Kent Police

Most women whose pregnancy is progressing without complications will be offered a maximum of two to three scans in their pregnancy. Most scans are performed by a sonographer, who is the healthcare professional trained to use the ultrasound equipment, to take measurements of your baby and to check for major anomalies. Sonographers are not specialists in obstetrics or fetal medicine, so if something is found you will usually be referred to someone with specialist knowledge.

Below we describe the scans most commonly offered in the UK. Not all hospitals will offer all these scans. Your midwife or doctor will tell you which scans your unit offers.

Mother Natasha Gent, 28, from Medway, Kent, described how doctors told her she should expect her baby to have ‘a bit of hair’ after they detected wisps around Holly’s head on the week scan.

An ultrasound is a procedure that uses high frequency sound waves to scan the pelvic cavity and abdomen of a woman, and then creates a sonogram a picture of the placenta and the baby. The terms sonogram and ultrasound are technically very different. However, the two are used interchangeably. An ultrasound exam can be performed at any point during the pregnancy period.

The results of an ultrasound are immediately seen on a monitor when the procedure is being carried out. To diagnose molar pregnancies or diagnose a potential ectopic pregnancy, transvaginal scans may be performed during the early stages of pregnancy. Read to learn when you need to have your first ultrasound done and what precautions you should bear in mind. As part of parental care, ultrasounds have become very common and regular. In the early stages of pregnancy, ultrasounds are used to confirm a uterine pregnancy and fetal heartbeat.

Ultrasounds that are performed during the later stages of pregnancy are used to screen for placenta location, umbilical cord and fetal growth. They are also used to check the length of your cervix when there is any suspicion that you might be in preterm labor.