During pregnancy, there are many tests that you should do. All these tests have as their primary objective, rule out genetic and chromosomal diseases in your baby. All of them are equally important and necessary. Among all these exams, you will find the Fetal Anatomy scan an ultrasound that has to be done between 18 and 22 weeks of pregnancy. Ultrasound is a diagnostic technique that uses high-frequency sound waves to evaluate organs and structures inside the body, and unlikely other diagnostic modalities such as X-ray, CT, or MRI, ultrasound doesn’t use radiation. In this post, I’ll give you all the information you need to know about your fetal anatomy ultrasound, and how to get prepared for it. All this information is coming from an Ultrasound Technician. Ready? we are starting here!
What to expect from your fetal anatomy ultrasound.
What is the purpose of the anatomy scan?
As the name well says, the scan of the fetal anatomy is done to check the anatomy of your baby. This examination is precise and should be carried out between weeks 18 and 22 of pregnancy, because it is the optimal developmental time and size of your baby in which all the structures and organs will be evaluated.
What do we check during the fetal anatomy?
During the Fetal anatomy scan, we will check the following:
Intracranial structures: Cisterna magna, cerebellum, lateral ventricles, thalamus, 3rd ventricle, choroid plexus, among others are examined and measured during fetal anatomy, to detect chromosomal or genetic diseases.
All organs in the baby’s body: The spine, kidneys, stomach, abdominal wall, urinary bladder, four chambers of the heart, umbilical cord insertion, normal vascularity and blood vessels in the umbilical cord (2 arteries, one vein) and through the body of the fetus, face, arms, legs, hands, and feet including fingers and toes.
In addition to the detailed check of your baby’s anatomy, biometric measurements are also performed to determine if the baby is growing appropriately. At the end of the scan, the technician will be able to give you the weight of your baby as well. The biometric measurements are Bi-parietal diameter (a head measurement from side to side), head circumference, abdominal circumference, and femur length.
Other parameters that are also checked during fetal anatomy include:
- Fetal position (Cephalic or breech)
- Amniotic fluid level (normal levels are from 8 to 22 cm)
- Placenta position (Anterior, posterior, Previa, etc.)
- Heart Doppler to get a heartbeat.
How to be prepared for the anatomy scan.
No specific preparation is necessary for the anatomy scan. However, if you are one of those moms-to-be that have suffered on the past from miscarriages or stillbirths, there are some things you can do to be mentally prepared for this test because you can be very anxious. Here you have some of tips.
To be mentally prepared, you can try to do these things the day before.
- Try to relax with a body massage, a day with friends, etc.
- Eat well and stay hydrated.
- Meditate.
- Talk about your feelings.
- Exercise if there are no contraindications.
- Sleep well the night before.
- Get up early on the day of the test.
- Have a light breakfast, don’t overeat.
- Jot down a piece of paper if you have questions.
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What your ultrasound tech wants you to know.
The examination of fetal anatomy is one of the necessary tests throughout the pregnancy. In this exam, many things are going to be revealed, such as the sex of your baby. However, before we can get to the fun part of the exam, the technician must be concentrated on all the measurements and checking all the structures and organs that must be evaluated.
Please give your tech the time that is needed to check your baby, the health of your baby is priority number one for the tech and the radiologist in charge of reading the results. Once our work is finalized, you can ask the questions you have, and we can show you what your baby looks like, reveal the gender, and much more.
Protocol after fetal anatomy scan is done
After the exam, the results will be evaluated by a radiologist. The final report will be sent to your doctor in approximately 3 days depending on the hospital or the diagnostic center. Your doctor is in charge of contacting you to let you know if everything is okay, or if other tests are recommended.
Keep in mind that the ultrasound technician is not allowed to disclose information about the results of the test. Anyway, here I am going to leave you some questions that you can ask the day of the test.
- What is the baby’s position?
- What are the beats per minute?
- May I know the sex of my baby (if you want to know)
- Can you show me the baby?
If you are pregnant and want to see weekly pregnancy ultrasounds, plus all the information you need to know about your pregnancy, check the link below.
Other related posts.
Coronavirus, important information if you are pregnant.
Pregnancy symptoms for the third trimester.
Final thoughts about What to expect from your fetal anatomy ultrasound.
As you can see, the anatomy scan or level 2 ultrasound is crucial but it can also be a nerve-wracking test for some mommies-to-be. As technicians, we know it can be a little stressful, but we are here for you.
Among the exciting things that will occur during this test, you can find the gender of your baby. If you don’t want to know, make sure to tell the technician that you prefer not knowing before the scan begins.
It is important that you also be aware that, during the fetal anatomy, there is a small possibility that all the organs are not appropriately seen, this usually happens with the visualization of the four chambers of the heart. If this is the case, additional views will be required. This does not mean that there is a problem; it is just that the organ must be re-evaluated to have a conclusive diagnosis that everything is perfectly normal.
So, with this information, I finish this article. I hope I was able to make you feel more confident, prepared, and relaxed for your anatomy scan. Feel free to comment below and share your experience with us.
Until next time.
Zadi, xo.
Hello Zadi, hope you are doing well sweetheart and happy belated easter to you my friend <3.
Wow this sounds very important indeed lol. I had never heard of the Fetal Anatomy Scan before — every time I come here I always learn something new about these topics, thank you for that Zadi.
Such a beautiful post! I get a full information about the fetal health scan from your blog. Thank you for sharing.
Thank so much Emma for your input. I am glad you like my posts and learn something with them!!!
[…] What to expect from your fetal anatomy scan and how to prepare. […]
Great post, good information from an excellent source. Very insightful.
[…] Anatomy Scan: Conducted between 18 and 22 weeks, this scan is a crucial evaluation of the baby’s anatomy, ensuring all major organs and structures are developing normally. […]