Many women look forward to their first ultrasound during pregnancy to catch a glimpse of their growing child. It is a beautiful and monumental moment for many families, and that is why at Carreras Medical Center, we offer early pregnancy ultrasounds. Ultrasounds are performed early on during pregnancy to ensure that your baby is growing and developing in the most healthy way possible. The innovative technology allows us to look inside your uterus to see what’s going on.
Ultrasounds are extremely safe and give you insight into gestational age, due dates, and viability. Your comfort is the most important thing during an early pregnancy ultrasound. Be sure to come to the appointment relaxed, knowing that you are taking a step towards your prenatal health. Be sure to ask any questions you may have and to describe how you have been. Let’s jump right into uncovering everything you need to know about your two-week pregnant ultrasound and beyond.
How Soon Can an Ultrasound Detect Pregnancy?
As soon as the stick turns blue, you may wonder how early you can see pregnancy on ultrasound. We recognize this exciting sign quite often. You may find yourself googling, “how soon can an ultrasound detect pregnancy,” or calling up your doctor asking, “how early can you see pregnancy on ultrasound?”
Many women want to rule out complications by having an early pregnancy sonogram, and they can. However, pregnancy tests are more sensitive and can actually detect pregnancy much sooner than an ultrasound. You typically have a one-week window between your pregnancy test and before your pregnancy is visible on a scan. Although, remember that this is the very early stages of pregnancy, and your baby is still teeny-tiny on the scan.
The soonest an ultrasound can detect a pregnancy is 17 days after ovulation. Ovulation is the moment when the egg is released from the ovary. When you are to become pregnant, the egg is fertilized. Just four days after a missed period, a typical early pregnancy looks like a small dot. After about two weeks of pregnancy, you can see your future baby as an embryo.
Two-weeks Pregnant Ultrasound
After about two weeks, you can see your baby as an embryo on an early pregnancy sonogram. The baby will resemble a small bubble. Your child is still tiny, and the resemblance of a baby is still too young to see. But, after 12-17 days, you can detect a heartbeat on the embryo. Once we can detect your child’s heartbeat, the risk of miscarriage becomes lower. From your two weeks pregnancy ultrasound, your baby will develop rapidly.
You do not need to take any special steps to prepare for your ultrasound. The main thing to remember is to come to the appointment with a full bladder for better imaging results. When you come in for your appointment, it is essential to feel relaxed. We suggest wearing loose-fitting clothes. A loose top can make it easier to perform the ultrasound. However, we may provide you with a light gown.
The most important thing we can suggest is to relax and enjoy the moment. Comfort is key to maintaining a relaxed environment. Your two-week pregnant ultrasound will be one of the soonest methods to detect pregnancy and get ahead of your prenatal care.
Throughout your ultrasound journey, you can unveil pregnancy milestones, monitor your baby’s heartbeat, and determine an accurate expectation for your due date. An ultrasound will also reveal if you are carrying multiples.
What to Expect
During an early pregnancy ultrasound, we will peek inside your womb to see how your baby is growing and developing. Anticipation is a common theme among pregnancy. We wonder how our baby will look, we are curious about gender, and overall we want to ensure the delivery of a healthy child. Regular ultrasounds and prenatal care are the best way to detect and treat complications if they should arise. Ultrasounds can give us insight into our child’s due date and primarily well-being.
An ultrasound can be done in two different ways. The first way we can do an ultrasound is transabdominal. A transabdominal ultrasound is administered over your belly and is the more known of the two. The other ultrasound is transvaginal, meaning into your vagina. This ultrasound will be done if it is very early on in your pregnancy. A transvaginal ultrasound will produce authentic images of your still tiny baby.
Your doctor may recommend a transvaginal ultrasound for various reasons:
- If you had undergone infertility problems before pregnancy
- To detect pregnancy the earliest possible
- If you are experiencing pelvic pain
- If you are suspected of having an ectopic pregnancy
- If you are experiencing irregular bleeding
Transabdominal Sonogram
A transabdominal ultrasound is the type of ultrasound we all probably know, heard of, and possibly seen on television. Your healthcare professional will put a cool jelly over your stomach to take a peek inside of your womb. When you come in for an ultrasound on your belly, you should have a full bladder. A full bladder will increase visibility by tilting your uterus up and turning your intestines out of the viewpoint.
Once you have some gel on your tummy, the technician will use a transducer to see inside your stomach. The transducer is a handheld device that will release sound waves to form an image of your child inside your uterus. If you look over to the side during your ultrasound, you will see a video of your baby on the screen. The moment of seeing your healthy child on an ultrasound is a moment you will hold dear and remember forever.
During an ultrasound, you should not feel any discomfort. You will only feel the light pressure applied by the technician and experience the sensation of it gliding across your stomach.
Did you know that an ultrasound is one of the safest methods of diagnostic testing? You may be wondering about how safe digital imaging around your womb is. CT Scans are not safe for pregnant women, so why can I see inside my womb? However, ultrasounds are incredibly secure because they do not use ionizing radiation. Ultrasounds are used for other types of diagnostic testing as well.
The scan should take anywhere from 30 minutes to one hour. The technician will use light pressure while using the transducer on your belly.
Early Pregnancy Sonogram
At about three weeks, an early pregnancy ultrasound can detect your baby’s head and body. Your child’s spine, brain, arm, and legs will begin to develop and be visible at about four weeks. At around eight to nine weeks gestation, the heart rate will continue to speed up.
Experience Expert Care
At Carreras Medical Center, we have an on-site ultrasound facility with state-of-the-art equipment and care professionals. Our services are at your convenience with expert care to ensure you receive the best experience possible.
If you think you are pregnant, please do not hesitate to give us a call. We are here to answer any and all of your questions and get you scheduled for an ultrasound right away.
