Early/Dating Obstetric Ultrasound 6-12 weeks
What is it?
The main purpose of an early obstetric/dating scan ultrasound’s is to determine the viability of your pregnancy, to confirm how many weeks pregnant you are and to estimate your due date. This scan will also show if you are expecting a multiple pregnancy.
What to Tell us?
If you have recently experienced painful cramping or PV bleeding
How to Prepare?
Please drink 1 litre of water and hold for one hour prior to your appointment. Do not empty your bladder until after the examination.
What does the procedure involve?
You’ll be asked to lie down on a table and required to expose your abdomen, down to the pelvic bone, but you can keep your underwear on. The sonographer will tuck a piece of tissue into your underwear to protect your clothes, then drop some gel onto your abdomen. This helps the scanning head to glide smoothly over your skin to get a clear image. Most dating scans are done with a trans-abdominal transducer and require a full bladder. However, if the pregnancy is in very early stages, the gestational sac and foetus may not be big enough to visualise and you may be offered an internal, transvaginal (TV) scan which will result in clearer images.
How long will it take?
Early Obstetric/Dating Scan procedures can take between 20 – 30 minutes.
When my results be available?
Your results will be forwarded electronically to your referring Doctor and will be available with less than 24 hours. Your image films will be provided to you at the completion of appointment.
Nuchal Translucency (12-14 weeks)
These scans are only performed at Sandgate.
What is it?
Sometime between weeks 12 and 14 of your pregnancy you might be offered a Nuchal translucency scan. A Nuchal Translucency (NT) assessment is used to indicate whether a baby has a low or high risk of a chromosomal abnormality. This is a screening test which helps provide an early indicator to your doctor. Ultrasound is used to take a measurement of a particular skin fold at the back of your baby’s neck. In babies with Downs syndrome, this fold of skin is thicker than in babies without the syndrome. This measurement is used, along with the results of blood tests, to calculate the your babies risk factor.
What to Tell us?
Please advise staff if you are expecting twins or if you have NOT had a previous Ultrasound (dating scan) for the pregnancy.
How to Prepare?
You should arrive 10 minutes before your appointment time to complete all necessary paperwork.
Wear comfortable clothing, including a two piece garment.
Please drink 1 litre of water and hold for one hour prior your appointment. Do not empty your bladder until after the examination.
What does the procedure involve?
You’ll be asked to lie down on a table and required to expose your abdomen, down to the pelvic bone, but you can keep your underwear on. The sonographer will tuck a piece of tissue into your underwear to protect your clothes, then drop some gel onto your abdomen. This helps the scanning head to glide smoothly over your skin to get a good image. The sonongrapher moves a transducer (probe) over the skin to obtain sonographic images of the baby.
Once the relevant skin fold has been detected, measurements will be taken on screen, then printed out as a graph to determine the risk factor for your obstetrician/general practitioner to consider.
How long will it take?
A Nuchal Translucency study can take between 20 – 30 minutes.
When my results be available?
Your results will be forwarded electronically to your referring Doctor and will be available with less than 24 hours. Your image films will be provided to you at the completion of appointment.
Please note this service is not Medicare rebatable. Some partial rebates may be available, please contact SCAN for further information.
You will receive paperwork by email or post prior to your appointment. To save you time, please complete all paperwork prior to appointment and present to reception upon arrival. Please contact us if you have any questions.
Morphology Scan
Morphology Scan (20 weeks)
What is it?
The Morphology Scan (sometimes called an anomaly scan) is a routine diagnostic ultrasound examination which most Australian women have in the mid trimester of their pregnancy. At Scan Radiology, we recommend that this scan be performed at 20 weeks gestation. This allows for best assessment of the baby. The main purpose of the scan is to evaluate the foetal anatomy of your baby. This includes examination of the brain, face, spine, extremities, heart, lungs, stomach, kidneys, bladder, cord insertion, arms, legs, placenta, cervix and volume of amniotic fluid. Although the baby’s sex can often be determined during this study, this is dependent on the baby’s position at the time of the examination and is not always possible.
What to Tell us?
Please advise staff if you are expecting twins or if you have NOT had a previous Ultrasound (dating scan/Nuchal Translucency) for the current pregnancy.
How to Prepare?
You should arrive 10 minutes before your appointment time to complete all necessary paperwork.
Wear comfortable clothing, including a two piece garment.
Please drink 500ml of water and hold for one hour prior to your appointment. Do not empty your bladder until after the examination.
What does the procedure involve?
You’ll be asked to lie down on a table and required to expose your abdomen, down to the pelvic bone, but you can keep your underwear on. The sonographer will tuck a piece of tissue into your underwear to protect your clothes, then drop some gel onto your abdomen. This helps the scanning head to glide smoothly over your skin to get a good image. The sonongrapher moves a transducer (probe) over the skin to obtain sonographic images of the baby.
How long will it take?
A Morphology Scan can take between 30 – 50 minutes.
You will receive paperwork by email or post prior to your appointment. To save you time, please complete all paperwork prior to appointment and present to reception upon arrival. Please contact us if you have any questions.