A 6 Week Ultrasound: What To Expect?

Let’s just begin by saying Congratulations, Momma-to-be! You have a long way to go before meeting your baby, but we can assure you your experience of being pregnant is something you can never forget. Each moment will be precious, and several ultrasounds are on the way. 

You may have booked an ultrasound yourself, or the OBGYN has asked you to get one. Either way, you are most likely to be both excited as well as a bundle of worries. We get it. You are excited to see your baby for the first time and also worried about why you need a 6 week ultrasound because it is not typical to have an ultrasound so early. 

Early pregnancy is a nerve-wracking time for parents-to-be despite not having symptoms to worry about. On the bright side, though, a 6 weeks pregnant ultrasound can be pretty reassuring for new mums to know how well their pregnancy is.

When Was Your Last Period?

At six weeks, you should be in your first trimester, which is the early stages of your pregnancy. Your baby’s gestational age is 6 weeks, whether or not you missed your period 6 weeks prior. You may not be pregnant for the first two weeks, that is, the fertilized egg implanted 2 weeks after your period. And yet you are 6 weeks pregnant– this confuses new mums quite a lot. 

Ultrasounds are not commonly carried out unless you show signs of an ectopic pregnancy which is dangerous. 

Ultrasounds in the first trimester are usually done in the 12th week, but a 6 week sonogram is offered to parents who have lost multiple pregnancies or have gone through fertility treatments prior to getting pregnant. 

Why A 6 Week Ultrasound?

There could be many reasons why an early ultrasound is done:

• Cramping
• Pelvic pain on one side
• Bleeding
• Fertility treatments before getting pregnant
• Detect the due date for pregnancy

These days many private clinics offer ultrasounds at 6 weeks without a fuss. 

Early ultrasounds are getting more and more common with the added awareness that has been raised around baby loss, miscarriages, and pregnancy complications.  

Ultrasounds can help cool your nerves while you await your first medical scan.

Things To Remember

You must have a full bladder for this scan. The 6-week fetus (the baby in the womb) is too small to be detected by the 6 week ultrasound, so having a fuller bladder can help a great deal. 

It is common for the clinic to try an abdominal ultrasound. However not all sonographers are licensed professionals, and all your concerns must be addressed to your midwife. 

Read Also: Ultrasound At 8 Weeks Pregnant

Standards Of Ultrasound

Ultrasound procedures can depend on the pregnancy and fall into three categories:

1. Standard ultrasound exam

This scan is done between 12-20 weeks to analyze the overall pregnancy health, especially of the baby. Some of the things measured with these scans are:

• Number of fetuses, in case of multiple pregnancies
• Estimated size and weight of a fetus
• Fetal position, movement, and anatomical details
• Observation of fetal breathing and heart rate
• Amount of amniotic fluid
• Placenta location in the uterus

2. Limited ultrasound exam

These scans are carried out to get specific results, such as detecting a baby’s position when in labor if the doctor can’t do it manually.

3. Specialized ultrasound exam

This scan is carried out using special equipment such as Doppler sonography and 3D imaging, used in cases of risk factors and health history. 

Read Also: Ultrasound Week 7: All The Things That No One Will Tell You

What To Expect From A 6 Week Ultrasound

The fetus of a 6-week-old is pretty small, but the gestational sac (the black fluid on ultrasound) and the yolk sac (the little white ring) on which the embryo feeds should be visible. In the first few weeks of pregnancy, the embryo feeds off of the yolk sac. 

Even the fetal pole or the embryo should be visible. Your sonographer may ask you to get a follow-up scan if they are unable to detect much. Coming back for another scan a few days later can make all the difference, as the embryo grows at a rapid rate initially. 

The ultrasounds and health checks will keep getting more thorough as the pregnancy moves ahead.

Can You Get An Image Of Your Scan?

Paying for a private scan can enable you to get a picture of your pregnancy. But if you are getting a scan for medical reasons at an early pregnancy unit, you are not likely to procure an image. 

What Is The Size Of The Fetus?

At 6 weeks, the ultrasound will depict the fetal pole (the baby) to be about 5-9mm in length. 

Is The Baby Visible On A 6 Week Ultrasound?

They are visible, but as a blob, you can’t really make much sense of them. It’s called a fetal pole. Your baby does not look like a baby at this stage. This is likely to be the first of many more ultrasounds, and your baby will continue to change with each scan. 

Can The First Ultrasound Detect Twins?

Yes, you can find out twins at this stage of the scan. The gestational sac will show one or two blobs, or there will be a different gestational sac altogether. 

Should you tell your doctor about your pregnancy at 6 weeks?

You must notify a doctor as soon as you find out that you are pregnant so that he can register you with a midwife.

After finding out the last day of your period to calculate the due date, there are chances the dates could shift back or forward depending on your pregnancy, which is entirely normal.

To Conclude

An early ultrasound is one step in the direction of which way to go in your treatment of the pregnancy. This is also the first step in pre-natal care that will go on for the entire time until you give birth. The 6 week ultrasound will determine the next steps in pregnancy and birth goals, insurance provider, health history, and the maternity care provider you go for. 

Your options open up for how you take care of yourself during your pregnancy, and you could sign up for childbirth and infant care classes. We hope this article helped you understand your ultrasound and the next steps. 

If you have questions to ask or thoughts to share, please drop a comment below. We would love to hear from you!

Additional Reading:

• What Can I See On A 8 Week Ultrasound – Things To Expect
• Your Pregnancy Symptoms Week By Week: Guide For The Parents
• Ultrasound Of A 5 Week Pregnancy: All The Things That No One Will Tell You