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3rd trimester ultrasound
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Anonymous
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Just wondering if any of you have had ultrasounds in the 3rd trimester. Is this routine, by request or only if needed. I'd like to have one more around 32-36 weeks just for one last peak or reassurance, but didn't know if I was asking for something out of the ordinary.
Thanks! |
Anonymous
| My understanding is that it is not normal to have this. As with most things about pregnancy, each doctor and practice is different. I am having my second child and this is a different practice than I was at before and both have told me the same thing. If there isn't a reason, they will not do another ultrasound past 20 weeks. |
Anonymous
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It's not part of the typical standard of care the way the 12wk and 20wk are. Some practices will do more, especially if they have their own machine.
MY OB didn't. The last few weeks of my pregnancy I did end up getting weekly ultrasounds, and the last 2wks of my pregnancy I actually got them 2x/wk to keep an eye on the amniotic fluid levels. DD was two weeks late, and my OB was only comfortable in letting me go into labor spontaneously if we kept an eye on how she was doing in there. Without a medical reason, it's also a question of whether your insurance company will cover non-necessary u/s. |
Anonymous
| Just ask for one, you'll probably be granted your wish. Serioulsy. My OB was agreeable to anything that wasn't harmful. |
Anonymous
| I had one, somewhere around 35-37 weeks (can't believe I can't remember, it was only about a year ago) to check positioning and size. I was advanced maternal age, but I don't think that was the reason. |
sybersus
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| My midwife practice doesn't do any after 20 weeks unless it's medically necessary. I thought maybe it would be because I'm AMA, but they said that's not a reason. |
Anonymous
| I think this is actually an issue of some debate amongst obs. On the one hand, a late us might help you correctly identify an unnoticed issue you're having with your pregnancy. OTOH if you have no other symptoms of an issue which your "routine" us identifies, it may be inadvisable to trust the results. My ob told me that there is no way I would have been induced if 36 wk us hadn't been standard practice at my office. AND that the us was unequivocally wrong in my diagnosis of low afi (as evidenced by the flood when my water broke). Not saying there's right or wrong, just 2 sides. And please get a second opinion if an us is the only basis for diagnosis. (not applicable in case of urgent emergency). |
Anonymous
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It is routine at my obgyn to have one at 32 weeks. Personally I think it's overkill. We had it with my first pregnancy, and the obgyn ordered another one at 36 weeks because I was measuring small. When we went to get it, the technician asked me why I was there and when I told her, she rolled her eyes and said, "you are a tiny woman. you are measuring just fine!" And she was right. I delivered a few days before my due date and the baby was 7.1 pounds. Not huge but certainly not small.
With my second pregnancy, one of our early screenings (nuchal screen) indicated that I had high or low (can't remember which one) levels of a protein that may indicate my placenta will peak and decline earlier than usual, so I am recommended at this time to be followed up at 34 weeks and beyond to make sure the placenta is still in good condition and that the baby wouldn't benefit from being induced vs. staying in the womb with a declining placenta. Again, I think this is overkill and I plan to bring it up when I get closer to this time. I'm all for interventions if they are necessary but I don't want a bunch of extra ultrasounds if they aren't necessary. If the doctors insist of course I will do what they tell me, but there are other ways to see that the baby is growing that don't resolve repeated ultrasounds. |
Anonymous
| Not routine at my OB practice. Just the first us at 9-12 weeks and the second at 20 weeks. But they will do one later in the pregnancy. I had one at 36 weeks to check position because he had been breech throughout the pregnancy. |
Anonymous
| My OB does a standard "growth check" b/w 36 - 38 weeks. But I agree with other posters that if you're OB doesnt do this you should simply ask. |
Anonymous
| Thanks for your input! I'm going to ask my OB if we can have one mid/late 3rd trimester...I think it will help me be a little more relaxed. |
Anonymous
| Depends on your practice and age. I'm old (40) so they make me have one each week for the last 4 weeks. |
Anonymous
I don't think this is just about age. My OB does a development check at 36 weeks and an u/s at each subsequent appointment each week through 40 weeks as a standard practice. |
Anonymous
| I agree that it depends on the practice. I had a couple in the third trimester, because I got sent to labor and delivery to rule out preterm labor. otherwise, I wouldn't have had them. I'm 34 weeks now, and my OB doesn't have plans for more ultrasounds unless something else arises. |
Anonymous
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I had several toward the end of my first pregnancy for positioning, since my son was breech. Then one at the very end, just a few days before my scheduled c-section, to check the amniotic fluid levels. But, what I do recall from those u/s is they were pretty brief in that they were looking for one particular thing & that was about it. Not that they wouldn't probably notice something like, say, the cord wrapped around the baby's neck or whatever, but it was pretty business-like, they weren't printing pics of the face for us or checking all the anatomy like at the 13-wk or 20-wk u/s. (this time around, I'm AMA so they've already scheduled a u/s for 32wks)
Does your OB do the doppler at every visit? I feel like that's usually enough assurance to quell my crazy paranoid thoughts between visits. 
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