Why You Need One

Getting a Sonography is important and most gynaecologists make it a mandatory procedure for every trimester. Consider the following case study:

A patient thought that having a sonography was not important and didn't get one done until the seventh month of pregnancy. The ultrasound showed that her baby was physically abnormal. The baby's internal organs were floating outside the body. Since the mother contacted the doctor during the seventh month, it was too late to have an abortion. So she had to have a caesarean, and the baby died within a few days. Had she had a Sonography in her first trimester, she would have known that there were complications in her delivery. Gynaecologists Dr. Rishma Dillon Pai and Dr. Meera Agarwal tell you why having an ultrasound is important at all stages of your pregnancy.

The First Trimester

• When you skip a period and are wondering whether you are pregnant, your doctor can confirm this with pregnancy tests and a Sonography, in which the foetus can be seen in it's earliest stages.
  
  
• In some cases, conception may have taken place in the fallopian tube. This may burst the tube and be fatal for both you and your baby. An ultrasound during the first couple of weeks of pregnancy can detect a fallopian tube pregnancy (also known as Ectopic pregnancy). This detection can be life saving.
  
  
• Seeing the size of the foetus can help detect the date of conception so that you can be prepared for the due date.
  
  
• The heartbeat of the foetus can be heard during the first few weeks after conception. So it is good to get a Sonography done to check whether your baby's heartbeat is normal.
  
  
• A Sonography also detects blood clots and any other complication that may take place during these early stages of pregnancy.
  
  
• Ultrasounds can also show whether you have twins or more.

Also Read: If the fertilised egg implants itself anywhere outside the uterus its called an Ectopic pregnany, which can be fatal. To know more click here...

The Second Trimester

• A Sonography done in the fourth month can tell if the baby has any physical abnormalities.
  
  
• Any other risk such as bleeding can be detected in an ultrasound.
  
  
• In case of twins, sometimes one twin grows and the other doesn't develop at the normal rate. This can also be detected in a Sonography so that treatment can be administered on time.