You won’t ever forget the moment you first saw your baby on the glimmering, black-and-white ultrasound screen. Finding out exactly what’s occurring inside your body is exciting, frightening, and comforting. Here’s everything you require to know about that 6 Week Baby Scan or first ultrasound appointment.

When is the first ultrasound during pregnancy?

The first ultrasound won’t generally be done until at least six weeks have passed. However, your doctor could recommend an earlier scan if your periods are irregular or you have a history of troubles, such as ectopic pregnancy, a miscarriage, pain, or bleeding. You won’t usually have your first ultrasound until closer to the end of the first trimester, at 11 to 14 weeks if your cycle is regular and you are aware of the date of conception.

Why did your doctor ask for an ultrasound at 6 weeks?

You typically have your first pregnancy ultrasound at the end of the first trimester (between 11 and 14 weeks). However, if your doctor recommends a 6 Week Baby Scan, they will explain why. Ask if they do not. It can be because you’ve already had pregnancy problems or early pregnancy losses.  Actually, there are a variety of reasons why your doctor would recommend an early scan. Your doctor will typically want to check the following during this first pregnancy ultrasound:

1. Heartbeat- Though sometimes you’ll have to wait a bit longer, you can typically notice a heartbeat after 5 weeks. Be ready: You might be seeing your baby’s heartbeat for the first time now, and it can be really emotional.
2. Number- It’s possible that you’ll discover you’re expecting twins or higher-order multiples. (About 3% of pregnancies result in twins) But keep in mind that sometimes it’s too early to tell this at 6 weeks.
3. Location- Where the embryo is implanted can be found via ultrasonography. If it’s high or low in the uterus, your doctor wants to know. Additionally, they want to make sure the pregnancy is inside and not ectopic. When a fertilized egg implants in a fallopian tube or somewhere else outside the uterus, it is an ectopic pregnancy.
4. Yolk sac- A yolk sac should be noticeable inside the gestational sac at this point in your pregnancy. Your doctor wants to check its size and shape since it often resembles a little balloon, which can say a lot about your pregnancy’s health.

What do you see at six weeks pregnant ultrasound?

You won’t be able to see much at the 6 week baby scan because your fetus is just the size of a single sweet pea (about a quarter of an inch), however, it is just beginning to show signs of brain growth and limb markings. It will probably just appear as a tiny glowing blob on the screen.

3 things to be prepared for

There are a few things you should be aware of if this is your first 6 week baby scan. Being ready might help you to focus on the good parts of this exciting stage.

1. Instead of the abdominal ultrasound, you might be picturing at 6 weeks, you’ll probably undergo a transvaginal one. Babies are frequently so tiny before 7 weeks that the abdominal ultrasound may have problems collecting the data the doctor needs. A transvaginal ultrasound uses a wand that is inserted into your vagina rather than the typical abdominal ultrasound’s wand that is placed on your belly. Although it shouldn’t hurt, it might not be the most delightful feeling in the world.
2. At this point, your kid is only a little over half an inch long. For instance, it takes 11 to 12 weeks to identify your baby’s biological sex with a 91% accuracy rate.
3. Many of your questions might not be able to be answered by the ultrasound operator. In most cases, the technician will provide the results to your doctor for a follow-up appointment (typically shortly following the scan), where they will interpret the data in detail for you.

Get your 6 Week Baby Scan done at Bump2Baby Scans, a Private Pregnancy and Baby Scan clinic that offers 2D, 3D, and 4D HD Live baby scans in Leicester. Visit today.