Static electric shock sensation during ultrasound?

[Anonymous]

I just had an ultrasound for the nuchal translucency screening (at 12 weeks), and during the ultrasound, I'd occasionally get what I might compare to a static electric shock sensation. I'd only get it when it was placed on the lower left part of my abdomen (where the baby was located). It was enough to make me involuntarily jump 5 or 6 times. The ultrasound tech didn't know what was going on. Has anyone else experienced this? Should I be concerned about the effects this might have had? I had many ultrasounds done during my first pregnancy and never experienced this.

[Anonymous]

I have a sensitive belly button and for me it felt like that when it was touched during pregnancy. Just the nerve endings translating normal (cold) touch as pins and needles.

[Anonymous]

It's probably your baby kicking and screaming "GET THAT NOISE AWAY FROM MY HEAD".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's probably your baby kicking and screaming "GET THAT NOISE AWAY FROM MY HEAD".

PP here: He (we're guessing he) actually was kicking and punching a lot. Poor thing. Let the mother guilt begin. I'm AMA and my husband's sister has Down's, so I felt getting this screening was important. Otherwise, I agree with limiting the ultrasounds.

Maybe it was just hitting a sensitive spot on my abdomen, like the other previous poster said. I had just never felt that before. It was quite bizarre.

[Anonymous]

I think I remember that. What I do remember very well was a distinctly "hot" sensation, but i think our US lasted atypically long (we hadn't done testing, and they found some Downs soft markers.). I found it quite uncomfortable after a point.

[Anonymous]

I had an ultrasound yesterday (16 weeks) and as the tech was probing around she pressed down on my lower abdomen I felt like I got shocked and my legs and body jerked. The tech said that she probably hit a nerve and that that has never bappened before. i am pretty sure felt an electrical.shock....I am worried about what happened to my baby. Any feedback??

[Anonymous]

My father and brother both work in ultrasound (they invent and patent it for different biomed uses). I am sure that it's a safe imaging method bc it uses sound waves and the devices used for fetal monitoring are at very low and safe levels. Unless the machine malfunctioned somehow, I doubt it was the ultrasound itself. Very safe. It was probably more the pressure applied by the sonographer than the equipment. I've had several sonograms this time around bc of complications and sometimes they press really hard and hit a nerve, to get the right angle. Perhaps that was it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My father and brother both work in ultrasound (they invent and patent it for different biomed uses). I am sure that it's a safe imaging method bc it uses sound waves and the devices used for fetal monitoring are at very low and safe levels. Unless the machine malfunctioned somehow, I doubt it was the ultrasound itself. Very safe. It was probably more the pressure applied by the sonographer than the equipment. I've had several sonograms this time around bc of complications and sometimes they press really hard and hit a nerve, to get the right angle. Perhaps that was it?

I remember reading during my last pregnancy that many, many machines are not correctly calibrated and are set wrong. I'm a big fan of getting diagnostics as appropriate, but ultrasounds actually do not have a long track record (what is it, the 1960s they started getting more use in obstetrics?) and there is a bit of a question mark as to whether or not those sound waves can mess with fetal development. My stomach almost hurt after a particularly long one.

[Anonymous]

There can be problems with the probe. You may want to read this document:

http://www.faculty.pnc.edu/jlerne00/advanced/Common%20Probe%20Failures.pdf

[Anonymous]

7/9/18 I am a former electrician who just had a ultrasound on my legs. Believe me I know what a shock feels like. The tech said it was just sound talking to my legs. I said I'm sure your right and the cow jumped over the moon.

My option, no harm done.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think I remember that. What I do remember very well was a distinctly "hot" sensation, but i think our US lasted atypically long (we hadn't done testing, and they found some Downs soft markers.). I found it quite uncomfortable after a point.

*1. I remember this.

[Anonymous]

[quote=Anonymous]7/9/18 I am a former electrician who just had a ultrasound on my legs. Believe me I know what a shock feels like. The tech said it was just sound talking to my legs. I said I'm sure your right and the cow jumped over the moon.

My option, no harm done. [/quote]

What?

[Anonymous]

I felt a similar thing. Was your baby okay?

[Anonymous]

HI I have had many US over 5 years for my heart this time I received a small electrical shock aprox 80 volts MADE ME MOVE.the opperator did not seem worried.he had no idea what it could be but said it could be nerve? can any body HELP DOWN UNDER DAVE PS I am into electroics SMALL amount

[Anonymous]

I did feel this too, one time. I mentioned it to my doctor and she said, "That's weird. Not sure what you're feeling." Did your child get a diagnosis later in life?