How
many weeks pregnant am I?
To
be pregnant and give birth to a child is usually a life-changing
event. Many couples wish to confirm the pregnancy by having a scan
and getting the necessary pregnancy tests done by a doctor or
midwife.
You
can have your first pregnancy scan, called the viability or dating
scan, done privately when you are 6 to 11 weeks pregnant. The dates
are calculated from the first day of your last menstrual period, not
the day of conception.
The
dating scan confirms the pregnancy, checks whether it is one child or
more and calculates the date when the baby is due. It is especially
important to have this done if bleeding or pain has occurred, or to
make sure that the pregnancy is in your womb and not in your
fallopian tube (ectopic pregnancy.)
Many
other tests/scans undertaken during pregnancy take place at a certain
gestational age and knowing this accurately ensures that you do not
miss the recommended timeframe. It is also important to know your due
date accurately to avoid an unnecessary induction.
The
dating scan can show the gestation sac (indicating a healthy
pregnancy) and the embryo. The fetal heartbeat is normally visible
from 6 weeks onwards. It is usually done vaginally to allow a clearer
picture of the baby. This is neither painful nor uncomfortable and is
the best way to obtain clear images in early pregnancy. Performing an
early pregnancy scan this way is not harmful to you or your baby, nor
will it increase your chances of having a miscarriage.
Consult
your doctor if you:
- have
any doubts about the necessity of any scan
- want
to confirm the date and viability of the pregnancy via ultrasound
early on
- know
you are pregnant and are bleeding or in pain
- think
you may be miscarrying.
At
Richmond Practice our female consultant obstetricians and
gynaecologists are also specialists in fetal maternal medicine and
ultrasound. They offer early pregnancy scans or viability scans
privately and undertake dating and all other scans and tests
recommended in pregnancy as part of the comprehensive maternity
packages available from the practice. We will give you a copy of the
"photo" of baby as a print-out and/or on a USB stick.
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