Tag Archives: ultrasound

Pregnant: Am I Doing It Right?

During my pregnancy I’ve felt a couple times like I wasn’t “doing it right.”  Not that I wasn’t taking care of my body or baby properly, but that I didn’t care enough, and that meant I wasn’t going to be very good at this whole mothering thing.  I didn’t feel that way in response to serious events, or in the face of friends with children, or anything like that. It started when I was asked “what’s your countdown?”  I had no idea what the person was talking about.  Apparently it meant how many days left until my due date.  I … Continue reading →

I Hate Waiting

Sitting in the room waiting for the nurse to come back and tell me if I had something to be worried about or not seemed to take forever. I think in reality it was 10 minutes but it felt like hours. When she did knock and open the door she said, “We can feel the lump but nothing is showing on the mammogram, so we want you to do an ultrasound”. The hospital had an ultrasound in the next room so my husband and I walked into there and the tech came in. As I have said before, I like … Continue reading →

My Ultrasound Experience

As promised, a report on my ultrasound adventure! I went to an imaging center for a pelvic ultrasound. The prep is different, depending on which body part is being scanned. My prep was pretty easy: drink five glasses of water in the hour prior to your scan. (For ultrasound scans of other areas of the body, you may be asked to fast, or drink only clear liquids.) There was only one hard part: I couldn’t use the bathroom until AFTER my scan. This inspired nightmare images of me having an accident on the exam table! But as it turns out, … Continue reading →

Tests, Treatments, and Nerves

In case I haven’t harped upon this enough in the last few days, I’m having an ultrasound this afternoon. And I’m a little nervous. Long story short: after my recent pelvic exam, my doctor suspects I have fibroids. I’m having an ultrasound today to confirm the diagnosis, so we can figure out a treatment plan. I’m glad to know that there’s a reason for my monthly misery — irregular periods, painful cramps, and other symptoms. I’m glad to know there is a wide variety of treatment options available. But I’m still nervous about the test. Let’s be honest: I get … Continue reading →

What Is an Ultrasound?

I’ve got ultrasounds on the brain at the moment, since I’m having one on Monday afternoon to confirm my doctor’s diagnosis of fibroids. Also known as sonography, ultrasound imaging uses sound waves to create pictures of the inside of the body. One big advantage of an ultrasound over other kinds of imaging is that an ultrasound does not use ionizing radiation (like an x-ray does) and is generally non-invasive. Ultrasound images are captured in real time, so they can even show the movement of blood through vessels! Conventional ultrasound displays the images in thin, flat sections. There are also 3D … Continue reading →

When Gender Prediction is Wrong

I’ve had four babies. In each of these four pregnancies, we were asked if we wanted to know the gender of the baby during the ultrasound. In each case, we said that we did. Fortunately for us, the technician was correct each time. We got the gender we were expecting. During each of my pregnancies, people would ask if I knew what I was having. When I said that I did, invariably they would say something like, “What if they are wrong?” I heard story after story about friends and friends of friends who got the opposite gender from the … Continue reading →

Reasons to be Surprised by Baby’s Gender

Technology now allows most parents the opportunity to learn the gender of their babies before they are born. Many parents take advantage of the opportunity and find out what they are having, but some do not. A good number of couples are waiting until the baby is born to find out whether it is a boy or a girl. The decision may not have been yours. Some babies keep their gender a secret by their position in the uterus. The technician may not be able to get a clear enough picture to determine the gender. In this case, you’ll have … Continue reading →

Reasons to Find Out Baby’s Gender

Seventy percent of pregnant women have an ultrasound during their pregnancies. The ultrasound is a good diagnostic tool for certain problems in pregnancy. It also has an added benefit, you may get a peek at your baby. If you choose to have an ultrasound, the technician may ask if you want to know the gender. Some couples choose to find out and others prefer to be surprised. I like to know what I am having. I mean, the information is RIGHT THERE! It’s just too tempting for me. For us and many other couples, there are many benefits to learning … Continue reading →

Are Ultrasounds Safe?

Ultrasounds are performed in about 70% of all pregnancies in the United States. There are a variety of reasons for using ultrasound. They are useful in determining the gestational age of the fetus and for medical diagnosis. They also give parents a unique opportunity to see the baby while he or she is still in the womb. You get to see your baby and may even discover the gender. This technology has only been available for the last few generations. Some women have begun to question the safety of routine ultrasounds in pregnancy. Ultrasound uses sonar technology to produce the … Continue reading →

Adoption with a Twist

A friend of mine volunteers at a pregnancy crisis center. She often talks about another woman, who wants to adopt a child, who works at the center as well. When she started, she was afraid the expectant mothers would see her as a “vulture,” trying to swoop in and take their babies. She didn’t think they would trust her advice. Most of the moms-to-be can see how much she cares about them. She helps them gather supplies and things they will need for themselves and their babies. She is a pro-life woman of faith, and she encourages each mom to … Continue reading →