Ultrasound

An ultrasound during your pregnancy is a very special event. It’s incredibly exciting because you can actually see your baby for a moment. But it’s also quite nerve-wracking, as we use the ultrasound to check whether your baby is developing well.

During pregnancy, we perform five ultrasounds:

Around the intake, we offer an ultrasound to capture the first glimpse of your pregnancy. This ultrasound, also known as the viability scan, is intended to confirm whether there is a healthy singleton pregnancy.

With the intake ultrasound, we can:

  • Check if the pregnancy is located where it should be, namely in the uterus.
  • Determine if there is one embryo present.
  • Check if the heartbeat is present.
  • Determine the estimated gestational age.

This ultrasound is an important moment of confirmation and can provide a lot of reassurance. We encourage you to come with a full bladder for this ultrasound, as it helps us get a clear image.

A dating ultrasound is an important part of prenatal care as it determines the exact gestational age. Between 10 and 13 weeks of pregnancy, this ultrasound is the most reliable.

During this period, the growth and development of every fetus are nearly the same. Our sonographer measures the size of the fetus during the dating ultrasound to determine the exact age and calculate the due date.

For an optimal ultrasound experience, we recommend coming with a slightly full bladder. A full bladder lifts the uterus slightly, making the baby more visible during the ultrasound.

The 13-week ultrasound, also known as the first trimester SEO (Structural Ultrasound Examination), is offered as part of a national study called the IMITAS study. During this ultrasound, the development of your unborn baby is examined at an early stage of pregnancy.

The purpose of the 13-week ultrasound is to detect potential serious physical abnormalities, such as an open skull or major defects in the abdominal wall, at an early stage. Although your baby is still small around 13 weeks and less developed than at around 20 weeks, some serious abnormalities may already be visible. This gives you time to consider follow-up tests and make informed decisions if necessary.

The 13-week ultrasound and the 20-week ultrasound have the same goal, namely screening for abnormalities, but complement each other because they take place at different times during the pregnancy.

We would like to ask you not to bring children to the 13-week ultrasound. This ensures a calm environment during the examination.

The ultrasound preferably takes place before 14 weeks.

Do you have any questions or would you like more information about the 13-week ultrasound? Feel free to contact us. We are here to support you during this special time of your pregnancy!

More information about the 13 weeks? Here you will find answers to the most frequently asked questions, and for additional information, you can also check the website or the brochure.

Like the 13-week ultrasound, the 20-week ultrasound is a structural ultrasound examination, also known as the second trimester SEO (Structural Ultrasound Examination). This examination is focused on screening for structural abnormalities in your baby.

During the 20-week ultrasound, we look for signs of any abnormalities. The examination preferably takes place before 20+0 weeks of pregnancy. It is important to know that not all abnormalities are visible during this ultrasound. Furthermore, not all congenital abnormalities need to be visible during the pregnancy. If no abnormalities are found, it does not necessarily mean that your baby is completely healthy.

If something abnormal is seen during the 20-week ultrasound, you will be offered follow-up research. This follow-up research initially consists of a detailed ultrasound examination (GUO) by a specialized gynecologist at the hospital. During a conversation with the ultrasound technician, midwife, or gynecologist, it will be thoroughly explained what this follow-up research entails and what choices you can make in this regard.

We would like to ask you not to bring children to the 20-week ultrasound. This ensures a calm environment during the examination.

If you have any questions or would like more information about the 20-week ultrasound, you can also check the website or download the brochure.

Around 32 weeks of pregnancy, we offer a growth ultrasound to check if your baby is positioned well and developing properly.

During this growth ultrasound, we check various aspects, including the position of your baby and the baby’s growth. This provides us with important information about the health and well-being of your baby as you approach labor.

It is a reassuring moment to see how your baby is growing and developing well in the womb.

If more ultrasounds are needed, it is never a problem.

All ultrasounds are performed at our location in Vught. Maureen Jacobs, Esther Zeeuwe, and Petra van der Tempel are responsible for all ultrasounds. We have the most advanced equipment and extensive knowledge and experience. Ultrasounds are done by appointment, and you are welcome both during the day and in the evening.

If it is not possible to come to Vught or if you prefer the ultrasound in Boxtel, this is also possible. We work together with ‘PNS de Meierij’.

Ultrasound is a useful tool to look at and examine your baby during pregnancy. However, there are limitations. Not all abnormalities can be detected. So even if we don’t see anything unusual during the ultrasounds, it is not a guarantee of a healthy baby.

Brochures

The 13-week ultrasound and the 20-week ultrasound

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