Ultrasound is a technique that allows the doctor to evaluate the health of your pregnancy. Ultrasound uses sound waves to form images of the baby, placenta, fluid, cervix or uterus. Almost every pregnancy, even when uncomplicated, includes at least one ultrasound as part of routine prenatal care. Generally, the best time to have a routine ultrasound exam is at about eighteen to twenty weeks, as this is the best time to evaluate features of your pregnancy such as the baby's development; the baby's size; the position of the placenta, the number of fetuses; fluid volume, etc. There are many situations, however, where an ultrasound is performed earlier or later in pregnancy. These reasons include helping determine how far along you are if your periods are irregular; to investigate abnormal bleeding; to make sure that the baby continues to grow appropriately, or to assist with procedures such as genetic testing. Many obstetricians perform ultrasounds in their office as part of their routine prenatal care; however, when an abnormality is suspected, or when a patient is at increased risk for having a baby with some type of birth defect, she may be referred to Rocky Mountain Perinatal Associates for a more detailed evaluation. Also, some doctors do not perform their own ultrasounds and they may also refer their patients to Rocky Mountain Perinatal Associates for the routine ultrasound exam.
Rocky Mountain Perinatal Associates uses “state of the art” imaging systems, including the 3-dimensional and 4-dimensional machine that has been so widely advertised in maternity magazines. It is important to recognize that not every exam will display good 3-D or 4-D images. This depends greatly on how far along you are in your pregnancy, the amount of fluid around the baby, the baby’s position, etc. We will make every effort to take some "keepsake" images (of the baby's face or profile, for example) for you during the exam, but sometimes there are technical limitations to the images we can obtain.
There are no known medical risks to an ultrasound, since it does not use any form of radiation. Rather, it uses “sound waves” to develop an image of your baby. Because sound waves are used, patients occasionally ask if it would have any other affect on the baby, such as on the baby’s hearing, and this has never been shown to be the case. When you have your ultrasound at Rocky Mountain Perinatal Associates, you will know the results of the ultrasound (for example, whether it is “normal” or “abnormal”) before you leave our unit, since the doctor will evaluate the images immediately and provide you with this information. Many patients ask about the birth defects that can be detected by obstetrical ultrasound. Most, but not all, major birth defects (those types that would require surgery in the newborn period to repair, or that would have a major impact on the long-term health of your child) can be detected by ultrasound. On the other hand, many minor defects cannot be detected by ultrasound or any test prior to birth. Therefore, it is important to remember that a “normal” ultrasound is not a guarantee of the birth of a normal baby, although a “normal” detailed ultrasound performed at Rocky Mountain Perinatal Associates does substantially reduce the likelihood of major birth defects, compared to the general population. In those cases where an abnormality is detected, the doctor will also discuss the abnormality with you as well as with your physician, and make arrangements for any additional tests or consultations that are necessary.
The staff of Rocky Mountain Perinatal Associates has almost 25 combined years of experience in performing obstetrical sonography, and has performed over 50,000 ultrasound exams.
All patients will be provided with still images of selected portions of the ultrasound exam. In addition, DVDs and CDs can be used to record images that you can then print, e-mail, etc. You may bring your own disks or purchase blank disks at Rocky Mountain Perinatal Associates at our cost (about two dollars).
To prepare for your ultrasound exam, it is generally best to wear a loose-fitting, 2-piece outfit that allows easy exposure of your lower abdomen. We would also request that you drink about 16 ounces of fluid beginning 30 to 60 minutes prior to your scheduled ultrasound. As a courtesy to other patients, we ask you to limit visitors to 2 per patient and also to bring another adult to attend to children under the age of 10. Please arrive about 15 minutes prior to your scheduled exam so that appropriate paperwork, etc., can be completed. The ultrasound typically requires about 30 minutes and our office usually runs on schedule. Please notify us as soon as possible if you are running late or need to cancel your appointment so that we can expeditiously reschedule you. If you are more than 15 minutes late for your appointment, we may have to delay your visit or reschedule so that we can accommodate other patients.
Thank you, in advance, for choosing Rocky Mountain Perinatal Associates for your ultrasound.
