Seeing the baby move for the first time. This is a great highlight. Ultrasound during pregnancy makes it possible. The partner can also participate in the pregnancy even more intensively and see the baby. But that is not the reason why the gynaecologist regularly takes an ultrasound image. The aim is to check whether the pregnancy is progressing correctly and whether the baby is developing normally. The gynaecologist can also detect an ectopic pregnancy or a pregnancy that is not intact with an ultrasound.
Every pregnant woman with statutory health insurance in Germany has the right to three ultrasound examinations during pregnancy. These are free of charge, i.e. the health insurance company covers the costs. They are listed in the maternity record as "screening". If you belong to the group of high-risk pregnant women, your gynaecologist can order more frequent ultrasound examinations as well as more frequent check-ups. You are free to decide whether you want this.
Detect abnormalities at an early stage
Above all, an ultrasound scan during pregnancy should reveal any abnormalities at an early stage. This allows the gynaecologist to decide together with you how to proceed. But don't worry: 96-98 per cent of pregnancies have no complications and the baby is born healthy.
You can choose not to have all three ultrasound examinations if you wish. This will not affect your insurance cover. If you do not wish to have an ultrasound during pregnancy, you can also inform your gynaecologist of this. You do not have to give any reasons for this.
You can also decide whether you want to see the ultrasound images and what information your gynaecologist should give you. In particular, if you do not want to know the gender, you should inform your gynaecologist in advance.
Basic ultrasound during pregnancy
The gynaecologist will perform three ultrasound scans throughout the pregnancy to check whether the pregnancy is progressing normally and whether the baby is developing on time. The position of the placenta is also checked and the amount of amniotic fluid is monitored. Of course, your baby will also be measured, as the size provides information about which week of pregnancy you are in. This information will be entered in your maternity record and will help you to prepare well for the birth.
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Ultrasound during pregnancy between the 9th and 12th week of pregnancy
Most women will visit their gynaecologist for the first time sometime between the 9th and 12th week of pregnancy. This first ultrasound during pregnancy should confirm an intact pregnancy and rule out the possibility that the fertilised egg has implanted somewhere other than in the uterus (e.g. ectopic pregnancy).
Your baby is already being measured for the first time: Head circumference and body length help to calculate the correct week of pregnancy. This also allows the gynaecologist to calculate the due date (ET). Of course, the most important thing should not be missing: the heartbeat will also be checked.
The first ultrasound during pregnancy will also tell you whether you can expect a multiple birth.
"After my miscarriage, I was very nervous before the first ultrasound. I fluctuated between fear and joy. It was very exciting."
Ultrasound during pregnancy between the 19th and 22nd week of pregnancy
The second ultrasound during pregnancy is basically the same as the first ultrasound. The gynaecologist measures your child's head and abdomen. Now the femur is also measured. The position of the placenta is also assessed.
If your gynaecologist has the appropriate qualifications, they can also perform an extended basic ultrasound on you. This involves a more detailed examination of certain parts of your body: head, neck, back, chest and torso.
All this information should help to determine whether your baby is healthy. A deformation of the head or ventricles of the brain often indicates abnormalities. An examination of the heart can also provide information about whether something is wrong with your baby.
Ultrasound during pregnancy in the 29th to 32nd week of pregnancy
The third ultrasound during pregnancy also takes place in the last trimester. This is the same as the 2nd ultrasound.
Does the health insurance fund pay for further ultrasound examinations during pregnancy?
If irregularities are found during one of the three basic ultrasound examinations, your gynaecologist should carry out further examinations. This is known as "prenatal diagnostics". So that the gynaecologist can examine the heart and the blood flow within the blood vessels in detail, he or she will carry out a so-called Doppler sonography. In order to rule out malformations of the organs and limbs, the gynaecologist can perform a fine ultrasound (also known as organ ultrasound).
Many couples also opt for a nuchal fold measurement. This involves carrying out the nuchal translucency test. An expert gynaecologist examines whether fluid has accumulated in the neck area. This value can indicate Down's syndrome.
"We had a nuchal fold measurement of 2.5. After the Harmonie blood test, we had a probability of Down's syndrome of 1:250. We decided against further tests, but the pregnancy was already very difficult for us."
Why baby television is now banned
For many mums - including me - three ultrasound examinations during pregnancy are not enough. I wasn't interested in seeing my baby all the time, but I wanted to know whether the heart was still beating. My first miscarriage had such an impact on me that I was happy to pay for the additional ultrasound examinations.
In 2021, there will be a new Radiation Protection Ordinance that partially prohibits voluntary additional ultrasound examinations. This regulation states that gynaecologists may only carry out medically necessary examinations using 3D and 4D. The fact that the images from these examinations are very precise means that the child is exposed to higher levels of radiation. At least that is how the new law is argued. The Society for Ultrasound in Medicine (DEGUM) takes a different view. Despite years of research, it can find no evidence that an ultrasound scan during pregnancy poses a risk to the child.
For me personally, the additional ultrasound examinations were not about seeing my baby. I just wanted to know if the heart was still beating. If I now put myself back in my situation during the pregnancy, I wouldn't be particularly thrilled. After all, I was deprived of the right to know whether my child was doing well. My psychological stress would have been enormous, because I was really afraid at all times that something might be wrong with our son.
The gynaecologist should decide together with the expectant mother whether and which additional ultrasounds are useful during pregnancy. From my personal point of view as a mother, a ban does not make sense, especially as there is no research evidence of harm to the unborn child.
8 responses
I found out last week that I'm pregnant and I'm very excited. I'm particularly excited to see the baby grow through the ultrasound and it's good to know that 96-98 per cent of pregnancies are without complications and the baby is born healthy.
My sister has just found out that she is pregnant. It's helpful to know that regular ultrasound examinations are used to determine whether the pregnancy is progressing without complications. I hope that she will find a trustworthy gynaecological practice.
I am finally pregnant. Good to know that 3 ultrasounds are recommended. I will talk to my gynaecologist about it.
Thank you for the article! I am now six months pregnant. However, I now think that ultrasound examinations are carried out too rarely during pregnancy. So it's good to know that this is due to concerns about the child's exposure to radiation.
Should you have a scan straight away if you know you're pregnant? I'm not quite sure. I've heard different opinions on this.
As a mother, you can see from the ultrasound that the child is doing well. I think that's very important. Is a heart ultrasound also carried out on the babies?
Can a cardiac ultrasound be carried out with the baby in the womb? Perhaps this will happen automatically as you can see the heart on the ultrasound. I'm curious to see when the time finally comes for us to become parents.
Thank you for the advice on how often such an examination should be carried out during the entire pregnancy. I have also become pregnant and would like to have my first ultrasound scan. I will look for a competent gynaecologist's practice over the weekend.