At around seven weeks of pregnancy, the well-implanted embryo in the uterus begins to diversify and grow its feet and hands. It is a very exciting week for the mother as she gets to see her baby for the first time through an ultrasound scan.
By doing an ultrasound, some of the key aspects are checked, which are as follows:
Women who have an irregular menstrual cycle or do not remember their last menstrual period date find it challenging to calculate their due dates. Also, women who have conceived while taking oral contraceptives or are breastfeeding do not know the date of conception. In such situations, a dating scan to estimate the approximate gestational age of the baby can be helpful in calculating the estimated delivery date. It is also useful in monitoring the growth of the baby.
The ultrasound at seven weeks is usually done in two different ways, depending upon what the doctor feels like to get a clear view of the foetus. A transvaginal scan involves inserting the probe vaginally and for that, you need not have a full bladder. However, if it is an abdominal ultrasound, a full bladder is a must, to lift the uterus up and enable the clear vision of the foetus.
The seventh-week ultrasound is a simple procedure that does not take more than a few minutes. The heartbeat is checked, and the basic parameters are measured to either check the gestational age or to measure the growth of the baby. Make sure you prepare yourself with a full bladder in case of abdominal ultrasound, to avoid any further delay.
The ultrasound at seven weeks is done either transvaginally or abdominally. The transvaginal scan is done by inserting a transducer through the vagina, while the abdominal scan is done by passing the ultrasound waves through the abdomen. The image obtained through the transvaginal scan is clearer compared to the abdominal scan, as the sound waves travel through a smaller layer of tissue which gives a clear view.
Many mothers have this common question that in the 7-week ultrasound what to expect? Here is what you will notice in the scan at the 7th week of pregnancy:
Yes, twins can be identified in the 7-week scan. They are usually visible as multiple embryos or gestational sacs. However, in some cases, identifying the presence of one more baby can be missed as the scan is done much earlier in pregnancy.
The absence of heartbeat at the seven-week ultrasound can be a sign of miscarriage. But there are some factors that need to be considered before coming to this conclusion. The gestational age of the baby can be miscalculated sometimes. To rule this out, the scan is usually repeated a week later to check for the presence of a heartbeat.
Abnormalities like cysts in the mother’s ovaries and other foetal malformations are usually detected in the seven-week scan. The sonographer checks for the foetal heartbeat, crown-rump length, gestational sac diameter and other such vital parameters. Many times, when you are 7 weeks pregnant and on an ultrasound, you notice no heartbeat, it is a common abnormality. Based on the degree of abnormality, the doctor decides whether to continue or terminate the pregnancy.
Any scan for that matter cannot be 100% accurate as it a technology at the end of the day. There are certain cases when an ultrasound won’t be accurate:
The seven-week ultrasound is a very crucial step in determining a successful pregnancy as it can catch any abnormality early on. The detection of foetal heartbeat and the gestational age are two main observations that are made during this scan.