Over the course of your pregnancy, there are various moments at which we assess the health of your unborn child. This is done using ultrasound examination. Ultrasonic sound waves are sent into your body. Your internal organs reflect these sound waves. A computer then translates the reflected sound waves into a visual image.
Scheduling an appointment by telephone
It is not possible to schedule an appointment for this examination via the client portal, because we have a few questions we want to discuss with you personally. To schedule an appointment, please call us at: 088 - 21 41 149.
You can bring one other person (e.g. your partner) to the pregnancy ultrasound. Unfortunately, children cannot be present for the exam.
Why do I need this exam?
At the request of your obstetrician, we will examine your unborn child. With an ultrasound examination, we can e.g. determine if the baby's heart is beating, whether you are carrying more than one child and how the child is positioned in your uterus. By performing multiple ultrasound exams, we can also monitor your child's growth and development over time. All this provides more information about your baby and your pregnancy.
In addition to the standard pregnancy ultrasound, there are two additional medical ultrasounds that we can perform: at thirteen and nineteen weeks of pregnancy. More information about these ultrasound exams can be found under 13-week ultrasound and 20-week ultrasound.
What will we do?
For this ultrasound exam, you must lie down on an examination table with an exposed abdomen. The sonographer will place a transducer - a device that transmits and receives ultrasonic sound waves - on your abdomen. The reflected sound waves are translated into images that are shown directly on the monitor. To improve the conductivity of the sound waves, a gel is applied to your abdomen. Scientific research has shown that an ultrasound examination is harmless to yourself and your unborn child. Likewise, the exam is painless. All you will feel is the sensation of the transducer being moved across your abdomen.
In some cases, it will be necessary to perform the exam internally. This is done using a special vaginal transducer. If you require an internal ultrasound examination, we will discuss this with you beforehand.
Duration of the exam
The pregnancy ultrasound will take circa 10 minutes.
How soon can you see me?
We want to help you as quickly as possible, which is why we keep the waiting times short at Diagnostiek voor U. Take a look at the current overview of waiting times for the various exams or read more about our waiting times on this page.
The results
The sonographer can immediately give you the results of the examination. Sometimes, they may first want to confer with the supervising gynaecologist. In that case, you will receive the results later. We will forward the results to your general practitioner, physician or obstetrician. Schedule an appointment with your general practitioner or obstetrician to discuss your results.
Would you like to know more?
You can find the latest information about the various pre- and neonatal screenings on the website of the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM).
