How can I get extra unscheduled ultrasounds?
![[Post New]](/jforum/templates/default/images/icon_minipost_new.gif){kind=icon}
Anonymous
|
Here's my deal. I am 42.5 and I have been trying to conceive a second child for 7 years. After suffering losses I am finally pregnant again-9 weeks 2 days. With my first pregnancy I did not find out until I was about 17 weeks due to really inconsistent cycle. I didn't start feeling that baby move until around 32 weeks. I am overweight and carry all of my extra weight in my belly. So I just look fatter and not necessarily pregnant.
Because of my losses and my weight I was wondering can you get extra ultrasounds either through OB or on your own? Can I just ask for extra ones? I know it sounds crazy, and I probably should not be exposing my baby to unnecessary sound waves but I am going crazy thinking something might happen to this baby. My OB said I could have one once a month, but I would like to have one every two weeks or so. I know my chance of miscarriage goes down every week, but then I made the mistake of googling and found all these other statistics regarding weight, and especially age which then increase my chances throughout the pregnancy. I had one this past Monday and not scheduled for another one for 4 weeks. I don't know if I can last that long without hearing the heartbeat again. And does anyone have experience with the ones you can buy for home use? I've heard that they don't really work that well. |
Anonymous
| You sound a little crazy. IMO, even once a month is too many. You're going to hear the baby's heartbeat at every appointment, isn't that enough? Consider buying a fetal doppler to use at home - we have one of those, and it's been reassuring the two or three times I've been very paranoid and wanted to use it. |
Anonymous
| I would talk to your OB. They are used to dealing with women with these concerns. Pretty soon you'll be able to hear the heartbeat and they may bring you in more often for that to make you comfortable. |
Anonymous
|
If you are already 32weeks then you should be going to the dr every other week and they will listen via doppler. So yo ucan hear th heartbeat at each appointment. If tehre are other concerns like fluid levels then more frequent ultrasounds may be needed. Talk to your doctor about your specific concerns due to your age and weight.
the truth of the matter is that things can go wrong at any point in a pregnancy. there is no guarentee. You need to learn to deal with your anxiety. |
Anonymous
sorry I misread you post, I didn't get that you are weeks now. Althoguht my advice is still the same. Talk to the doctor about your concerns and find a way to deal wi th your anxiety. |
Anonymous
| First and foremost, Congratulations! I am 41 and about 25 weeks along. My OB referred me to a Perinatalogist at about 12 weeks(My OB felt it was important to have me see a Dr. rather than an ultrasound tech). From there, based on my age and the fact that I had a LEEP after my first, the peri is having me come in every 3 weeks for ultrasounds. In addition to that, I have the monthly doctor visit in which I hear the heart beat. I start with OB visits two weeks this month. (so that will be 2 weeks with the OB and 3 weeks with the peri). Luckily, my insurance covers all of this. Do you know if your Dr. will be referring you to a Peri for your NT scan (at approximately 12 weeks)? |
Anonymous
OP - I was in a similar boat. I spoke to my doctor an he encouraged me to come in every couple of weeks for a Doppler check and it was very reassuring. He also allowed me to schedule an u/s between my 12 week NT and my 20 week scan. Talk to your doc. He/she should b able to help. |
Anonymous
|
First of all, congratulations on your pregnancy!
Secondly, I am a fat 42 year old who is 29 weeks pregnant. I've had ultrasounds at 8, 12 & 21 weeks, and just had an additional one at 28 weeks in order to make sure the fetus is still growing at a good rate. With no other complications and a smooth pregnancy so far, I have had no need for other ultrasounds and I am assured that my insurance would not have covered them. Being fat is associated with additional complications, but correlation is not causation. You may well have a perfectly healthy pregnancy, so fatness in itself is not going to qualify you for extra monitoring. Like me, you may get an extra fetal growth ultrasound or two in 3rd trimester -- I will go for anotherr one at 32 weeks. Ultrasounds are intended to treat potential problems with the fetus, not maternal anxiety. You could self-pay for one of those 3D for-profit ones, but that's about it. Or you could fake symptoms. But really, I think you need to think about treating your anxiety, not seeing more ultrasounds. Good luck! |
Anonymous
|
Definitely buy a fetal doppler if hearing the heartbeat will reassure you.
I felt the same way with my first pregnancy - I was under 35 then, so basically only saw the baby at 12 and 20 weeks, and really wished I'd had more opportunities. But I'm now at the tail end of a high risk pregnancy with a baby who's having all sorts of problems. So I have to go in 2-3 times per week for ultrasounds. And every one sometimes seems like an opportunity to find something else wrong. I find myself frequently kicking myself for ever secretly desiring more opportunities to see my little one. If you're OB doesn't recommend more fetal ultrasounds or testing, it's because your baby is doing well and everything's all right. Focus on that. |
Anonymous
| If you pay for it, go ahead and schedule the appointment. Don't expect insurance to cover it, though. |
Anonymous
| ...you should be going to a perinatologist!! Your age alone should qualify you. Call your ob. Ask! If its a insurance problem, tell them you cant feel the baby move. Demand a sono. If you want one a month...you get them! Whatever makes you feel more assured. The doppler isnt the same. Push for the sono doctor!! |
Anonymous
|
Op here,
Called OB and I am being referred to a Perinatalogist. So I think that will definitely help soothe some of my fears. I have to thank all you, this is some of the best advice I have ever gotten from this site. 12:40--Really appreciate the acknowledgement of the fatness--some people can be really harsh regarding this. And to those saying I have to deal with the anxiety- thank you as well. I just have to figure out how to do that. Thanks again folks and best wishes. |
Anonymous
Yup. I had to have ultrasounds every appointment because my baby only had one kidney and it was incredibly stressful. Be glad you don't have to. |
Anonymous
12:40 here. We old, fat, pregnant chicks gotta stick together.  You are who you are, and it's ok! It's a shape, bit an indictment or a moral failing.
A couple of quick things--the Well Rounded Mama blog helps A LOT, especially of you fall down a rabbit hole of heating bad (and often innacurate) stats about pregnancy and obesity. Obesity is highly correlated to poverty and lack of prenatal care (to say nothing of overt size discrimination from practitioners, leading to fat people avoiding care) so sometimes it can be very misleading to read stats about obesity and stillbirth, for instance. I'm lucky to have found an OB who helped me filter out real risk factors that I DON'T have (like diabetes, high blood pressure and lack of prenatal care) to see that I don't need to be as alarmed. Well Rounded Mama has great research that can dispel myths like that fat women can't deliver naturally, or that fat women any really feel fetal movement. Lastly...if you get a home Doppler to help if you're anxious and want to hear the heartbeat, one legit downside about extra belly flesh is that it may be harder to find the heartbeat. My OB says home Dopplers sometimes CAUSE more anxiety because people can't find the heartbeat themselves and end up freaking out unnecessarily, and he was a little concerned that my belly shape would make it harder for me. I'm glad I didn't do that to myself, as I would have freaked! And FWIW, I can feel my little guy now a LOT.
Good luck!!!!! |
Anonymous
| (Sorry for typos...iPhone autocorrect!) |