What is an ultrasound?
An ultrasound, which is also called sonography, relies on sound waves to render a picture of what’s going on inside your body. Using a handheld tool, the doctors at Southeast Texas OB/GYN Associates, P.A. send an inaudible, high-frequency sound into your body, which sends echoes back that create a picture, revealing the size and shape of your soft tissue and organs, as well as your fetus.
What are ultrasounds used for?
The obstetricians at Southeast Texas OB/GYN Associates, P.A. frequently use ultrasounds to monitor the development of your fetus. But there’s much more that this amazing technology can do. For example, the gynecologists use ultrasound technology to detect any problems in your:
- Uterus
- Bladder
- Cervix
- Fallopian tubes
- Ovaries
- Breasts
The resulting images can indicate whether any abnormal growths, such as cysts or fibroids, exist in your reproductive system. The doctors can also detect any abnormal masses related to cancer.
How do the doctors perform an ultrasound?
When it comes to getting images of your pelvic region, the gynecologists at Southeast Texas OB/GYN Associates, P.A. perform ultrasounds one of three ways:
- Transabdominal ultrasound, which is used most often to monitor your fetus
- Transrectal ultrasound, which goes in through your anus
- Transvaginal ultrasound, which goes in through your vagina
In some cases, the doctors may perform ultrasounds from two different angles to get the most complete picture of your pelvic region.
If I’m pregnant, how often do I need to have an ultrasound?
The obstetricians at Southeast Texas OB/GYN Associates, P.A. use ultrasounds to monitor the growth of your baby, making sure that important developmental milestones are met. Your first ultrasound at six to eight weeks allows your doctor to check your baby’s heart rate and predict his or her due date.
Between 18 and 20 weeks, you will undergo another ultrasound so the doctor can check your baby’s growth and organ health (you can also find out the sex of your baby at this point).
Should everything check out during this second ultrasound, you may or may not require another one during your third trimester.
If you want the convenience of having an in-office ultrasound, call Southeast Texas OB/GYN Associates, P.A., or schedule an appointment using the online booking tool.
