What is Obstetric Ultrasound?

Obstetric ultrasound is a non-invasive, diagnostic imaging procedure that uses high-frequency sound waves to create images for evaluating the health of a woman’s uterus, the baby inside the uterus, ovaries and other pelvic structures. Many clinics in Prestons perform this simple but useful procedure and your doctor may prescribe this for various reasons. 

When you visit an ultrasound in Prestons, the procedure uses sound waves to create pictures of your internal structures and the images can be used to help determine the health of the baby, confirm pregnancy and schedule an appointment for delivery. The images can also help doctors identify any possible problems with the pregnancy. This can help them decide on the best course of treatment for the patient.

Obstetric ultrasounds are used to:

Check for gestational age (the stage of pregnancy): At every prenatal visit, your doctor will check the size of your baby using an ultrasound at any clinic in Prestons. This can help determine whether you’re having single or multiple pregnancies, or if there’s any reason to worry about growth abnormalities.

Check your baby’s heartbeat: Ultrasound is used to detect a heartbeat from around six weeks into a pregnancy. This can give you peace of mind and help you know how far along you are in your pregnancy. If no heartbeat is detected, it may mean that there’s a problem with the foetus (a nonviable pregnancy).

Check the location of the baby’s placenta within the uterus: A placenta that’s positioned low in the uterus may cause problems during delivery, so doctors want to make sure it’s not covering any major blood vessels before they send you home from the hospital after giving birth.

Look for signs of abnormalities in either you or the foetus: such as cysts or tumours so they can be treated as early as possible before they become serious problems during delivery.

If there’s any reason to suspect that something might be wrong with the foetus, such as Down syndrome or other genetic disorders, an ultrasound may be ordered to check for these conditions. An ultrasound is often part of prenatal testing if there’s any chance that your baby may have a problem. An ultrasound is also used to check for problems with your placenta or umbilical cord if you’re having trouble carrying your baby to term (delivering before 37 weeks).

How is Obstetric Ultrasound performed?

Obstetric Ultrasound is usually performed in an outpatient setting by a trained sonographer. 

The patient must be on her back, with her knees bent and hips flexed up to 90 degrees, in order to provide good visualisation of the uterus and ovaries. The probe may be placed in different locations depending on what part of your anatomy is being examined. In general, the probe will be placed on the woman’s abdomen for a general evaluation of the pelvic organs. A vaginal probe may also be used to evaluate your cervix.

The technician will apply gel to your abdomen so the probe can glide across your skin without friction. The probe itself is very small and has a microphone attached to it. The probe emits high-frequency sound waves that bounce off your organs and tissues and return as echoes that are picked up by a computer connected to the probe and converted into images called sonograms (or “ultrasounds”). 

The technician will move the probe over your abdomen while listening for echoes with the microphone. 

The sound waves bounce back, or echo, off your baby and other structures inside your uterus, creating an image of your baby on a video monitor.

As long as you visit a reputed and reliable clinic for Obstetric Ultrasound in Prestons, the process should be hassle-free and your attending doctor or technician would guide you through it with ease.