The use of ultrasound in pregnancy is fairly common place. Though it was designed to help with complicated or high risk pregnancy it is now used for many purposes. No matter what the original intended use of ultrasound technology, sometimes called a sonogram, was, it is now used for many purposes.
When your midwife or doctor orders an ultrasound, they are trying to gather certain information about your baby, your placenta, your uterus or other parts. There are some reasons that the information that your practitioner is getting or not getting from your ultrasound is not helpful. Here are reasons your ultrasound might not be a good one:
- Your timing is off.
There are many things in pregnancy that can be seen with ultrasound. The problem is that if you look too soon, or in some cases, too late, you won't be able to find them. Take for example trying to find the fetal heartbeat early in pregnancy. The difference a day or two can make is astounding! Check on Monday and there is no heartbeat, check of Friday and the heart rate is fine. You simply looked too early. - The machine is old.
If the machine your practitioner is using is older it may not provide as good of quality images as some of the newer machines. This is not advocating that your practitioner gets a new ultrasound machine every few years, but simply saying that after awhile the machines do wear out and newer technologies do become available. - The ultrasound tech is doing something wrong.
Some ultrasound techs are better than others. Sometimes this has to do with experience in doing ultrasound or more specifically pregnancy ultrasounds. It can also have to do with the qualifications of the ultrasound tech. Always ask if the tech doing your testing is certified. It's also wise to avoid the ultrasounds for "fun and profit" places popping up in the malls because they are not always properly trained and they are not working under a physicians guidance. While fetal bonding or wanting to have pictures of your baby before birth may be cited by women as a reason to do this, the potential problems outweigh this medically dubious benefit. - More layers can be problematic.
There isn't an easy way to say it, but if you are heavier, it may make getting a clear image hard if not impossible. The technology can only do so much and added layers make for a less clear ultrasound picture. Talk to your practitioner about alternatives. - Your baby is not cooperating.
Sometimes what you are looking for is difficult to see because your baby isn't cooperating. This is usually a baby who will not change position to allow the ultrasound tech in to see what they are looking for during the exam.
