Around the end of the first trimester, you may have your 12 week ultrasound.
This is a huge milestone as you might be seeing your baby on screen for the first time and it’s usually after this scan you announce to the world you’re pregnant.
What should you expect for the 12 week ultrasound?
12 weeks pregnant ultrasound
The 12 weeks pregnant ultrasound isn’t just so you can see your baby for the first time – although that is definitely a highlight.
This ultrasound is recommended for all women to have a number of checks done. These include:
- Checking baby’s development and heartbeat
- Confirming your due date
- Detecting potential problems in your uterus, pelvis or Fallopian tubes
- Having a nuchal translucency scan to detect the risk of a number of chromosomal abnormalities.
What to expect at 12 week ultrasound?
The exciting day has arrived. When you made your appointment, you may have been told what to expect at the 12 week ultrasound.
You were probably asked to arrive with a full bladder. This helps push your uterus up so a better image can be taken.
The sonographer will use a transducer on your belly (unless there is a need for a transvaginal scan which takes much better images). The transducer looks like a small paint roller.
You will be asked to lie on the special couch and adjust your clothes (top and pants or skirt rather than dress makes this easier). The sonographer will place some gel on your skin and move the transducer over this. The ultrasound waves bounce off your baby and create a picture on the monitor.
The scan doesn’t hurt but can feel uncomfortable when you have a full bladder.
What does a 12 week ultrasound look like?
As the sonographer moves the transducer a black and white image of your baby appears on the screen. Usually you can see the screen too or will after a few minutes.
Remember the sonographer is checking a lot of information in a short time to make sure everything is going well with your baby’s development. If they can, your sonographer will explain the various parts of the baby you can see.
You’re usually not allowed to take your own photos or video when in the scan room but will get a print out of your baby’s image when your appointment is finished.
Baby at 12 weeks ultrasound
So what can you see of your baby at the 12 weeks ultrasound? You may be surprised at the level of detail you can see during this ultrasound. Your baby is fully formed by the end of the first trimester and is about the size of a lime.
The sonographer will measure your baby from head to bottom. This is called the crown rump length and at 12 weeks, is usually around 4-6cm long.
The baby’s various systems are kicking in and one of those is the nervous system. Your baby may be making jerky movements with arms and legs, frowning or smiling (cute!), sucking fingers or even curling toes.
Some of the more obvious movements can be visible during your ultrasound, although you won’t be able to feel them.
Your baby’s face is almost fully formed, with eyes and ears in the right place and other features almost developed. The lungs are developing and you may see ‘breathing’ movements.
12 week ultrasound gender
Some parents-to-be want to know as soon as possible if they’re having a boy or a girl. Others are happy to wait until their baby is born.
At the 12 week ultrasound gender isn’t accurately diagnosed. At this stage, your baby’s reproductive organs are still developing.
Whether your baby is male or female is determined at the moment of conception. The sperm contributes either a Y chromosome (male) or an X chromosome (girl). Until around 9 weeks gestation, male and female genitals develop along the same path. Then the genital tubercle will develop into either a penis or a clitoris. At about 15 weeks the genitalia is clearly seen as either male or female.
Blood tests used to screen for certain chromosome conditions can tell you the baby’s sex after 9 weeks. At 12 weeks, some people rely on the nub theory to determine baby’s gender based on the angle of the genital tubercle.
12 week ultrasound boy
If you’re squinting carefully at the 12 week ultrasound and hope for a boy, see if you can find the genital tubercle or nub.
The idea behind the nub theory is, if the nub is pointing up more than 30 degrees in relation to your baby’s spine, it’s a boy!
Girl ultrasound at 12 weeks
However if you’re wishing for a girl, the ultrasound at 12 weeks may reveal the nub is not pointing up.
Check to see if the nub is angled in line with or toward the spine. If so, the chances are you have a girl on board.
12 week ultrasound twins
One of the common reasons for a 12 week ultrasound is to confirm if you’re having a single or multiple pregnancy.
At this stage, the number of babies, placentas and amniotic sacs there are is much easier to detect. This will also tell you if you’re having identical or fraternal twins.
By the 12 week ultrasound twins are usually 5-6cm in length. But it’s common for one twin to be slightly longer than the other, and you might be able to see this difference during the scan. It’s not something to worry about as long as the difference is small.
Research has shown labelling your babies Twin A and Twin B helps your care provider to keep track of both babies growth and development. Twin pregnancies are considered slightly more high risk than singletons and your care will be adjusted to meet these concerns.
Be sure to check out Pregnant With Twins? 8 Interesting Facts About Twins.
Can an ultrasound miss twins at 12 weeks?
Perhaps you’re wondering can an ultrasound miss twins at 12 weeks? Nearly every pregnant woman has thought about the possibility of being pregnant with more than one baby.
It’s unlikely an ultrasound will not have detected twins at 12 weeks. Very occasionally one baby is hiding behind the other and this isn’t picked up, particularly in early pregnancy. This is called a hidden twin or sometimes an eclipse pregnancy. This happens more often when the babies are sharing the same sac (monochorionic twins).
12 week ultrasound pictures
The most exciting thing about this scan is seeing your baby. The 12 week ultrasound pictures are printed out and you can take them home as keepsakes forever Some parents-to-be like to use the images as part of their pregnancy announcements. Read Pregnancy Announcement Ideas – 7 Creative Videos for some fun ideas.
12 week ultrasound 3D
Most routine 12 week ultrasound are 2D, the grainy flat image most of us expect to see. Some women may be advised to have a 3D or 4D ultrasound by their care provider.
A 12 week ultrasound 3D is created by taking multiple 2D images and put together to create an image you would see in real life (3D). The 4D component shows movement via a video.
These 3D and 4D ultrasounds are used to provide a very clear image of your baby. They used to look at possible abnormalities that can be hard to see in 2D. Early detection of certain problems can determine the best sort of pregnancy care you and your baby need.
3D and 4D ultrasounds are only done for medical reasons, not for keepsake images.
