Ultrasound diagnostics monitors the baby’s development week by week. Ultrasound to determine pregnancy in the early stages: how it is done, what it shows, error in determining gender, when to do it General characteristics of the examination

It has already entered our lives so tightly that it is even used to study the unborn fetus. One of the unique and irreplaceable properties of this method is the ability to use ultrasound to determine pregnancy.

Absolute harmlessness, painlessness and simplicity of the procedure allows women to learn about conception at the earliest early stages, find out the sex of the unborn child, and for doctors it has become indispensable for monitoring the progress of pregnancy. At the same time, the procedure provides detailed information about the state of the female reproductive system.

When will pregnancy be visible on an ultrasound?

Considering the small size of the fertilized egg, in order to diagnose pregnancy during an ultrasound examination, a successful coincidence of several components is necessary:

• Dosta exact date pregnancy, so that the developing embryo, which still looks like the smallest “tubercle,” becomes not only noticeable, but also distinguishable from other formations in the uterus.
• The mucous membrane of the uterus should not have inflammation, since it results in swelling, and the embryo, in order to be able to determine it, must be bigger size, that is, a later period of development.
• The best option diagnostic method - the doctor must prescribe exactly the type of procedure that can determine the presence or absence of an embryo.
• There are increased requirements for an ultrasound machine to determine pregnancy - it is necessary to use devices with high resolution.
• The examination is carried out by a specialized obstetrician-gynecologist who specializes in determining pregnancy in the early stages.

Only in the case of a combination of all these factors will the fact of conception be diagnosed, and the doctor will prescribe the expectant mother to undergo further necessary measures. Then when should a woman suspected of being pregnant go for an ultrasound to minimize the likelihood of a doctor’s error?

In most cases, with sufficient qualifications of an uzist and the availability of modern equipment, ultrasound diagnostics will show an embryo with a diameter of 3–5 mm, so you can find out about pregnancy if your period is delayed by 5–6 days. This delay will be approximately equal to 3-4 weeks of pregnancy.

Ultrasound image taken at 3–4 weeks of pregnancy

Reference . The most informative first ultrasound will be with a 10-day delay if it is performed vaginally. In addition, you should know that in such a short period of time the doctor will not be able to detect the presence ectopic pregnancy, but only to suspect pathological attachment of the fertilized egg.

What methods are used?

Ultrasound diagnostics has several varieties that allow you to examine a particular organ with maximum accuracy. So what kind of ultrasound is done to determine pregnancy? Depending on the indications, the doctor may choose the transvaginal or transabdominal method. Transvaginal ultrasound is performed using a special sensor that is inserted into the vagina. This method allows you to get as close as possible to the uterus and the embryo developing in it and diagnose the presence of pregnancy at 3-4 weeks, and sometimes even earlier.

Transabdominal ultrasound - performed using a standard technique, in which the doctor moves the emitter along the lower part abdominal cavity, where the female reproductive organs are located - the uterus, ovaries and fallopian tubes. Due to the relatively distant location of the sensor from the uterus, pregnancy can be detected two weeks later, when the embryo has already reached a larger size. With this method, conception will be diagnosed at approximately 5–6 weeks

And if a woman is obese or there is a significant accumulation of fat on the abdomen, then the pregnancy can be examined more clearly on an ultrasound. later. In certain situations, when, for example, there is damage to the vagina and it is impossible to carry out the procedure transabdominally, a transrectal ultrasound may be prescribed - which is done through the rectum. But this method is used very rarely.

The main differences in the types of ultrasound of the female reproductive organs

Preparatory activities

An ultrasound of the pelvic organs, performed to determine conception, requires certain preparation. In order to obtain the most accurate information about the structure of the uterine cavity and fallopian tubes during the procedure, the patient should take care to reduce gas formation in the intestines. Since gas bubbles can interfere with inspection and lead to distortion of research results.

To reduce flatulence in the colon, you need to start following a diet 3-4 days before the test. This diet involves eliminating foods that contribute to flatulence. These include legumes, raw vegetables and fruits, sweets, baked goods and bakery products, fatty cheeses, meats, fish, first courses cooked in fatty broths, dairy products with the exception of low-fat cottage cheese.

Prohibited drinks are strong tea, coffee, alcohol, carbonated drinks and water. The patient’s diet should consist of lean meats and fish, first courses based on their broths, boiled vegetables, and low-fat cottage cheese. You can consume no more than one boiled egg and a glass of kefir or milk per day. Meals should be small but frequent so that food has time to be digested and evacuated from the stomach and intestines without stagnating, causing fermentation.

Important! Before the procedure, you should refrain from smoking for several hours, which causes increased secretion of the gastrointestinal tract, as well as chewing gum and sucking hard candies, as this promotes the swallowing of air. Such preparation is necessary for transabdominal and transvaginal ultrasound, but drinking regime immediately before the procedures is strikingly different.

Foods to Avoid When Preparing for a Pelvic Ultrasound

During transabdominal examination, adequate bladder filling will be required to improve visualization of the pelvic organs. To do this, you can use two methods - refrain from urinating 3-4 hours before the procedure, or drink about a liter of water about an hour before the test and do not empty the bladder.

Transvaginal ultrasound, on the contrary, does not require a full bladder, since the doctor has the opportunity to examine organs in close proximity and a full bladder will only interfere with the examination. In addition, any even slight movement of the emitter in the vagina can cause a strong urge to urinate, creating discomfort for the patient. Therefore, she needs to visit the toilet and empty her bladder before starting the procedure.

Method of performing the procedure

Determination of pregnancy by ultrasound using the transvaginal method is performed with an empty bladder. It is optimal if the patient empties it almost before the procedure itself. The subject is asked to remove clothing from the lower part of the pelvis and genitals, and lie down on the couch with legs bent at the knees. The doctor places a condom on the ultrasound emitter (for hygiene purposes) and inserts it into the vagina.

The procedure is not accompanied by pain, since the diameter of the sensor does not exceed 2–3 cm. This diagnosis allows you to determine conception from the 5th day of missed menstruation. Transabdominal ultrasound is even easier to do. The patient will only need to raise or lower the clothing from the lower abdomen so that the diagnostician has sufficient access to the uterus. During the procedure, the doctor will examine the projection of the reproductive organs, choose comfortable position and angle for best visualization.

Using the same principle, a 3D ultrasound is performed to diagnose conception, and it will be effective in detecting pregnancy already on the 7-10th day of absence of menstruation.

When should I have an ultrasound to confirm pregnancy?

The doctor will send the woman to do an ultrasound if her period is late, and if the test shows a weak second line. But before the examination, he will prescribe blood tests for a hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin(CG), and the patient is advised to remember its level. This information may be needed during subsequent examinations.

The procedure will also be required if your next period is delayed, positive test, but if during a gynecological examination the doctor does not see the main signs of pregnancy. Another indication is painful sensations of a different nature in the lower abdomen. An ultrasound examination will become mandatory if there is a delay of 1.5–2 weeks or more (small deviations of 5–7 days are considered normal), and after this bloody or brownish discharge of any volume appears.

How many times is it carried out?

The harmlessness and information content of ultrasound examination allows it to be carried out several times during the entire gestation period. In an uncomplicated pregnancy, as a rule, a woman undergoes it three times at 12–13 weeks, 22–23 and 31–32.

Such a study of the condition of the mother and fetus ensures control of its development, timely detection of possible pathologies and the development of further treatment tactics. At 12-13 weeks, ultrasound provides an opportunity to assess the anatomical characteristics of the embryo and find out the thickness of the collar zone - the main indicator that helps identify Down syndrome.

Also at this time, the first blood test is done. At 22–23 weeks, using ultrasound diagnostics, the presence of abnormalities in the development of the brain, cardiovascular system, stomach, intestines, liver and kidneys is established. At this stage, it is possible to exclude previously identified or suspected fetal malformations.

Determining Down syndrome is an important task of screening ultrasound

In addition, after 20 weeks it becomes possible to determine the sex of the child, so many parents look forward to this period, knowing that the likelihood of a doctor making a mistake is already negligible. Examination at 31–32 weeks helps detect late developmental disorders of the heart and other internal organs. It examines the growth rate of the embryo and whether its size corresponds to the norm.

Despite the fact that ultrasound does not have any negative effect, doctors still try not to abuse this study. For almost 40 years of its use, not a single case of harm to the fetus has been identified, but it is better not to take risks. Therefore, in most cases, the first ultrasound is performed no earlier than 10–12 weeks, when the rudiments of systems and organs can already be visualized.

In addition, the procedure performed using the transvaginal technique increases the risk of spontaneous abortion. Based on these considerations, establishing the fact of conception is done only according to strict indications, and the desire to simply get checked or take the first photo for the album of the future baby is not such.

Most frequently asked questions

During the use of ultrasound diagnostics to confirm the fact of pregnancy, categories of issues that most concern future parents have already been formed. These include the following.

Why does the test show conception, but the ultrasound does not?

There may be several such situations:

• Early visit for examination - you must wait at least 5 days after your missed period. And this is if the procedure is performed through the vagina.
• The pregnancy develops outside the uterus, so it is not visible. In this situation, you need not to panic, but take a referral for an analysis of your hCG level. The indicator must be at least 1000 IU/l. Then you need to retake the test after a couple of weeks - during pregnancy at 4-5 weeks, the level will increase to 5,000-30,000 IU/l.
• There is an additional source that provokes the production of this hormone, as a result of which a second line appears in the test. The cause may be hydatidiform mole (pregnancy pathology) or liver tumors. Then a repeat ultrasound and dynamic study of hCG levels are prescribed.

Lack of embryo visualization at 7 obstetric week a sign that even if there was a pregnancy, it is not developing.

When will an ultrasound visit be the most informative?

The best time to visit the office ultrasound diagnostics gestational week is considered to be 5, which equates to 20–22 days from a missed period. Of course, it is possible earlier, but there is a high probability that the diagnostician may make a mistake in establishing conception.

At an earlier stage, when a fertilized egg is detected, one cannot conclude that it is developing, since there is a pathology - anembryogenesis, in which fertilized egg Only the membranes are present, but the embryo itself is not present. At week 5, the fetal heart begins to contract, and this can be monitored by the vaginal method, and by the abdominal method at 6–7 weeks. A later and more thorough examination of the heart and blood vessels is carried out from 24 weeks using Doppler ultrasound.

Where can I get diagnostics to determine conception?

This procedure is best done not in offices or clinics engaged in multidisciplinary activities, but in family planning centers, antenatal clinics or maternity hospitals. This is due to the extensive experience and qualifications of doctors specializing in this type of diagnosis.

How many times to do an ultrasound during pregnancy, is it dangerous for the health of the unborn baby?

Features of ultrasound during pregnancy

If ultrasound is included in the list of tests during pregnancy, then it is necessary for some reason. The method is completely safe and does not require traumatic or labor-intensive procedures. First of all, it is quite difficult to objectively assess the condition of the unborn child using completely other methods. Ultrasound allows you to see:

• Baby sizes.
• How the fetus develops.
• The condition of the internal organs of both mother and child.
• Genetic abnormalities and the presence of various syndromes that significantly complicate life or are incompatible with it.
• The amount of amniotic fluid.
• How many embryos are present?
• Condition of the placenta, its integrity, aging, presentation.
• Dimensions of the uterus.
• The mother's body is ready to give birth to a baby.

Also, with the help of ultrasound, you can determine a more accurate period of maturation of the baby, but only in the early stages of pregnancy and find out the gender.

Types of ultrasound during pregnancy

At the present stage, there are the following types of ultrasound examination:

• 2D - two-dimensional. Used in antenatal clinics government institutions. Answers basic questions about the condition of the unborn baby. Can be performed at any trimester of pregnancy. Gives a flat picture in black and white.
• 3D - three-dimensional. More often found in private diagnostic offices and medical centers. Gives a fairly comprehensive idea of ​​the state of pregnancy. You can observe the baby in great detail and even see his facial expressions. It differs from the previous one in that it takes a longer time - about an hour. The image is more voluminous and of higher quality.
• 4D - four-dimensional. Basically, such equipment can be afforded by expensive medical offices. In addition to high-quality images, the baby can be observed in real time. After passing, parents are usually given not only photos, but also videos of their unborn child.

Any type of ultrasound is quite informative and helps to find out whether everything is fine with the baby, its development and size.

When to do your first screening ultrasound

The first time pregnant women undergo an ultrasound examination is approximately 10-14 weeks of maturation of the unborn baby. When it is already possible to obtain the first necessary characteristics of how the embryo grows, the presence of possible pathologies.

Reasons for early ultrasound

At a very early stage of fetal ripening, up to 10 weeks, ultrasonography carried out strictly according to the doctor’s recommendations and for the following reasons:

• The size of the uterus does not correspond to the term.
• Menstruation appeared.
• Pain after conception.
• Suspicion of ectopic pregnancy and fetal death.

Ultrasound examination is also necessary to monitor the results of artificial insemination.

Scheduled ultrasounds

According to the plan, ultrasounds are performed at least 3 times during the entire period of gestation. Some sources provide information that is much more common. The first study determines what size the embryo is, how it develops, and whether various genetic abnormalities are possible.
The second study also reports on the size of the unborn child, its gender, how development proceeds, whether various syndromes and genetic disorders are present or not. The indicators are compared with the previous ultrasound to determine the growth rate.
The third study determines the position of the baby in the womb. The presence of pathologies in him. Where is the umbilical cord and what are the risks of entanglement? Possible pathologies in later stages. The child's face and emotions are clearly visible. As a rule, the last planned ultrasound is combined with another procedure - Doppler ultrasound; it allows you to understand the condition of the blood vessels and how blood circulates in the uterus, umbilical cord and the body of the unborn baby.

Unscheduled ultrasounds

Necessary when problems arise during pregnancy additional questions about the baby's health. Typically, in such cases, pathology is suspected during other studies and confirmation is required using ultrasound monitoring. Causes:

• What condition is the uterus in?
• Weak activity of the unborn child.
• Position of the baby before birth.
• Leakage of amniotic fluid.

In addition, it is important to know the size of the visible part of the cervix in order to know when to prepare for the baby's arrival.

Is it harmful to have an ultrasound during pregnancy?

The harmful effects of ultrasound on the body of both the mother and the unborn baby have not been proven. You just need to know the properties of ultrasound in order to understand how it acts on the cells of the body. In the dosage that enters a woman’s body, ultrasound is not capable of causing a serious blow to pregnancy and the condition of the unborn baby; there is no point in being afraid of it.
Ultrasound is perhaps one of the few studies that is carried out absolutely painlessly, safely, relatively quickly, especially the first one, and does not require serious preparation.

Pregnancy for a woman is a whole practical science that requires not only a scrupulous approach, but also the acquisition of specific skills necessary in the future for pregnancy and childbirth. To fully understand the full degree of responsibility placed on a woman, she should find out in advance how ultrasound is performed, the features and subtleties of the procedure, so as not to harm the child and her body.

Pregnant woman with a photo of the fetus

Ultrasound examination is a procedure that can be performed as an additional element during routine monitoring of the expectant mother at 10-12 weeks of pregnancy, as well as at 20-22 and 30-32 weeks. If the pregnancy proceeds within normal limits and does not cause obvious discomfort, then ultrasound is performed 3 times during the entire period of bearing the child. If there is concern for the health of the mother, fetus or there is a risk of developing pathologies in the child, diagnostics are done more than three times per period. After each ultrasound, the doctor draws up a protocol, which is then transferred to the obstetrician-gynecologist who monitors the progress of the woman’s pregnancy.

Main types of ultrasound during pregnancy

There are two main types of ultrasound: planned, mandatory for a woman to undergo periodically throughout the entire period of pregnancy, and abdominal, prescribed if necessary. Diagnostics in the early stages of pregnancy helps to establish the fact of conception of a child and shows how within normal limits the embryo develops in the fertilized egg. In addition, a diagnostic examination will help the physician determine the exact date, which is very important for irregular menstruation. A planned first vaginal or abdominal ultrasound will provide the specialist with the opportunity to establish the main signs of the formation of the fetus, its internal organs and systems. An abdominal examination is a study conducted to study internal development fetus With the help of ultrasound waves, the doctor will be able to see signs of severe developmental defects, such as absence of the brain, etc.

It is important to know that in cases where a vaginal examination is not enough, and the specialist’s doubts are not groundless, the woman is prescribed non-invasive genetic examinations, through which the issue of further development of pregnancy is decided.

According to indications, a pregnant woman may be referred for consultation with a geneticist.

One of the most common types of intravaginal ultrasound diagnostics is transvaginal ultrasound. The painless insertion of a special sensor into a woman’s vagina will help the specialist perform an ultrasound of the uterus, cervix of the ovaries and fallopian tubes. Transvaginal ultrasound is prescribed for greater reliability and information content of the diagnosis, since with the help of a sensor the doctor can get much closer to the organs being examined. In addition, transvaginal ultrasound is prescribed in the following cases:

• sharp and constant pain in the lower abdomen;
• during a routine examination by a gynecologist, if the doctor does not have enough information to make a diagnosis;
• early diagnosis of intrauterine or ectopic pregnancy;
• bleeding outside of menstruation and during pregnancy.

Using transvaginal examination, the following types of diseases are diagnosed:

• myoma or fibroid of the uterus;
• endometriosis;
• ovarian cyst;
• hydrosalpings or pyosalpings (fluid or pus in the fallopian tubes);
• polycystic disease, polyps and other ovarian diseases;
• pathology and abnormal development of the fetus;
• cancerous tumors.

Transvaginal ultrasound is performed on the principle of a gynecological examination using a couch or gynecological chair. For vaginal examination, a thick condom is put on the sensor, on top of which a special lubricant gel is applied so that the woman does not experience discomfort when the instrument is inserted into the vagina. During a vaginal examination, the patient does not experience pain, while the doctor smoothly moves the inserted sensor up or down to obtain a complete diagnostic picture.

To conduct a transvaginal ultrasound, a woman is not subject to special preparation, however, in case of flatulence, doctors recommend taking two teaspoons (80 mg) of Espumisanase an hour before the examination. The medicine is contraindicated in case of hypersensitivity or intestinal obstruction. In rare cases, it can cause an allergic reaction.

In early pregnancy, you should consult your doctor before taking any medications. In addition, you should remember that having sex immediately before the vaginal examination procedure is not recommended. This is due to the fact that seminal fluid or lubricant may remain in the vagina, making diagnosis difficult. The period of abstinence is up to 72 hours.

Repeated and additional ultrasounds

At the second planned ultrasound, which is performed at 20-22 weeks, it is possible to determine abnormalities in the development of the fetal limbs and eliminate the risks associated with global congenital defects. The doctor can examine the arms and legs of the fetus in detail, as well as the internal organs (heart, kidneys, brain). In addition, the specialist determines the amount amniotic fluid, the internal structure of the placenta, as well as the condition of the cervix, the tone of the uterus, which can affect the course of the birth process. A second ultrasound examination is also done to determine the sex of the unborn child.

Second ultrasound screening

When the 30-32nd week of pregnancy arrives, the woman attends a third ultrasound, through which the position of the baby in the uterus is determined, the possible presence of existing pathologies is determined, and the location of the placenta in the uterus is determined. In the early stages of pregnancy, what can be seen with this study, for example, heart defects or acute heart failure. As an additional diagnosis, Doppler ultrasound is performed, thanks to which it is possible to determine the speed of blood flow in the vessels of the uterus, fetus and umbilical cord. Using this type of ultrasound, it is easier to determine how quickly and in sufficient quantities nutrients enter the child’s body.

In the last weeks of pregnancy, the expectant mother is prescribed a repeat ultrasound examination, which can be used to determine the location of the fetus towards the exit, assess the weight of the child and develop a strategy for labor activity.

Preparation for the procedure

You need to know how an ultrasound scan is performed in order to properly prepare for it and understand why it is being done. Before you make an appointment with a doctor, you should make an appointment and prepare a wide towel for the procedure, on which you can lie down during the diagnosis, and after it remove the remaining gel from the surface of the abdomen.

During the procedure, the doctor removes excess clothing from the abdomen and applies a gel to improve the passage of ultrasound rays. If a woman has her first ultrasound scan in the early stages of pregnancy, it is better to take a shower with warm running water immediately the day before the procedure. In addition, you should drink 0.5-0.8 liters of liquid half an hour before the start of the session ( clean water), so that the bladder filled with water makes it possible to clearly view the uterus and fetus. It would be better to drink a glass of still water while the patient is in a medical facility.

Before transabdominal ultrasound, it is necessary to fill the bladder

It is important to empty the intestines of accumulated gases or excess contents several days before the procedure. It is recommended to avoid eating foods that cause gas or flatulence, such as cabbage, brown bread, seeds, nuts, legumes or grapes. You can cleanse the body, and do it with the use of lungs and at the same time nutritious foods to fully prepare the body for the ultrasound procedure.

In any of the proposed options, you should listen to the advice of a specialist and not neglect the recommendations of doctors, since each case, like pregnancy, individual situation, requiring an appropriate approach.

It has already entered our lives so tightly that it is even used to study the unborn fetus. One of the unique and irreplaceable properties of this method is the ability to use ultrasound to determine pregnancy.

The absolute harmlessness, painlessness and simplicity of the procedure allows women to find out about conception at the earliest stages, find out the sex of the unborn child, and for doctors it has become indispensable for monitoring the progress of pregnancy. At the same time, the procedure provides detailed information about the state of the female reproductive system.

When will pregnancy be visible on an ultrasound?

Considering the small size of the fertilized egg, in order to diagnose pregnancy during an ultrasound examination, a successful coincidence of several components is necessary:

• A sufficient period of pregnancy for the developing embryo, which still looks like a tiny “tubercle,” to become not only noticeable, but also distinguishable from other formations in the uterus.
• The mucous membrane of the uterus should not have inflammation, since it results in swelling, and the embryo, in order to be able to determine it, must be larger in size, that is, at a later stage of development.
• The optimal diagnostic method is for the doctor to prescribe exactly the type of procedure that can determine the presence or absence of an embryo.
• There are increased requirements for an ultrasound machine to determine pregnancy - it is necessary to use devices with high resolution.
• The examination is carried out by a specialized obstetrician-gynecologist who specializes in determining pregnancy in the early stages.

Only in the case of a combination of all these factors will the fact of conception be diagnosed, and the doctor will prescribe the expectant mother to undergo further necessary measures. Then when should a woman suspected of being pregnant go for an ultrasound to minimize the likelihood of a doctor’s error?

In most cases, with sufficient qualifications of an uzist and the availability of modern equipment, ultrasound diagnostics will show an embryo with a diameter of 3–5 mm, so you can find out about pregnancy if your period is delayed by 5–6 days. This delay will be approximately equal to 3-4 weeks of pregnancy.

Ultrasound image taken at 3–4 weeks of pregnancy

Reference . The most informative first ultrasound will be with a 10-day delay if it is performed vaginally. In addition, you should know that at such a short period the doctor will not be able to detect the presence of an ectopic pregnancy, but only suspect the pathological attachment of the fertilized egg.

What methods are used?

Ultrasound diagnostics has several varieties that allow you to examine a particular organ with maximum accuracy. So what kind of ultrasound is done to determine pregnancy? Depending on the indications, the doctor may choose the transvaginal or transabdominal method. Transvaginal ultrasound is performed using a special sensor that is inserted into the vagina. This method allows you to get as close as possible to the uterus and the embryo developing in it and diagnose the presence of pregnancy at 3-4 weeks, and sometimes even earlier.

– is performed using a standard technique, in which the doctor moves the emitter along the lower part of the abdominal cavity, where the female reproductive organs are located - the uterus, ovaries and fallopian tubes. Due to the relatively distant location of the sensor from the uterus, pregnancy can be detected two weeks later, when the embryo has already reached a larger size. With this method, conception will be diagnosed at approximately 5–6 weeks

And if a woman is obese or there is a significant accumulation of fat on her stomach, then pregnancy can be examined by ultrasound at a later date. In certain situations, when, for example, there is damage to the vagina and it is impossible to carry out the procedure transabdominally, a transrectal ultrasound may be prescribed - which is done through the rectum. But this method is used very rarely.

The main differences in the types of ultrasound of the female reproductive organs

Preparatory activities

An ultrasound of the pelvic organs, performed to determine conception, requires certain preparation. In order to obtain the most accurate information about the structure of the uterine cavity and fallopian tubes during the procedure, the patient should take care to reduce gas formation in the intestines. Since gas bubbles can interfere with inspection and lead to distortion of research results.

To reduce flatulence in the colon, you need to start following a diet 3-4 days before the test. This diet involves eliminating foods that contribute to flatulence. These include legumes, raw vegetables and fruits, sweets, baked goods and baked goods, fatty cheeses, meats, fish, first courses cooked in fatty broths, dairy products with the exception of low-fat cottage cheese.

Prohibited drinks are strong tea, coffee, alcohol, carbonated drinks and water. The patient’s diet should consist of lean meats and fish, first courses based on their broths, boiled vegetables, and low-fat cottage cheese. You can consume no more than one boiled egg and a glass of kefir or milk per day. Meals should be small but frequent so that food has time to be digested and evacuated from the stomach and intestines without stagnating, causing fermentation.

Important! Before the procedure, you should refrain from smoking for several hours, which causes increased secretion of the gastrointestinal tract, as well as chewing gum and sucking hard candies, as this promotes the swallowing of air. Such preparation is necessary for transabdominal and transvaginal ultrasound, but the drinking regime immediately before the procedures is strikingly different.

Foods to Avoid When Preparing for a Pelvic Ultrasound

During transabdominal examination, adequate bladder filling will be required to improve visualization of the pelvic organs. To do this, you can use two methods - refrain from urinating 3-4 hours before the procedure, or drink about a liter of water about an hour before the test and do not empty the bladder.

Transvaginal ultrasound, on the contrary, does not require a full bladder, since the doctor has the opportunity to examine organs in close proximity and a full bladder will only interfere with the examination. In addition, any even slight movement of the emitter in the vagina can cause a strong urge to urinate, creating discomfort for the patient. Therefore, she needs to visit the toilet and empty her bladder before starting the procedure.

Method of performing the procedure

Determination of pregnancy by transvaginal ultrasound is performed with an empty bladder. It is optimal if the patient empties it almost before the procedure itself. The subject is asked to remove clothing from the lower part of the pelvis and genitals, and lie down on the couch with legs bent at the knees. The doctor places a condom on the ultrasound emitter (for hygiene purposes) and inserts it into the vagina.

The procedure is not accompanied by pain, since the diameter of the sensor does not exceed 2–3 cm. This diagnosis allows you to determine conception from the 5th day of missed menstruation. Transabdominal ultrasound is even easier to do. The patient will only need to raise or lower the clothing from the lower abdomen so that the diagnostician has sufficient access to the uterus. During the procedure, the doctor will examine the projection of the reproductive organs, choosing a comfortable position and angle for the best visualization.

Using the same principle, a 3D ultrasound is performed to diagnose conception, and it will be effective in detecting pregnancy already on the 7-10th day of absence of menstruation.

When should I have an ultrasound to confirm pregnancy?

The doctor will send the woman to do an ultrasound if her period is late, and if the test shows a weak second line. But before the examination, he will prescribe blood tests for a hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), and the patient is advised to remember its level. This information may be needed during subsequent examinations.

The procedure will also be required if your next period is late, the test is positive, but if during a gynecological examination the doctor does not see the main signs of pregnancy. Another indication is pain of various types in the lower abdomen. An ultrasound examination will become mandatory if there is a delay of 1.5–2 weeks or more (small deviations of 5–7 days are considered normal), and after this bloody or brownish discharge of any volume appears.

How many times is it carried out?

The harmlessness and information content of ultrasound examination allows it to be carried out several times during the entire gestation period. In an uncomplicated pregnancy, as a rule, a woman undergoes it three times at 12–13 weeks, 22–23 and 31–32.

Such a study of the condition of the mother and fetus ensures control of its development, timely detection of possible pathologies and the development of further treatment tactics. At 12-13 weeks, ultrasound provides an opportunity to assess the anatomical characteristics of the embryo and find out the thickness of the collar zone - the main indicator that helps identify Down syndrome.

Also at this time, the first blood test is done. At 22–23 weeks, using ultrasound diagnostics, the presence of abnormalities in the development of the brain, cardiovascular system, stomach, intestines, liver and kidneys is established. At this stage, it is possible to exclude previously identified or suspected fetal malformations.

Determining Down syndrome is an important task of screening ultrasound

In addition, after 20 weeks it becomes possible to determine the sex of the child, so many parents look forward to this period, knowing that the likelihood of a doctor making a mistake is already negligible. An examination at 31–32 weeks helps to detect late developmental disorders of the heart and other internal organs. It examines the growth rate of the embryo and whether its size corresponds to the norm.

Despite the fact that ultrasound does not have any negative effect, doctors still try not to abuse this study. For almost 40 years of its use, not a single case of harm to the fetus has been identified, but it is better not to take risks. Therefore, in most cases, the first ultrasound is performed no earlier than 10–12 weeks, when the rudiments of systems and organs can already be visualized.

In addition, the procedure performed using the transvaginal technique increases the risk of spontaneous abortion. Based on these considerations, establishing the fact of conception is done only according to strict indications, and the desire to simply get checked or take the first photo for the album of the future baby is not such.

Most frequently asked questions

During the use of ultrasound diagnostics to confirm the fact of pregnancy, categories of issues that most concern future parents have already been formed. These include the following.

Why does the test show conception, but the ultrasound does not?

There may be several such situations:

• Early visit for examination - you must wait at least 5 days after your missed period. And this is if the procedure is performed through the vagina.
• The pregnancy develops outside the uterus, so it is not visible. In this situation, you need not to panic, but take a referral for an analysis of your hCG level. The indicator must be at least 1000 IU/l. Then you need to retake the test after a couple of weeks - during pregnancy at 4-5 weeks, the level will increase to 5,000-30,000 IU/l.
• There is an additional source that provokes the production of this hormone, as a result of which a second line appears in the test. The cause may be hydatidiform mole (pregnancy pathology) or liver tumors. Then a repeat ultrasound and dynamic study of hCG levels are prescribed.

The absence of visualization of the embryo at the 7th obstetric week is a sign that even if there was a pregnancy, it is not developing.

When will an ultrasound visit be the most informative?

The best time to visit an ultrasound diagnostic room is considered to be the 5th gestational week, which equates to 20–22 days from a missed period. Of course, it is possible earlier, but there is a high probability that the diagnostician may make a mistake in establishing conception.

At an earlier stage, when a fertilized egg is detected, it cannot be concluded that it is developing, since there is a pathology - anembryogenesis, in which only the membranes are present in the fertilized egg, but the embryo itself is not present. At week 5, the fetal heart begins to contract, and this can be monitored by the vaginal method, and by the abdominal method at 6–7 weeks. A later and more thorough examination of the heart and blood vessels is carried out from 24 weeks using Doppler ultrasound.

Where can I get diagnostics to determine conception?

This procedure is best done not in offices or clinics engaged in multidisciplinary activities, but in family planning centers, antenatal clinics or maternity hospitals. This is due to the extensive experience and qualifications of doctors specializing in this type of diagnosis.