Why do an early pregnancy scan?
A practicing gynaecologist at a private gynaecology clinic in London or a midwife would generally recommend you to undergo an early pregnancy scan to determine the nature of your pregnancy. The gynaecologist usually recommends an early pregnancy scan if you experience pain, spotting or bleeding, or if you have experienced a failed pregnancy.
Some may want to undergo an early pregnancy scan in London simply to check the status of their pregnancy and feel reassured about their pregnancy. For instance, if the woman is worried and anxious about the health of the foetus or is unaware of the dates, then she may want to undergo an early pregnancy scan to confirm her pregnancy status and to know the exact week of pregnancy. Also, women with a history of problems during pregnancy may want to do an early pregnancy scan to know about the wellbeing of the developing foetus. The early pregnancy scan gives vital information about the date and the viability of the pregnancy.
How is the early pregnancy scan performed?
There are two methods of doing an early pregnancy scan in London — transabdominal scan and transvaginal scan. Both the ultrasound scans are safe for you and your baby. During the early pregnancy stages, i.e., before the eleventh week of pregnancy, the gynaecologist may suggest a transvaginal scan (by inserting the ultrasound instrument into the vaginal passage) to get a proper and clear view of the foetus and the uterus. The gynaecologist recommends this option if they don’t find any comprehensive results in a transabdominal scan (scan over your lower abdomen region).
A transvaginal scan can provide minute details about the status of the pregnancy during the earlier stages of pregnancy. However, some consider it as invasive, and hence, they have the choice to decline this ultrasound scan.
A transabdominal scan is non-invasive and is also an effective method of detecting early pregnancy. To undergo a transabdominal scan and to get compressive results, you need to have a full bladder. This scan plays a significant role in determining the status and health of your pregnancy.
Information provided by the early pregnancy scan
The early pregnancy scan determines whether your pregnancy is viable or not. It will show you the heartbeat of the baby, which could be visualised through ultrasound but cannot be heard yet. The reading of the beats per minute is recorded with the help of the M-mode. It is the safest method to measure the heartbeat of the baby during early pregnancy.
The early pregnancy scan essentially helps the gynaecologist to check the condition of the pregnancy, and it offers reassurance that your baby is safe and healthy. The early pregnancy scan would also determine the number of babies a woman is carrying. Further, it measures the dynamics of each baby to provide you with an exact gestational age. It is important to know that the dates could sometimes be slightly off the mark due to the variable length of the monthly cycle, i.e., the ovulation period. If the gestation dates do not match with the exact number of weeks from your last period, then the gynaecologist calculates it as per the length of your cycle.
All these are, however, positive signs of pregnancy. If you experience any symptoms such as spotting or bleeding, or if a scan cannot fully observe and confirm all the aspects as expected, then you may have to undergo further pregnancy scans in the coming weeks to check on the status of the pregnancy. The early pregnancy scan also checks the condition of the pelvic region and the uterus to ascertain that all the organs are healthy to handle the growth of the new life within the womb.
When to undergo an early pregnancy scan?
The perfect time to undergo an early pregnancy scan is after seven weeks of pregnancy and before twelve weeks of pregnancy. During this period, you could see the heartbeat and know about the condition of the baby. The gynaecologist will then recommend a second pregnancy scan after some weeks to check for further development in the baby.
These are some of the most important points that you should know about an early pregnancy scan. It is better to do pregnancy scan and reassure yourself on your pregnancy rather than getting restless and anxious about the status of the same.
If you are searching for the best private gynaecology clinic in London, then you must visit the Well Woman Clinic today.
