Help with u/s notes

[visitor2]

I wonder if one of you lovely ladies can help with what my u/s notes may mean.

"Due to maternal habitus, cardiac views have not been optimal today"
The word in bold is what i am trying to find out what it means.

[Astrolady]

It basically means the mothers body build/physique

Love

[Fi]

To my limited understanding of latin, I would say that is the habitat the mother is providing. So perhaps something to do with your physical shape or the layout of your internal organs. I know that sometimes it can be tricky to see clear u/s images if the mother is on the larger side.
Just a guess???

[visitor2]

Thanks Kathryn and Fi.
I remember her saying she couldn't see much because of me being a bit on the fat side and that it's harder to see on larger women.

[Fi]

Well that was nice of her. I bet that made you feel great!
Did you ask her if she had several pregnancies and a couple of babues in the last 4 years?

[visitor2]

It did make me feel really bad i know i am a little on the round side but never thought myslef as being big.
I wonder also if she had any kids of her own.

[Ca Plane Pour Moi]

Michelle, I was going to be refused my 19w scan and only had it because "well, you look quite thin so we might be able to see what's going on in there" - whilst I do think that it is needless discrimination for girls on the larger side, extra fat can and does get in the way - but there are lots of other reasons too; we had problems with my scan due to how Liebling was lying (including the cardiac one, until the baby rolled over) so I had to be recalled anyway. At least they couldn't blame my weight (whilst I know we all hate the BMI, it's worth noting that I have very low body fat and a BMI of 19.1 on conception, now it's up to a BMI of 20; most of that is baby weight). If I weighed just another half-stone (bringing my BMI up to just 21) then I'm sure they'd have started umming and ahhing about doing the scan.

My 19w scan was a lot better and clearer than my 21-22w scan: different sonographers. I am sure that most of the variants are down to sonographers and not maternal weight because if I can get such different scans in the space of under three weeks then you can't say that it's all down to maternal factors.

Anyway, what's wrong with being "a little on the round side"? Just because you don't see many film stars eating sensibly doesn't mean that we should all follow suit! You sound like you're doing more than fine just the way you are, and the scans can still detect problems even if you don't get a "perfect" view of everything. I just really hate the way that pregnant women are made to feel we should be on diets! Admittedly, I can't wait to be able to diet again, but I'm really weird so you should ignore that.

[DoulaRelle]

Michelle, I had a similar comment made to me re my build and the sonographer then went on to do an internal ultrasound (I can't remember which scan though!).

I was pretty disheartened by the comment - as if we didn't know already!

[Michelle71]

For an ultrasound the sound waves get transmitted through tissue and bounce back to give the image. If the "habitus" (meaning the body) of the paitent is a little denser then the images are not as clear and it is difficult to see detail (which is why the cardiac view is difficult to obtain). This is the same for all ultrasound, not just pregnant ones. Unfortunately.