Ultrasounds (scans)
During your pregnancy, ultrasounds will be performed at various stages. Each ultrasound has its own purpose: from confirming the pregnancy to monitoring your baby's growth and position. Below you can read what you can expect from each ultrasound.
7–8 Weeks – Vitality Scan
During this scan, we check whether the baby’s heartbeat is present and whether the pregnancy is located in the uterus. This is usually an internal (vaginal) scan, because the baby is still too small to be clearly seen through the belly. If you feel uncomfortable with this, please let us know so we can decide together on the best approach.
It’s important to understand that this scan cannot guarantee that a miscarriage will not occur later. If you have experienced a miscarriage or are worried, we can discuss if an earlier scan is an option.
The vitality scan takes 15 minutes.
10–12 Weeks – Dating scan
During this scan, the baby is measured accurately, and the due date is determined. This scan is usually performed externally (on the belly).
The dating scan takes 20 minutes.
12+3 – 14+3 Weeks – 13-Week Scan
The 13-week scan is a medical examination for physical abnormalities in the baby. This scan is similar to the 20-week scan but does not replace it. You can decide whether or not to have the 13-week scan.
The 13-week scan is performed by a sonographer at Diagnostiek voor U, so it will not be done at the practice.
18–21 Weeks – 20-Week Scan
The 20-week scan is a medical examination for physical abnormalities in the baby. A physical abnormality means that part of the baby’s body looks different from what is considered normal. Examples include spinal birth defect (spina bifida), open skull, heart defects, or kidney abnormalities.
The 20-week scan is performed by a sonographer at Diagnostiek voor U and will not be done at the practice.
If an abnormality is suspected, a detailed scan will be performed at MMC (Veldhoven) or MUMC (Maastricht) in the Prenatal Diagnostics department.
30 Weeks – Growth Scan
This scan allows us to see whether your baby is growing well. In addition to other measurements, we also check the amount of amniotic fluid, the baby’s position, and the placement of the placenta.
At each check-up, we palpate your belly. If growth seems unusually large or small, we monitor the baby’s growth with an additional scan.
If your previous baby was unusually small or large, this may be a reason to schedule extra growth scans in addition to the regular 30-week scan.
34–36 Weeks – Position Scan
This is the final scan before delivery to ensure that the baby is in a head-down position. We also measure the baby again using the same parameters as the 30-week scan, and check the amount of amniotic fluid and the placenta’s position.
If the baby is in a breech position (bottom-down) at this scan, you may choose an external version.
More information about breech presentation?