20 Week Ultrasound

The first thing you need to expect is that your 4D ultrasound at 20-weeks will probably be lengthy and detailed compared to all the other ultrasounds you might have had during your pregnancy.

Another thing you should anticipate during the procedure is a complete scan of the baby’s body. The ultrasound tech will scan his or her brain, spine, face, abdomen, and as well as all chambers of the heart. In addition, everything is measured to make sure that your baby grows at the proper pace according to their gestational age.

Feel free to inform the sonographer if you think you are feeling uncomfortable or if you need to visit the bathroom. After the ultrasound is completed, the reading radiologist will look over the images to make sure everything was done correctly. Your results will be with your referring physician and they will go over everything with you. 

What happens at the 20-week ultrasound?

After the application of gel on your belly, a sonographer will obtain 20-week ultrasound pictures by using a transducer. The ultrasound probe creates images of what happens inside your body at the 20th week of pregnancy through high-frequency sound waves. The sonographer may also ask you to move from side to side in order to receive better images.

In general, the questions to ask would be the following:

• Are my baby’s organs growing normally?
• Are there any signs of Down’s syndrome?
• Is there anything to be worried about based on the ultrasound?

Keep in mind, however, that the sonographer does not have the freedom to assess and discuss the findings without a physician’s review, so be patient if they tell you to wait and speak with the doctor instead.

During the detailed scan, the sonographer will check your baby’s overall anatomy in order to identify if there is any abnormality, which could include heart defects or openings in the spine.

It is, for instance, possible to tell if the kidneys are working by assessing the fluid in the bladder. Furthermore, it can be defined if the heart functions properly by looking at the heart chambers and connected vessels.

Can a 20-week ultrasound detect down syndrome?

The ultrasound aids in detecting Down’s Syndrome and other genetic disorders by conducting a series of measurements and assessments. Please note that your physician would have let you know if your baby is at risk of any genetic disorders following your first-trimester ultrasound at around 11-14 weeks of gestation.

However, since your baby at 20 weeks is much bigger, it could be possible to obtain further detailed data on your baby’s growth and any likely abnormalities.

As previously mentioned, your baby’s face, brain, spine, heart, kidneys, diaphragm, and as well as the umbilical cord will also be scanned and measured. A 3D ultrasound imaging with A Date With Baby will also reveal the size of the fetus and the level of amniotic fluid in the placenta.

What to do before the ultrasound?

Please note that compared to earlier stages, you will not need to drink a lot of fluid for the 20-week ultrasound. However, consuming a light meal or snack before the process may make your baby become more active, which can help us to view him or her from different angles.