Six Pieces Of Misinformation Out There About Ultrasound Services

Getting an ultrasound is an important part of health care during pregnancy. You'll get the most out of ultrasound services if you are well-informed about this important step in pregnancy health care.

Some expecting mothers are exposed to inaccurate information about ultrasounds. The following are six pieces of misinformation out there about ultrasound services. 

Your physician will be able to tell you all the results of your ultrasound right away.

It can take some time to get complete results from an ultrasound appointment. You might have to wait until your next appointment to get results such as your baby's measurements, gender, and a full health report on your baby. 

Undergoing an ultrasound exposes you to radiation.

An ultrasound does not expose you or your baby to any radiation. Medical imaging procedures such as X-rays and CT scans involve the use of ionizing radiation to create images of the interior of the body. On the other hand, ultrasounds rely on sound waves to produce images of a growing fetus.  

You shouldn't eat anything before an ultrasound.

Although it is recommended for patients to fast before certain types of ultrasound procedures, patients can eat normally before a fetal ultrasound. While you should discuss preparation for your ultrasound with your doctor, most doctors instruct patients to eat normally before their ultrasound appointment. 

Getting an ultrasound in early pregnancy is risky.

Patients sometimes worry that undergoing an ultrasound too early in pregnancy can increase one's chance of having a miscarriage. However, an ultrasound doesn't increase a woman's chance of losing a pregnancy. 

You get an ultrasound at every appointment during pregnancy.

You shouldn't need to get an ultrasound done frequently throughout your pregnancy. Although you'll want to go in for frequent checkups throughout your pregnancy, an ultrasound will not be necessary at every one of these appointments. In fact, only two ultrasounds are needed in a typical pregnancy. 

You'll definitely know your baby's sex after your first ultrasound.

Although it's often possible to find out the sex of one's baby after an ultrasound appointment, it's important to realize that this isn't always the case.

Depending on the position of your baby, your doctor might not be able to determine the gender of your baby. Even if your doctor does tell you the sex of the baby, it's important to realize that a sex prediction from information acquired in an ultrasound does not always turn out to be accurate. 

For more information about ultrasound services, talk with a local clinic.