The different types of pregnancy scans explained

Pregnancy scans are a really exciting part of your pregnancy journey. After all, they’re a chance to actually see how your baby’s developing and watch their movements on screen.

However, your scans are also there to check how many babies you’re carrying, make sure your baby is growing as they should, and for your healthcare team to spot any potential issues with your pregnancy.

If you’re feeling a bit nervous about your baby scans, it can help to know exactly what to expect. From your very first early pregnancy scans to your 20-week scan and beyond, get the lowdown on the ‘when’, ‘what’ and ‘why’ of each baby scan to help you feel prepared.

You’ll be offered at least two scans during your pregnancy¹:

• 12-week scan (also known as the ‘Dating scan’)
• 20-week scan (also called the ‘Anomaly scan’)

These are the ones you usually see in films or TV, so you probably already have some idea of what happens!

Depending on how your pregnancy is progressing, you might also be offered^2,3:

• Early pregnancy scans
• Growth scans

These extra scans can give you peace of mind and help your antenatal care team provide the best care for you and your baby. If your sonographer has any concerns, they’ll refer you to speak to an obstetrician straight away.

Read on to learn more about the different types of baby scans you might be offered during your pregnancy.

From 6-10 weeks pregnant²

Not everyone has an early pregnancy scan, but you might be offered one if you’ve had complications during a previous pregnancy or if you’re experiencing any bleeding². You may also be offered an early pregnancy scan if you have type 1 diabetes.

Because your baby is still so tiny this early on in your pregnancy, you’ll probably have a transvaginal scan, which is where an ultrasound scanner is inserted into your vagina instead of on your tummy.²

From 10-14 weeks pregnant¹

For most expectant mums, the 12-week scan  is a big deal because it’s the first ultrasound they’ll have in their pregnancy and the first time they’ll get to see their baby in the womb.

Your doctor or midwife will book your first ultrasound before you’re 12 weeks pregnant⁴, and you’ll be notified of the date and time. The scan itself usually takes around 20 minutes, depending on how easy your baby is to spot on screen - some babies need a little encouragement!

Here’s what to expect⁴:

• You’ll lie down on a bed with your tummy out (so loose clothing is a must)
• The sonographer will squeeze some (quite cold!) jelly onto your abdomen
• They’ll move a handheld scanner across your stomach
• This will build a picture of your baby on a screen

At your 12-week scan, it can be tricky to make heads and tails of the image – literally! But your sonographer will be able to help you see the image of your baby amongst all the wibbly lines.

At this point, you’ll also be offered a nuchal translucency (NT) scan, which is part of the screening for conditions like Down’s syndrome, Patau’s syndrome and Edwards’ syndrome⁴.

You don’t have to have the screening, but if you do, the NT scan will happen during your 12-week ultrasound⁴.

During the screening, your sonographer will carry out a blood test and have a closer look at the fluid under a fold of skin at the back of your baby’s neck, which is called nuchal translucency⁴. All babies have this, but if your baby has more fluid than expected, you might be referred to a specialist for some additional tests.

From 18-21 weeks⁵

Your 20-week scan is a big milestone – you’re halfway through your pregnancy! How you book your 20-week pregnancy scan depends on where you live, but your midwife will give you more information when the time comes⁵.

The process is pretty similar to your 12-week scan, but this time your baby will be much bigger and your sonographer will be able to take a closer look at their brain, heart, face, bones, spine, kidneys and tummy⁵.

The 20-week scan is also sometimes called the ‘fetal anomaly scan’ because it’s there to check how your little one’s growing and spot if your baby has developed any conditions.   Although your scan will be carried out by a sonographer, they’ll seek advice from an obstetrician if they notice anything that needs to be checked. Your obstetrician will then talk with you and let you know the next steps⁵.

Keep in mind that some hospitals won’t offer the opportunity to find out the sex of your baby and focus purely on checking that your baby is healthy and your pregnancy progressing as it should.

If your hospital does offer this, however, let your sonographer know if you’d rather be surprised, and they’ll keep that piece of information firmly under wraps.

During your third trimester³

If there are any concerns about how your baby is growing, you might be offered some additional scans in your third trimester called ‘growth scans’. These scans do exactly what they say on the tin – they keep an eye on your little one’s growth as your pregnancy moves along³.

During a growth scan, the sonographer will check:

• The size of your baby, including their head and femur length
• The size of your baby bump
• Your baby’s heartbeat and movements
• How much amniotic fluid is around your baby in the womb
• How well your placenta is working
• The blood flow to your placenta
• Your baby’s position (are they ‘head down’ (Cephalic) for example, or are they ‘bottom first’ (breech)?)

Depending on your circumstances, these extra baby scans might happen at 28, 31, 34, 37 and 40 weeks of pregnancy³.

Remember, if you'd like to know more about your pregnancy, why not give one of our friendly experts a call on 1800 570 570.

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