Ultrasounds can be so useful and needed in some circumstances, but they aren’t completely without risk so make sure to talk with your provider about times when you need one and times you may be able to skip!
*not medical advice.
The following photos & caption are from @tranquilitybyhehe.
Ultrasounds
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Everything in labor (and life) comes with risks and benefits! Usually there are alternatives too!
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👉🏼SWIPE >> to see the reasons an ultrasound may be suggested for you in each trimester!
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It’s not an accurate way to predict or estimate the size of your baby!
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@the.birth.lounge members— be on the lookout for a cheat sheet all about the places in pregnancy and birth where you have alternative options!
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There are some places in pregnancy and birth that ultrasounds can be very beneficial in gaining more information!
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The more US = the more opportunities for manipulation from a notoriously inaccurate diagnostic tool!
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What’s you decide about ultrasounds for yourself and your pregnancy???
The following photo & caption are from @essentiallyerin_.
I had my first ultrasound last week at 22 weeks and finally got to see this little bebé. Just look at that profile 😍
Ultrasounds replaced X-rays to confirm pregnancy back in the 1960’s. We now know xrays are dangerous to the fetus and are rarely used during pregnancy. Ultrasound technology uses ultra high frequency sound waves to generate image. The sound waves are above the level of human hearing. Ultrasound was once solely used as a screening device to look for high risk conditions but now is used routinely to confirm pregnancy as well as multiple times throughout; and the truth is effects of ultrasound on a developing baby are largely unknown. My personal attitude is that if it’s not medically necessary and there is potential risk, then why? Having an ultrasound done so early in pregnancy solely to confirm makes me nervous and for myself, has seemed unnecessary. Because I choose to birth at home I prefer to have one ultrasound done around 20 weeks, just to give me peace of mind that everything is as it should be so I feel comfortable proceeding with a home birth, but did you know that ultrasounds are elective? Yep, that’s right. They are not mandatory during pregnancy, and my midwives leave it solely up to me. I found a great article with a list of pros and cons (will share in stories) that may help you consider when and how often to have ultrasounds done during pregnancy. ———————————————
Reasons to consider ultrasound:
* Confirm early pregnancy using a vaginal ultrasound.
* Detect multiple births.
* Calculate due date through measurements of fetus’ skull, femur, or crown-rump length (done in second trimester).
* Inspect fetal organs for growth and development.
* Check gender.
* Verify fetal position and breech presentation.
* Inspect the placenta and placement.
* Many expectant parents are excited to see the ultrasound including the 4D sonogram technology that makes it possible to clearly see a baby close up.
Risks of ultrasound:
* “The long term effects of repeated ultrasound exposures on the fetus are not fully known. (continued in comments).