Benefits of Electing 3D Ultrasounds
Benefits for Electing 3D Ultrasounds
Although there is no direct medical benefit of receiving an elective 3D ultrasound, there may be many indirect benefits, as listed below. It is important to note that there has been no conclusive evidence in the medical literature to support these benefits, and in fact, the medical literature shows conflicting studies on these benefits. However, on the individual level, a pregnant woman may find any of the following benefits for herself personally.
May reduce alcohol intake
- May encourage quitting smoking
- May help reduce other harmful health behaviors
- May help reduce intrapartum and post-partum depression
- Better able to visualize the baby
- May improve bonding between mother and child
- May improve bonding with the father, encourage greater involvement from the father
- Ability to determine the gender, which helps with planning for the baby and helps increase bonding through better visualization of the baby
- Able to share pictures with family and friends
- Historical record, pictures for the baby album
- Makes motherhood "more real"
Controversially, Christian/Catholic non-profit organizations have employed 3D ultrasounds for young pregnant women in order to influence their decisions regarding abortion. Charitable donations or public funds help pay for the 3D ultrasound machine.
Risks of 3D ultrasounds
Generally, the risks of 3D ultrasounds mirror those of 2D ultrasounds, as it uses the same ultrasound waves at the same intensity. Unlike the comparison of CT scans to x-rays, 3D ultrasounds do not employ multiple snapshots of 2D ultrasounds but uses the 2D ultrasound images taken at various angles to construct an image. So the potential risk of 3D ultrasounds, if any, would depend on the duration of the ultrasound session rather than whether it is 2D or 3D.
The risk of ultrasounds, theoretically, would depend on the following factors:
- Duration of ultrasound exposure
- Intensity of ultrasound waves
- Frequency of ultrasound sessions
The 'wand' is then moved around your vagina to allow the technician to 'see' up into the uterus and abdomen as needed. Occasionally it needs to be pressed up on either side of your cervix firmly to 'see' the ovaries clearly, which can be a bit uncomfortable for some women, but the discomfort is usually tolerable. Some moms have likened a transvaginal ultrasound to 'having someone driving a stick shift inside.' That’s a crude but accurate description. Having a sense of humor about it makes it easier. However, women who have sexual abuse background may want to request a female technician instead or avoid having an early ultrasound altogether, depending on their comfort levels.
Generally speaking, the trans-vaginal ultrasound is used in the first trimester, since the uterus has not yet grown big enough to lift out of the pelvic cavity. It is very useful in getting a clearer picture to determine whether there is an ectopic pregnancy, whether the fetus is viable, if there are multiple fetuses, etc. It is especially useful in heavyset women and perhaps in women with a retrograde uterus.
Because the transducer is right up by the cervix and thus right next to the baby, the ultrasound waves do not have to go through the abdomen before reaching the baby, and the picture is often clearer than with an abdominal ultrasound at this point. However, it also means the transducer is much closer to the baby than with an abdominal ultrasound, and critics worry about the safety of this. Does the baby receive increased levels or intensity of ultrasound this way, and is this more harmful particularly because it is usually used during the first trimester? No one knows.
The closeness of the trans-vaginal transducer (and its ability to use somewhat higher frequencies) is a particular advantage in the case of very heavy women with extensive abdominal adiposity. Although abdominal ultrasounds definitely work on heavy women later on in pregnancy, sometimes they are not very effective earlier in pregnancy. Thus transvaginal ultrasounds are especially common in women of size early in pregnancy. However, it is also not unusual for women of all sizes (not just heavy women) to have difficulty getting a clear abdominal ultrasound early in pregnancy, so big moms should not feel like they are the only ones having a vaginal ultrasound. When ultrasounds are done in very early pregnancy, they are usually done transvaginally. It is only a little later that there is a difference in ultrasound method due to size and this does not last for long.
At some point around the end of the first trimester, most average-sized women can have an abdominal ultrasound done, but in some larger women, a transvaginal ultrasound may still need to be used for a few weeks yet in order to get a more effective picture. However, every woman is different and many larger women have reported being able to use an abdominal ultrasound at about that time too. Each case will be different and has to be decided at the time, but be aware that transvaginal ultrasounds may have to be used just a bit longer in larger women.