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Ultralydundersøkelse

We offer early ultrasound from week 6

As certified ultrasound midwives, we are trained in "Early ultrasound" at the National Center for Fetal Medicine at NTNU and are also certified for "The 11-13 weeks scan" from the Fetal Medicine Foundation.

At Oslo Midwife and Ultrasound Clinic we offer different types of ultrasound examinations throughout the pregnancy. We want your visit at our clinic to be a personalized and pleasant experience. We allow ample time for the actual examination.

At the Oslo midwifery and ultrasound clinic, we offer ultrasounds for pregnant women, and we offer ultrasound examinations throughout pregnancy.

From early in pregnancy, we can use ultrasound to confirm pregnancy and to show the development of the fetus in the womb. For some, it is important to have the pregnancy confirmed as early as possible. As early as week 6-7, we can do an ultrasound to see if the heart is beating.

Early ultrasound is divided into two different ultrasound examinations based on the weeks of pregnancy and what can be seen:

-Ultrasound week 6 to 11

-Ultrasound week 11 to 14.

Read more below.

Early ultrasound week 6-11

 

We can already use ultrasound early in pregnancy to confirm the pregnancy.
An early ultrasound can be performed from week 6, but we recommend preferably from week 7+0 calculated from the first day of the last period. This is to be able to get a reliable answer to the heartbeat.

Between weeks 6 and 11, there are four things we look at; whether the pregnancy is located in the uterus, the number of foetuses, heartbeat and the CRL is measured, which estimates the length of the pregnancy. 


We offer early ultrasounds between weeks 6 and 11 in two variants:
2D Early ultrasound weeks 6-11 (preferably from weeks 7+0)
2D Early ultrasound week 6-11 (preferably from week 7+0) + application for ultrasound and place of birth


Early organ-focused ultrasound week 12 up to week 14

 

From week 11+0 - 13+6, the fetus has progressed far enough in development to be able to assess markers for chromosomal abnormalities, the fetus's body and organ development. This is done in addition to looking at the location of the pregnancy, the number of foetuses, heartbeats and estimating the length of the pregnancy.

This examination is only performed by our certified midwives. This is the same examination that is often referred to as "ultrasound week 12", "early ultrasound with assessment of neck clearance" and "neckfold ultrasound". 

Bilder på mobil

We send pictures/videos to your phone

All ultrasound examinations include photos and films sent directly to your mobile phone(s). (Unfortunately, the files do not come with audio)

 

It’s nice if you bring a companion with you. The experience can be somewhat diminished if there are too many people present. This has to do with both space and potential noise issues. Our experience is that children under the age of 5–6 don’t have the proper understanding or appreciation of the ultrasound examination.

 

 

 

FAQ

What is ultrasound?

2D (two-dimensional) ultrasound is sound waves that are transmitted from a probe into the body. The sound waves have such a high frequency that they’re inaudible to the human ear.

When the sound waves hit the body tissue, an echo occurs. The echo causes the sound waves to return to the sound head, which captures these sound signals.
After processing on a computer, the incoming audio signals appear as vivid images in black and white on a screen.



Is ultrasound dangerous?

Ultrasounds of pregnant women have been performed for more than 40 years. No adverse effects on women or foetuses have been recorded.

What happens if a missed abortion (MA) is detected at an early ultrasound?

Sometimes it happens that we do not see cardiac activity. This is usually due to a chromosomal abnormality.

We measure the embryo and refer the woman to the hospital she belongs to. Normally she will get an appointment in a few days. There, a gynaecologist will confirm the finding and a surgical or medical abortion will be performed.

The next day we send her a message to check in on her.

In case of suspicion of illness or abnormalities, what happens next?

The midwives who perform ultrasound have completed one year of foetal diagnosis at the National Centre for Emergency Medicine at NTNU. If we see pictures that deviate from the normal we will refer the woman to a maternal-foetal medicine specialist at the National Hospital. She’ll then get an appointment within a few days.

When is ultrasound done internally (vaginal), and on the stomach (abdominal)?

We perform ultrasound vaginally early in the pregnancy, that is, from weeks 6–12. This is because the embryo is so small and the pictures become much clearer on an internal ultrasound.

The woman must lie with her legs in the leg holder with a towel over her. Most people have no problems with this.

Occasionally we also do an internal ultrasound in week 12. This is if the woman has a uterus that is turned slightly backwards or if she’s overweight.
In the case of a 3D ultrasound, the examination is done abdominally.