Hi,
In 3 weeks I have my ultrasound to determine the sex of my baby. The doctor nor the nurse gave me any special instruction prior to my appt. However, I was just reading that some women have been told to drink 32oz. of water one hour before their appt.
Have any of you been told that? Does it help see the baby better to have a full bladder?
Thnks for sharing your experiences. I had an u/s at 7.5 and 9 wks because of spotting (everything ok though :)). They never said anything then. I left a message at my Dr. today, so I will prolly hear back tomorrow since I called late and said it was not an emergency. I will let y'all know what I find out.
Yes drink water!! I was never told to drink water before my ultrasound and the sonogram tech had a hard time looking at the baby, but now I know!! Congrats...
Sumitra(o:
My baby is now 15 months and when I had my ultrasound they said that I did not drink enough water and they were having problems seeing everything. Just let them tell you what they want from you..
Yes they told you the right thing. They can see the baby better on the Ultrasound if you have a full bladder. I also was told to drink something sweet before the ultrasound that way it would make your baby more active and you don't have to worry about the baby laying in one spot and not able to tell what sex he or she is.
Girl, I tried EVERYTHING - water one time, OJ another, DP another, OJ AND Dr. Pepper. Nothing ever worked to give a better view or hype up the baby to spread its legs or move around enough for the right position. There's not much you can do to ensure you will find out. I tried it all! Hope you can find out now. Good luck.
A. (mom of 2 girls)
Well I guess it depends on when your appt. is. Like what time of the day it is. My sono was in the morning so I just didn't pee when I woke up. If it's in the afternoon I know how hard (next to impossible) it is to hold it that long. So then I would go ahead and use the restroom but make sure you do drink plenty of water durring the day. What my doctor told me was to just make sure that your bladder is full when you get there. Or close to it. The fuller your bladder is the better they can see inside. The fluid will help them see alot better what sex the baby is. And it does make a difference, and they can tell if you havn't done so.
Well I hope that helps you out. I'm no doctor, I'm just telling you what my doctor told me. And after 2 kids it's worked so far! Good Luck!!!!
~C.~
Hey, I know you've already gotten several responses and posted your update but just wanted to share that my ultrasound tech insisted on a very full bladder. I went in for one ultrasound without it and she told me the next time I came in that way she'd make me wait out in the waiting room for an hour drinking water! LOL Didn't want to do that so I went in for the next one nearly in pain from having to go so bad. She said that a full bladder "lifts" the baby up so its easier to see. Best wishes for a healthy baby and a safe and easy delivery.
Hi C., congrats.. My doctor office always too me to drink 32 oz of water 1 hour prior to the apt.
I'm 16 weeks pregnant. They always have me empty my bladder before I do the ultrasound so that I'm not uncomfortable. It's hard enough being pregnant and having to pee all the time without adding someone poking around on your bladder. I don't know what good that would do. Tell me if you find out.
From what I've read, the full bladder is for ultrasounds prior to the 12th week and that occassionally a partially full or fullish bladder is helpful for the weeks between 12 and 20, if an ultrasound is done then and is based on the specific case (and why the ultrasound is being done). If you are getting the ultrasound for the sex of the baby, my guess is that you are at least 20 weeks along (or will be at the time of your appt), so I don't think it matters, but talk to the dr or the tech to find out what they want you to do.
With all three of my pregnancies, I was never told that. Also, with the amount of pressure they will be putting on your abdomen, it seems like having a full bladder would make for a miserable experience if you feel like you have to "go" the whole time!
You have probably already figured everything out by now. But it totally depends on the ultrasound machine. I had a sonogram at my doctor's office and they didn't request me to drink water. However, when I had a more sensitive test done at a sonogram-only facility (www.storkvision.com) I had to drink 32 oz. And they were able to determine I'm having another girl! I hope you got the results you wanted, good luck!
For the ultra sound of my first pregnancy, I had to drink (I guess it was) 32 oz. of water before my ultrasound. I think it helps them to see the placenta. But, man-oh-man, talk about uncomfortable!! Thankfully, in my second pregnancy, they didn't require me to drink all that water for the ultrasound. Maybe the technology they have now is better, so you don't need all the water? I don't know? Give your doctor's office a call and see what the ultra sound tech tells you to do.
Hi C.,
That is interesting since the Ultrasound Technician will usually have you use the bathroom prior to the procedure to eliminate the possibility of an accident. I have been told that it is easier to see the gender if you are a thinner or have a small build but sometimes the baby just will NOT cooperate. With both of my boys, they were able to tell me the gender at 18 weeks.
One thing, if your doctor is unable to see the gender then you could pay for a 4 Dimensional ultrasound. They are super cool to look at as you can actually see the flesh instead of just bones and organs and they can usually tell 100% what you will have.
Good Luck!
E.
For both my pregnancies, the "determining the sex" ultrasound (at 16 weeks I think) always required a full bladder(though I didn't drink the full 32oz they suggested b/c I knew I couldn't hold that much). There is a lot they do during the "sex" ultrasound to determine the health of your baby and the full bladder helps them see better.
All the other ultrasounds(many, b/c I was high risk) they always told me to empty my bladder.
Hi there C.
I was told to drink 32oz. of water with my first son who is now 6 going on 15. But with my second son who is 3 months I was not told to drink water, I was even told to go ahead and empty my bladder by the ultrasound tech. that day. I hope that might be able to set your mind at ease.
C.
C.,
My son is 4 1/2 months old and when I went in for my ultra sounds I didn't have to drink any amount of water. But my dr. did all of my ultra sounds. I believe it is probably a preference your tech has. Good for you for calling your Dr. to double check, I called everytime I had the slightest problem or question. Good Luck and Congrats.
