Welcome to your scan.

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You will be asked to lie on our clinic couch, in a comfortable position for you and asked to expose your tummy - ultrasound gel will be applied to your tummy. The gel helps ultrasound waves make better contact with your skin and ensures we optimise imaging of your baby bump.

An ultrasound probe that generates high frequency sound waves will glide over your tummy and this is what generates the pictures of your baby - the ultrasound waves travel to baby and then are reflected back to the probe - these are computer analysed and used to create a representation of your baby.  

The quality of imaging obtained depends on many factors including and not exhaustive - mum's full bladder, baby’s size and position, uterus position, amount of fluid around baby and maternal habitus.

 

There will be a monitor in the room placed so you can view your scan comfortably.

 

Low level lighting is required to ensure we optimise viewing conditions.  

 

During your scan we can visualise and assess the number of babies present, baby’s position within the uterus, placental position, amniotic fluid around baby, baby’s measurements, visualise baby’s heartbeat and watch baby moving around.

An explanation of some of the terminology you may hear at your scan -

 

LMP - the date of your last menstrual period - this date is used to work out how many weeks pregnant you are - the pregnancy count starts from the first day of your LMP. Most pregnancies last around 40 weeks (or 38 weeks from conception). 

 

EDD - the expected due date for your baby - this date will be calculated and agreed with you at your NHS booking scan.

Intrauterine pregnancy - pregnancy confirmed lying within the uterus  - your uterus is the muscular organ that is able to grow and expand and be home to your developing baby for the duration of your pregnancy.

 

Fetus - this is the term used for the baby whilst in the uterus.

 

Baby’s position - how baby is lying in the uterus at your scan attendance - head down (cephalic), bottom or feet down (breech), or possibly across your tummy (transverse), or at an angle (oblique).

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Placenta - this organ is responsible for transferring nutrition and oxygen to your baby - we may comment whether it is lying at the top, front, back or sides of the uterus and whether it is low lying. In early pregnancy we may mention the Yolk Sac, which is a small bright circular structure on scan, functions to provide nutrients to the baby in early pregnancy prior to the placenta taking over this role. 

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Amniotic fluid or liquor - is the fluid that baby moves around in and surrounds baby in the uterus - we measure maximum vertical pool of this fluid. 

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CRL - crown rump length is a standard measurement for dating in early pregnancy as there is little biological variation - baby measured from the top of the head to the bottom. 

Growth measurements at later gestations include assessment of baby’s head circumference, abdominal circumference and femur length - these measurements are used to give an estimate of fetal weight - EFW - this measurement can be used to assess how baby is growing according to your NHS growth charts.

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You are free to ask any questions at any point in your scan and we will do our best to answer any queries or concerns you may have.