At 12 weeks pregnant, you’ll finally be able to see your kid for the first time– probably the first major occasion you look forward to when you’re expecting. The 12-week ultrasound scan can actually take place anywhere between 11 and 13 weeks. At this stage, believe it or not, all your baby’s limbs, organs, bones, and muscles will be fully-formed. However, you may be questioning exactly what happens at the scan. Keep reading to learn more.
Procedure
During the scan, high-frequency sound waves are given off from a hand-held device, called a transducer, as a result of the abdominal area. When the waves enter contact with solid tissue, this is imaged on a screen to be analyzed by a sonographer.
To get a clear image, drink lots of water ahead of time in order to lift up the uterus. In the procedure, the sonographer will squeeze some cold gel onto your abdominal area and gently slide the transducer over the region.
At 12 weeks, the fetus’s eye sockets, forehead, and a small button nose can all be seen on the scan. Your baby now has a definite human appearance.
The sonographer will talk as a result of the procedure. He or she can show you the screen, or you might have your own separate screen. You can constantly ask your sonographer to tell you what they are examining at each point.
If they have any unpredictabilities, the sonographer might ask a coworker to examine the ultrasound scan. This can be disturbing, especially if you thought everything was going ok, but the sonographer can inform you why they are doing this.
Here is a video of a normal 12 weeks pregnant ultrasound scan, so you understand what to anticipate when seeing the screen:
Baby Development at 12 Weeks
Your baby will still be very smal – about 6 cm long. However, she or he will be completely formed, with all the organs in place. The next stage is merely to grow, in addition to practicing breathing and drawing motions. You’ll most likely have the 12 weeks pregnant ultrasound now, however the gender won’t be obvious yet.
- Skeleton: At 12 weeks, the fetus’s skeleton is formed from cartilage, however this will slowly harden into bone over the next few weeks. Newborn babies have a skeleton including more than 300 pieces of bone and cartilage, but the bones fuse together during growth to become larger and stronger, so the adult body has 206 separate bones.
- Intestines: Your baby’s organs are also quickly developing at 12 weeks pregnancy. The intestines, which were previously growing so rapidly they protruded into the umbilical cord, are now regressing back into the abdominal area and the kidneys are beginning to excrete urine into your baby’s bladder.
- Motion: Your baby will be moving about your womb a lot, although they are so small you won’t feel anything. As they move, their wrists and elbows bend. The eyelids are still merged shut, but they have now moved from the side of the head to the last position at the front.
- Reflexes: This is also the week your kid begins practicing reflexes, consisting of clenching the eye muscles, making sucking actions with the mouth, and flexing fingers and toes. If you prod your belly, your baby will squirm, although you won’t feel the motion just yet.
Why Do You Need a 12 Weeks Pregnant Ultrasound?
This is the first chance to have your baby evaluated for any developmental problems.
Here are some other factors for a 12 weeks pregnant ultrasound test:
- To verify the pregnancy date. This is used to think the due date.
- To see whether it is a multiple pregnancy.
- To examine for correct development of your baby. For instance, the biparietal range is determined according to measurements of the fetus’s skull, and is compared to those of other fetuses at similar gestation.
- To perform a risk evaluation for Down syndrome by determining the amount of fluid at the bottom of the fetus’s neck. Ultrasound waves return echo-free measurements due to the area being clear from the fluid.
- To find your baby’s heartbeat, which need to be plainly heard at 12 weeks.
- To look at the fetus’s size and placental development.
- To see if there are any physical abnormalities.
- To look for other issues by looking at your uterus, fallopian tubes, and basic pelvic area.
Side Effects
As long as it is carried out by an experienced health care professional, the ultrasound scan is safe for both mom and baby. However, occasionally the scan shows a minor issue with the pregnancy. These problems generally improve by themselves, but can cause fear.
Remember, evaluating will constantly bring up some incorrect positive and false unfavorable results, according to iytmed.com. For instance, the nuchal translucency scan, used to test for Down syndrome, has a 5% false positive rate; for that reason one in twenty women who don’t have a Down baby will be informed improperly that their baby has a high risk of this condition.
Whether you have a scan is your option and the sonographer will support you, whatever you decide. It is possible to have a dating scan without nuchal clarity screening. You can always change your mind the day you have the scan.
