Ultrasounds are not just meant for fun. They are used medically for many things during pregnancy, and they are often a necessity. During early pregnancy you a woman might be given an ultrasound for several reasons. Those reasons include previous health problems, a miscarriage or the threatening of a miscarriage, or to date your pregnancy. These types will always be done during the first trimester.

During the second trimester, normally between the 18th and 22nd week of pregnancy a woman will be given an ultrasound in order to check the baby’s lungs, heart, and brain, as well as to check for any other visible problems such as the possibility of Downs Syndrome. At this point, unless your baby is not cooperating, you can probably find out the gender of your unborn child if you want to know. Sometimes if the doctor or technician is unable to get the measurements and pictures he was looking for, they will attempt another ultrasound later in the second trimester.

If a woman chooses to have an amniocentesis, normally because of a bad test result, advanced maternal age, or previous health problems with a child, they will also have an ultrasound so that the doctor can watch as the needle enters the amniotic sac. This generally occurs around the 15th week of pregnancy.

During the third trimester an ultrasound may be offered to the parents in order to check the baby’s weight, because of lack of fetal movement, or while checking the baby’s health and stress level while doing a NST, or an amnio to check the development of the baby’s lungs.

Today pregnant women are lucky to have the option of paying out of pocket to receive an extended 3D or 4D ultrasound. These are normally not done by medical staff, but by offices as a business. They are more like souvenirs for the parents and the fee for them comes with the option to have video and pictures of their unborn baby that they can keep and show family and friends. These ultrasound sessions normally last between 30 and 90 minutes depending on what the couple pays for.

Amniocentesis is normally performed when a woman is between 15 weeks and 18 weeks pregnant. To perform amniocentesis your doctor or midwife will hook you up to an ultrasound machine and then insert a needle through your belly into the uterus and remove approximately 2 tablespoons of fluid to test and analyze. An amniocentesis can also be performed when you are 37 weeks or later in order to check your baby’s lungs and determine if they are mature enough for the baby could breathe on his own outside of the womb.

Amniocentesis is normally performed on women who are at high risk for a various number of reasons. These reasons might include

• Advanced maternal age (35 or older)
• Diabetes
• Previous children with medical problems at birth
• Abnormal triple screen results
• RH factor

Not only can amniocentesis determine if your baby is healthy or has any medical problems, but it can also unmistakeably determine the gender of your baby. For couples who want to know, ahead of the birth if they are having a boy or girl, is a pleasant and exciting plus to the amnio.

Amniocentesis is not done as a routine procedure during pregnancy because it does carry some risks. About 1 in 200 pregnancies will end in a miscarriage caused by the amniocentesis procedure. Therefore, an amnio is only performed when previous tests or ultrasounds suggest that there is a possibility of a severe medical problem. Even when this possibility exists, some women exercise their option of not having the test, and wait till their baby is born to deal with any problems he may or may not have. If you are not sure which choice is best for you, talk to your doctor or midwife.