It doesn’t matter if it’s your first or fourth ultrasound; it is a miraculous moment in the life of a parent — so surreal and moving that it’s almost difficult to wrap your mind around. It’s often the first real sign of life, weeks into gestation, confirming that your wildest dreams are coming true. For many mothers, it’s hard to even believe they are pregnant in the beginning, and seeing the heartbeat and the little ‘tadpole’ move around makes it feel ever so real.
The Magical Moment of the First Ultrasound
For most women, the first ultrasound is done around the 17-week mark, but many first ultrasounds occur earlier, which can be somewhat disappointing. As great as it is to see the heartbeat, before the 15-week mark, the fetus just doesn’t look very baby-like. At around 10 weeks, you’ll see a fetal pole with small stubby protruding stumps for arms and legs — and, of course, the heartbeat, but not much else. Miraculously, around the 17-19 week mark, an ultrasound will show you a lifelike picture that includes facial features, fingers, toes, and all the pertinent internal organs. Even if you can’t feel the baby move at this point, you’ll certainly be able to see it moving in the womb. Sometimes, they curl and stretch, kick and hiccup for the camera, and the experience is breathtaking.
Most parents enter the first ultrasound with a mixed sense of excitement and anxiety. You’re excited to see your baby and, of course, worried and hoping everything is okay. There are tons of horror stories about women going to their first ultrasound and finding out there’s a health concern with their baby. Keep in mind that most concerns turn out to be nothing. The first ultrasound is also the time when you can find out the gender of your child. For every parent who can’t wait to decorate in pink or blue, there’s another who wants to keep it a surprise. Depending on the outcome, knowing the gender can also be stressful. Many moms worry that having a girl will disappoint their husbands, while others had their hearts set on one sex and end up with the other. The best thing to do is realize that a higher power knows what’s best for you and your family.
Probably the worst part of the first ultrasound is the requirement to have a full bladder. There’s nothing worse than being pregnant, drinking 64 ounces of fluid, being told to hold it, and then having someone press on your belly. Somehow, this seems to be a metaphorical rite of passage into motherhood. Finally, after 15 years, the techs have at least started using warmed-up gel to apply to your belly before performing the procedure.
If you’re looking forward to or headed to your first ultrasound, here are a couple of things you should keep in mind. The first is: prepare to be amazed. There’s a moment that’s almost confusing when you see your baby and know it’s inside you, but you feel like you can’t wait another moment to hold it. The second thing to remember is that it’s normal for the radiologists performing your procedure not to speak to you. In many cases, even if you ask questions, they won’t answer. Lying there on the table, that can feel alarming, but it has more to do with their protocol than a concern about your pregnancy. Another thing to keep in mind is that you should bring someone with you. Whether it’s the dad, your mom, your sister, or even a best friend, having someone to experience it with is calming. Ask beforehand if you’re allowed to take video or get DVDs to save a copy for home watching, and always ask to get as many pictures as they’re willing to provide. Down the road, when you feel miserable, achy, and tired, you’ll be able to look at those pictures and realize that it all has a purpose — and you’ll make it through.
For every person, there are certain moments in life that live in memory forever. The first ultrasound is definitely one of them. There’s something magical about the technology that allows us to see our baby in the womb, with a beating heart and sometimes even sucking their thumb, that makes whatever you might be going through seem okay. Pregnancy is always a mixed bag of emotions for people, and every woman experiences it differently. There’s really no right way. But seeing the first ultrasound makes one thing crystal clear: you are a mother! As you see your baby and begin developing dreams, ideas, and hopes for the future based on the little tiny person you actually see, you will be transforming and falling in love like you never have before.
