Some healthcare providers recommend eating or having a full bladder to make it easier to see the images and make your baby more likely to move. Plan ahead by making any necessary arrangements for work or childcare. If you are seeing your healthcare provider afterward, your appointment could last up to 75 minutes. This will be one of your longer appointments-around 45 minutes for just the ultrasound. There isn’t much to do to prepare for your appointment. How do I prepare for my 20-week ultrasound? However, if you ask what body part you’re looking at, they can usually answer. Keep in mind, your technician can’t interpret the results of the scan for you. Ask your ultrasound technician if you are unsure what you are looking at. Unlike your first trimester ultrasound when your baby looked like a tiny undefined being, your baby looks more like a real baby at 20 weeks. You will most likely spot your baby’s head, nose, arms and legs. It may be hard for you to identify what you’re looking at on an ultrasound. What does an ultrasound look like at 20 weeks? Your due date will not change unless your baby’s measurements are outside of that time frame. If your baby's measurements are within 10 to 14 days of the predicted due date, then the baby is considered to be growing adequately. In some cases, you might hear you are measuring ahead, on track or behind your due date. They compare these measurements against your due date.
This line acts as a ruler, documenting the sizes of organs and limbs. You will see the sonographer draw lines on the screen. Several images are taken during this ultrasound. Look at your placenta to make sure it’s not covering your cervix (placenta previa).Check the umbilical cord for blood flow and where it attaches to the placenta.Listen to your baby’s heart rate for abnormal rhythms.Some specific parts your provider will examine are your baby’s: The scan also looks for signs of specific congenital disabilities or structural issues with certain organs. What is the 20-week anatomy scan looking for?Ī 20-week ultrasound takes measurements of your baby’s organs and body parts to make sure your baby is growing appropriately. You may also learn the sex of your baby at this appointment. The ultrasound technician, or sonographer, will take measurements and make sure your baby is growing appropriately for its age. Your healthcare provider will use a 2D, 3D or even 4D ultrasound to take images of your baby inside your womb ( uterus). It checks on the physical development of your baby and can detect certain congenital disorders as well as major anatomical abnormalities.
A 20-week ultrasound, sometimes called an anatomy scan or anomaly scan, is a prenatal ultrasound performed between 18 and 22 weeks of pregnancy.