Ultrasound

What is an ultrasound?

Ultrasounds are a safe, non-invasive imaging technology that bounces sound waves off your internal organs to create digital images that your nurse can easily see on a monitor. Your gynecology care providers use ultrasound to learn more about the health and function of your:

• Uterus
• Fallopian tubes
• Ovaries
• Cervix
• Bladder
• Vagina

If you’re pregnant, your Opulence Health and Wellness prenatal team uses ultrasound imaging to monitor the development and health of your fetus.

Why would I need an ultrasound study?

When you’re not pregnant, your provider at Opulence Health and Wellness may recommend an ultrasound if she detects an abnormality during a physical examination, or if you report having troubling symptoms such as heavy or painful periods. An ultrasound helps her determine if you have:

• Benign growths, such as fibroids
• Non-benign growths
• Structural abnormalities
• Pelvic inflammatory disease
• Ectopic pregnancy
• A lost object (IUD or tampon)
• Endometriosis

If your provider needs to perform an in-office procedure to restore your reproductive health, an ultrasound can help them guide the instruments more precisely.

Why do I need an ultrasound if I’m pregnant?

Accurate dating of a pregnancy is important to improve outcomes of pregnancies. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine, and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine recommend ultrasound measurement of the embryo or fetus in the first trimester. During the scan, the presence of your baby’s heartbeat may be confirmed and the correct dates of your pregnancy can also be established.

During the second trimester between 18 - 20 weeks, a second ultrasound is required to access the baby’s anatomy or structure. During the third trimester, you may have another ultrasound to check your baby’s progress and to estimate their birth weight.

Do ultrasounds hurt me or my baby?

Ultrasounds are completely safe and pain-free. While you lie on your back on the exam table, the clinician first coats your pelvic area with a soothing gel and then passes the ultrasound wand over your skin. They may also insert a gel-coated intravaginal wand to visualize your reproductive organs better.

Depending on the type of ultrasound you need, your sonographer may ask you to come to your appointment with a full bladder. Ultrasounds are otherwise a quick and comfortable procedure.

To set up your ultrasound appointment, call the team at Opulence Health and Wellness, or make an appointment online.