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The first step most women take after finding out they’re pregnant is to see an OB/GYN. An ultrasound is typically performed during this visit to confirm early pregnancy. However, an ultrasound does not always reveal what women might expect. Any component of the foetus is usually not visible until a woman is six weeks pregnant, which allows the doctor to establish whether the pregnancy is viable. Even at a 7-week ultrasound, you are still regarded to be in the early stages of pregnancy.
As a result, it’s critical for pregnant women to understand what information an ultrasound can and cannot reveal at different stages of their pregnancy. And, if it’s too soon, they should be prepared to wait to hear more about their kid.
Learn 4 Stages of Early Pregnancy
Stage One: This ultrasound, when done around the time a woman’s menstrual period is due, often shows a fluffy, thick uterine lining that’s prepared for the fertilised egg to implant.
Stage two: It occurs 4 to 5 weeks after the last period of a pregnant woman. An ultrasound often reveals a little accumulation of fluid within the uterine lining, which symbolises the gestational sac’s early growth.
Stage three: It occurs roughly 5 and a half weeks after the last menstruation of a pregnant woman. The yolk sac is often visible on ultrasound as a 3-5 mm bubble-like structure within the gestational sac.
Stage Four: About six weeks following a pregnant woman’s last period, we may observe a little foetal pole, which is one of an embryo’s early stages of growth, developing alongside the yolk sac.
Why Would Your Doctor Arrange an Ultrasound so Soon?
Although a 7-week ultrasound isn’t regularly conducted, there are a variety of reasons why your doctor may want you to have one.
In fact, doctors frequently conduct ultrasounds before the 12- or 13-week mark in order to precisely date your pregnancy.
If your pregnancy symptoms don’t match up with your last menstrual cycle, or if you’re unsure how old your baby is gestationally, measurements taken during a 6-week ultrasound or prior can inform your doctor exactly how far along you are.
Reasons for a Seven-Week Ultrasound Include
- Confirming the presence of twins or multiples: This is something you should confirm as soon as possible, especially if you’ve done reproductive treatments.
- Confirming the presence of a foetal heartbeat: Your doctor will want to know if you’re having a miscarriage or what the reason for any unexplained bleeding is if you’ve had any troubling symptoms, such as spotting or vaginal bleeding.
- Excluding the possibility of ectopic pregnancy: Even if the embryo isn’t viable, pregnancy symptoms and a positive pregnancy test are common when an embryo implants outside the uterus. If left untreated, an ectopic pregnancy can be fatal; therefore, it’s critical to get it diagnosed.
- Examining the anatomy of your reproductive system: Complications during pregnancy might arise from problems with your uterus, ovaries, cervix, or fallopian tubes. If your doctor feels you may have an issue, such as uterine fibroids, they may want to know about it right once.
If your doctor prescribes a 7-week ultrasound, don’t get too worked up about it. Yes, it might be the critical scenario, but it could also be that you’re gathering as much information as possible in order to have a good pregnancy.
