6 Weeks Pregnant Ultrasound

Life turns upside down when a woman gets pregnant- not only for the expecting mother herself but also for all those around her. Everything can seem confusing during the first few weeks, and you will definitely spend most of your time in a confused state.

To put the minds of women at ease and to help doctors evaluate the progress of the pregnancy, ultrasound at 6 weeks pregnant are used. An ultrasound scan is a painless, harmless scanning procedure which can be used to get real-time images of the child growing in the womb of the mother. High-frequency sound waves are used to get images of the child, and the test is done by either using a plastic scanner-like machine on your belly or by inserting a long sound-emitting wand into the vagina. An ultrasound scan is extremely useful for a doctor, as it helps the doctor detect abnormalities, the age of the pregnancy and even the due date, in advanced cases.

Reasons to Have 6 Week Ultrasound Scan

There are a few reasons to have a scan at such an early period:

• It can be done to rule out ectopic pregnancy and confirm that the pregnancy sac is located inside the uterus.
• It is done to check if the heart of the child is beating.
• It can be done in order to calculate the number of weeks of pregnancy or the gestation period.
• Any bleeding or spotting in the internal organs can be detected.
• You can find out whether you have twins or a singleton pregnancy.
• It is done to confirm whether the pregnancy is possible.

What Preparations are Required for Six Week Pregnancy Scan?

Preparing for the ultrasound scan does not require any drastic actions at all. The technician will advise you to drink a lot of water beforehand. This is done because your bladder needs to be full for the technician to obtain clear images of your child. Your reproductive organs must also be visible with clarity, so a lot of water is to be drunk. You are advised to drink four or five glasses of water around an hour before your scheduled scan so that the bladder is full at the right time- also, urinate only after the scan is completed.

How Long Does Six Week Ultrasound Take?

The scanning process is not one that takes a lot of time. The entire process is usually over within a few minutes, and the time taken will never stretch to more than half an hour in any case.

How is the Scan Performed?

The expecting mother is made to lie on her back on a bed, and her tummy is lubricated initially using a gel. A plastic probe is pressed on top of her belly in a firm manner, and the resultant images appear in the computer of the technician. The quality of the images obtain helps the technician determine whether you need a transvaginal ultrasound scan.

If a transvaginal ultrasound scan is necessary for clear visibility, it will be carried out at the time too. The internal scan is done using a long wand-like probe, which emits ultrasonic sound waves. This wand is inserted into the vagina so that a clearer picture of the baby is received. The images obtained are evaluated by the doctor for an assessment of your pregnancy.

What Can Be Seen?

Many mothers ask the question- in a 6-week ultrasound, what to expect? Well, there are many details about the baby which can be obtained using the scanning procedure.

• The location of the pregnancy is obtained, whether it is ectopic or within the uterus.

• You get an idea of whether you will be able to carry the pregnancy to full term.

• The foetal pole of the baby, which is the shape of the embryo as it develops gradually in the uterus. The head area and the leg buds are usually visible and can be differentiated by the technician.

• The chorionic and yolk sacs are visible in this scan and both of which are absolutely essential for the child to grow healthily. They provide the required nutrition for the embryo until the placenta has been established.

• The heartbeat of the child is another aspect commonly detected, although it grows stronger around the seven-week mark.

Does 6 Week Ultrasound Scan Fail to Reveal The Embryo?

In some cases, the ultrasound scan may not reveal the embryo or any of its vital signs. The lack of a heartbeat does not mean anything significant, as later scans are sure to detect the heartbeat of the foetus. You might be off about the timing of the pregnancy, thinking that it has gone on for longer than it actually has- this usually means that signs of the embryo come along later than you thought they would.

6 Week Ultrasound No Heartbeat- Is There A Chance of Miscarriage?

Although the ultrasound scan can give the doctor an idea about the chances of miscarriage occurring, the fact that a heartbeat was not detected is not a sign of an impending tragedy. The heartbeat might simply be too faint, and it is sure to be detected after a week or two when it has grown sufficiently.

What if Any Other Abnormalities are Found on The Scan?

The first pregnancy scan at 6 weeks give the doctor a fair evaluation of how the pregnancy is progressing, and an idea of whether there are any abnormalities are present in the growth of the foetus. If there are any, the doctor will surely guide you on how you can tackle the problem and ensure the best for your child.

The ultrasound scan at 6 weeks is a must for any pregnant woman, not just to evaluate the health of the child. Mothers feel much better and calmer knowing that the child is growing inside them healthily without any problems.