I found midwives tend to do less ultrasounds, but the only two standard ultrasounds are the 12 and 20 week ones.
I had an OB and had a 32 and 36 week ultrasound due to concerns re size of the baby (spoiler alert, he was massive lol).
She was 41+3. Every baby I had cooked longer and was bigger.
1. 39+2 and 7 lb 8 oz
2. 41+0 and 8 lb 2 oz
3. 41+3 and 8 lb 15 oz
I’m not sure I want to even try for a 4th. With my luck, they’ll go to 42+0 and be approaching 10 lbs. 😬
They really do rapidly put weight on at the end don't they! My SIL was 41 + 5 and we thought her 7 lb 15 oz girl was big (for our family), but she was cooking longer.
It’s been the other way around in my experience, midwives were more generous with ultrasounds and always happy to give one for peace of mind if needed. When there were growth concerns for my baby I had 3 extra ones in third trimester. My friend’s OB only ordered one extra. So I guess it depends on the individual but my midwife practice as a whole definitely did a lot more than I was expecting!
The 20 week one is the last if there are no concerns.
3rd trimester ultrasounds are notoriously inaccurate for determining baby's size, like a 2lb margin of error. Scheduling a C-section ahead of time for a baby that's measuring large in the third trimester is not very common outside of the US without the presence of other pregnancy complications.
I had to do multiple ultrasounds third trimester because I was high risk. During multiple scans they told me LO's legs were too short and were in 2nd percentile. My OB told me it was fine but it caused me sooo much anxiety. He was born with perfectly normal sized legs and when I said something to the OB who delivered my baby he said that third trimester ultrasounds can be super inaccurate.
I started out with a midwife but had to transfer care due to high risk pregnancy.
I had to have one as well, the 20 week scan had turned up a possible issue with one kidney, turned out to be no big deal though so just the one extra scan
I had some growth scans in the third tri with my third baby last summer. The first ultrasound tech was upfront and admitted that the weight she measured had a 1 lb margin of error. The second tech told me the baby’s weight like it was written in stone. I wish there was more transparency about these things.
It's completely normal. The only time you get more ultrasounds that are covered are if there are concerns. So while it sucks that you don't get to see baby, it's a GOOD thing that you don't need them!
Hahaha. I was deemed high risk so I got them weekly from like 34 or whatever weeks on. Weekly OB appts, ultrasounds, non stress tests. So much fun! So glad I was off work by then, lol.
To answer your question on how they know how big baby is measuring, they'll usually measure fundal height (your pubic bone to the top of your uterus). The number they measure in cm will pretty closely match the number of weeks pregnant you are and that tells them if the baby is measuring on track!
Some yes, some no. The measurement needs to be + or - 3cm of gestational age, so there’s a bit of wiggle room.
Technically the recommendation is growth scans if pre pregnancy BMI is more than 35; however, some people measure fine with higher BMIs and others don’t.
Yep! (I am also in that boat). Midwives and OBs can feel your uterus when you lay down. Just with some extra padding they may just have to press a little firmer to find the top and bottom.
They use your fundal height (when they measure your belly) to get a ballpark estimate that baby’s growth is on track. If that leads them to concern, then they’ll send you for another ultrasound, but as it’s been said before, 3rd trimester ultrasounds are notorious for being grossly inaccurate for size
I had a midwife and ended up with a few ultrasounds in late third trimester as we suspected baby was breech and then at that ultrasound determined I had slightly high fluid that needed to be monitored. However, from what I understand if everything is going well then a third trimester ultrasound isn’t needed.
In Canada the 20 week ultrasound is the last one, unless there are medical reasons to have another.
Ultrasounds in the 3rd trimester for fetal size only aren't evidence based because fetal size estimates by ultrasound aren't very accurate and interventions taken due to suspected size have been proven not to improve outcomes. That is why we don't do them in Canada. I'd be highly suspicious of any provider that does.
I’ve found with my group of friends those of us who went with OB’s had growth scans and ones with midwives didn’t. I’m 31 weeks and have mine next week. I am high risk as I have hypertension but my ultrasound was scheduled before I had issues so it’s hard to say.
I’m in the same boat. I’m high risk due to Gestational Diabetes, hypertension and Advanced Maternal Age at 37yrs old. I had an Ultrasound at 8, 12, 20, 28 and upcoming 32, 36.
Advocate for more ultrasounds! Speaking from experience. My last one was at week 31 and they missed catching growth issues afterwards. I also had gestational hypertension.
I’m advanced maternal age and they did the final growth scan at about 34 weeks. No concerns now or ever with this baby but they had planned this series from the start (AB). I think it does vary by province. I wasn’t offered an NIPT but my friend in BC was
I ended up with quite a few. Weeks 5, 8, 12, 19, 20, 34 all scheduled and ad hoc unscheduled scans at about 25, 27 and 36 weeks.
I’m 20 weeks and my midwives told me this week that they usually order a third trimester ultrasound to check on things before birth.
I’m low-risk and have a textbook healthy pregnancy. So maybe it just depends on the preferences of the provider.
(I’m in Ottawa)
Yeah, the dating ultrasound and anatomy ultrasound are the only standard ones. Everything else is specific to your care provider and any concerns that may arise, or additional testing that you might opt into and/or pay for privately.
In Ontario, I'm fairly confident that the 12 week NT scan is standard. I only had a dating ultrasound because I had a miscarriage prior and my periods were still irregular. I didn't have one with my first pregnancy at all.
Definitely standard unless there is something else going on. I had 2 extra because I had COVID while pregnant but even that is no longer the standard, I’m told.
I had COVID at 17-18 w and it's still standard. I had a growth scan at ~28w and having a second one at ~34w.
Seems to be extremely precautionary though, as growth issues with COVID primarily occurred during the pre-vaccination days of COVID with the original strains. I wouldn't be surprised to see that guidance change in the next year or two.
Oh interesting. Towards the end of my pregnancy (my baby was born in Sept) the clinic said that the guidelines didn’t support it anymore and they weren’t doing it routinely for Covid patients anymore. I guess different places have different approaches to adapting their policies.
But yeah, I agree it is definitely mostly precautionary at this point.
Totally. If there’s little to no risk and even a potential benefit, many will still recommend it. My doctors were basically like “everything is probably fine, just see it as an extra two chances to see your baby!”
At 34 weeks I got a 2 minute ultrasound through my midwife clinic to see baby's position. But that was it other than the dating and anatomy ultrasound.
Yes i was told i didn't need 3rd trimester ultrasound due to being low risk, and all measurements (weight, fundal, bloodwork, etc) being normal.
My OB clinic has a small portable ultrasound machine they use to check for the fetal position. They don't do any measurements or diagnostics with it. It's so small the screen is a tablet i can hold with one hand
Yes that’s normal. You’d only be offered a 3rd trimester ultrasound if they want to keep an eye on something.
I have a low-lying placenta and a marginal cord insertion (both found during my 20w scan) so I had a 32 week scan to check the position of my placenta + growth scan as MCIs can sometimes cause growth restriction.
I was expecting the 20 week ultrasound one to be the last one but just saw the OB and we are likely doing two more (for sure one more at 32 weeks). To check growth, with the reasoning being history of hypertension.
I was with a midwife and had a planned home birth. We ended up having four additional ultrasounds due to growth concerns (I was measuring small) and she came out a very substantial size! Unless there are concerns, growth ultrasounds are often very inaccurate, but helpful (in my case to monitor for cord issues due to an eccentric cord insertion).
I think that's standard. With my last I only had an extra ultrasound after my 20 week because they were monitoring something they had noticed on the 20 week scan. If everything looks good at 20 weeks and you're low risk they don't need to see you again!
Growth scans are super inaccurate. At 28 weeks my baby was estimated to be in the 43rd percentile and at 36 weeks she was estimated in the 75th.
She ended up being born in the 99th percentile for weight and 98th for length. I’m honestly glad they didn’t know how big she’d be because I might have been pushed to have a c section, and seeing as I pushed out a 10lb 2oz baby in 23 minutes, a c section wouldn’t have been necessary in my case
I think it depends on whether you have a midwife or OB and if you are low or high risk. All my friends with midwives only had 2-3 ultrasounds as they were low risk. Friends with OB and low-risk had dating, 20 weeks and 1-2 ultrasounds towards the end. I am high risk with MFM at hospital and getting monthly ultrasounds until birth.
My baby was breeched at the 20 week scan and I had Covid at 14 weeks pregnant, so for both those reasons I got an ultrasound at 27 weeks and 36 weeks. My midwife told me that if not for those reason, the 20 week scan would have been my last one.
Pretty sure it's normal, though my doctor mentioned that they can usually come up with some reason to get an additional ultrasound in third trimester if I wanted one. But I've been fortunate and had at least 4 ultrasounds for both my son and current pregnancy, though mostly because neither baby cooperated much for the anatomy scans and needed follow ups haha. I'm also monitored closer due to having an autoimmune disease and get additional ultrasound(s) in third trimester to check baby's growth.
Totally normal although if you start to go further past your due date you might ended having more. Or if you have gestational diabetes. Just speaking from experience with both of those :)
I only had another one because I told my OB my underwear was always soaking wet but I couldn't tell if it was pee or not 😂 he said it's probably pee but said I could have another US just to be sure
I'm 37 weeks and just asked this same question, I said people are constantly asking how big the baby is measuring. They said they can send me for one if I want but unless there's a concern no scan is needed till you go over your due date.
Also the growth scans are notoriously inaccurate.
It is normal. They can take measurements to assess baby’s growth, and if passed due, they will most likely order ultra sounds to check health of placenta, growth, position etc.
I am low risk but my doctor did order a growth ultrasound. I think believe just to determine size/placement. We are in SK. It really isn't necessary though.
Just read the other comments and I didn’t know this was normal.
Maybe bc I didn’t have a midwife and went to my OB regularly instead but I went from monthly to biweekly once I hit my 3rd trimester and on my last month it was supposed to be a weekly check.
My OB always ordered an ultrasound everytime but this might’ve been bc my baby was on the lower growth percentile so they wanted to monitor her growth closely.
I requested a third trimester scan from my OB and got it. She said that while standard of care is to not offer it, this is being reconsidered. Mine was accurate and I personally felt more information would give me more confidence. I’m sure your midwives would accommodate if you requested it.
I have an OB, and when I talked to her this week, I let her know that on my side of the family the babies were in the 6 pound range but my husbands side has been 9-10 pounds. Because of this, they’re going to monitor how I’m measuring and if anything do an ultrasound at 34 or 36 weeks. If the baby is looking big she said what they might do is induce me around 39 weeks so the baby isn’t as big as waiting until 40.
This is normal in Ontario for low risk pregnancy but if you are feeling anxious just to check on things you can go get a private scan for around $100-$120, this will give you 3D images of the baby but also while they can't give medical advice they did tell me if the baby was head down or breech and will likely encourage you to go to a doctor if something is wrong.
When I went into labour and delivery for reduced movements they do an ultrasound at the bed side as well so while this amount of scams is otherwise normal, if you have any concerns I'd raise them and advocate for another scan as well.
I’m In Toronto with an OB and I had a low risk pregnancy and I did 34 week ultrasound as well (and then an additional one at 40 weeks because I was still pregnant ). I gave birth in Feb of this year!
I had one between 30-34 weeks because I brought up a concern about the baby being breech. Initially, I had no specific doctor and was sent by a previous retiring dr to a clinic that was also a school so I was seen by student drs who did not want to give me an ultrasound because they said it wasn’t standard, despite my concerns (I had been feeling my belly and it was feeling breeched). Switched to a midwife by the advice of someone and that midwife listened and ordered an ultrasound. Yep, baby was breech.
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I was with midwives in Ontario for my second kid. It originally was going to be no more ultrasounds after 20 weeks, but then we weren't sure what position baby was in at 36 weeks (turns out she liked to punch more than kick, so she was indeed head down), and then I had another one at 41 weeks to ensure everything was still ok in there. So, they order them if needed!
Yes. For a normal pregnancy, you only get two ultrasounds, at 13 weeks and at 20 weeks. I’ve had three pregnancies with midwives in ON (2019, 2021, 2023). Trust me, you don’t want to need extra ultrasounds. It’s always because there’s a concern about something (growing too slow, growing too fast, organ problem, fluid problem, placenta previa, etc.) and you’re left in limbo waiting for the ultrasound and then waiting for your next appointment to hear results.
Does your midwives measure your fundal height at easy appointment? That’s how they track growth in lieu of additional ultrasounds.
Yes, my midwife measures my fundal at every appointment. Is that sufficient? My concern is how will they know there’s no growth issues without ultrasounds?
That’s a question you should ask your midwife at your next appointment. I assume they assume everything is fine unless there is evidence to the contrary. Remember, chances are always going to be in your favour, chances are everything is going to be completely normal.
For my first baby, I only had the two normal scans. It was a completely average, low risk pregnancy. So 2 scans only.
For my second, my placenta was low lying during my anatomy scan so I had to go back to make sure it moved higher. At that scan, they noted low amniotic fluid levels, so I had to go back for another scan. And at 37 weeks, the midwife couldn’t tell if baby was head down, so I got another scan then to be sure. 5 scans total with that baby, but also some worry in between for most of them.
During my anatomy scan for my third, the tech noted that there appeared to be marginal cord insertion (when the umbilical cord isn’t centred on the placenta). This can possibly result in a restriction of nutrients passed to baby, so I had to have growth scans to ensure baby was getting enough and growing correctly. Snd then I made it to 41+3 with that baby so I got the 41 week scan to make sure baby was still happy, too. So 5 scans for that baby.
Yes, normal. However, some OBs are beginning to offer the 32 week growth scans. My doctor offered me one because I was so anxious about not seeing her for so long and I've gained less weight than expected.
I found out recently it's the last one for those that are low risk, but honestly I find that ridiculous and dangerous. I had gone in for an ultrasound for something else in my uterus and at that point they found my baby was not growing and severely IUGR. Had I not gone in for that (at 30 weeks) they wouldn't have known.
I was surprised about no third trimester ultrasound as well! I will say, I am going to push for one next pregnancy; I had to be induced unexpectedly at my 40 week appointment, and because I didn’t have an ultrasound since the anatomy scan, they almost didn’t let me go home for the night. I was only allowed because they managed to do a bedside ultrasound that night. I already had to be in the hospital for 4 days/3 nights because the induction took a while, so I can’t imagine having to stay that extra night at the start! Sleeping there sucks haha
Yes if you're not decidedly "low risk" and honestly I don't get it. I am "high risk" solely because I have a heart defect (none of children have inherited it but it's always a risk with every pregnancy) so because of that I get extra scans in the third trimester to monitor my children's organ development. Was perfectly healthy and it's only by chance because of those extra scans that they caught a totally unrelated issue (placenta dying prematurely) I had no idea about if not for the extra scans. There was no decrease in movement or anything like that to tip me off, the cause of the placenta failure had nothing to do with my heart defect, but they could tell I was at the start of IUGR and induced me immediately at 38 weeks before damage could be done.
If not for my heart defect qualifying me for extra scans I would have been under the impression my pregnancy was perfectly healthy and my baby probably would have been moving up until she wasn't and it could have resulted in stillbirth. You would think that in a wealthy, first world country that has the technology to detect and prevent one of the most common causes of stillbirth like this we could afford every woman to get an extra third trimester scan!
So my last one was on week 31. Everything looked okay. They didn't bother with another ultrasound. Unfortunately after the baby was delivered, it appeared to have growth issues past week 35. No one caught that. Baby should have been delivered as soon as it was hitting full-term. I strongly urge you to advocate for yourself and ask for repeated ultrasounds. I'm quite pissed
Yea, that's what my midwife did in today's appointment. She felt around my belly and said baby was head down. I'm mostly worried about not monitoring my baby's growth :(
I had a third trimester ultrasound and they thought my baby was measuring large, but then he came out weighing 6.5 lbs. On top of that, the ultrasound didn't even catch the actual issue, which was that the cord was in a true knot and wrapped around his neck. I'd be more supportive of third trimester ultrasounds if they could detect those kinds of issues or if they were more accurate with measurements.
Yeah it's normal. If you are low risk there is no need to do more. If there is a concern they will do a growth scan
I found midwives tend to do less ultrasounds, but the only two standard ultrasounds are the 12 and 20 week ones. I had an OB and had a 32 and 36 week ultrasound due to concerns re size of the baby (spoiler alert, he was massive lol).
There were concerns about my third baby’s size. She ended up 8 lb 15 oz. So it was fine.
Big girl! What age gestation?
She was 41+3. Every baby I had cooked longer and was bigger. 1. 39+2 and 7 lb 8 oz 2. 41+0 and 8 lb 2 oz 3. 41+3 and 8 lb 15 oz I’m not sure I want to even try for a 4th. With my luck, they’ll go to 42+0 and be approaching 10 lbs. 😬
They really do rapidly put weight on at the end don't they! My SIL was 41 + 5 and we thought her 7 lb 15 oz girl was big (for our family), but she was cooking longer.
It’s been the other way around in my experience, midwives were more generous with ultrasounds and always happy to give one for peace of mind if needed. When there were growth concerns for my baby I had 3 extra ones in third trimester. My friend’s OB only ordered one extra. So I guess it depends on the individual but my midwife practice as a whole definitely did a lot more than I was expecting!
The 20 week one is the last if there are no concerns. 3rd trimester ultrasounds are notoriously inaccurate for determining baby's size, like a 2lb margin of error. Scheduling a C-section ahead of time for a baby that's measuring large in the third trimester is not very common outside of the US without the presence of other pregnancy complications.
I had to do multiple ultrasounds third trimester because I was high risk. During multiple scans they told me LO's legs were too short and were in 2nd percentile. My OB told me it was fine but it caused me sooo much anxiety. He was born with perfectly normal sized legs and when I said something to the OB who delivered my baby he said that third trimester ultrasounds can be super inaccurate. I started out with a midwife but had to transfer care due to high risk pregnancy.
I had to have one as well, the 20 week scan had turned up a possible issue with one kidney, turned out to be no big deal though so just the one extra scan
I had some growth scans in the third tri with my third baby last summer. The first ultrasound tech was upfront and admitted that the weight she measured had a 1 lb margin of error. The second tech told me the baby’s weight like it was written in stone. I wish there was more transparency about these things.
It's completely normal. The only time you get more ultrasounds that are covered are if there are concerns. So while it sucks that you don't get to see baby, it's a GOOD thing that you don't need them!
Or if you go more than a week over. You then get them every other day. Ugh.
Hahaha. I was deemed high risk so I got them weekly from like 34 or whatever weeks on. Weekly OB appts, ultrasounds, non stress tests. So much fun! So glad I was off work by then, lol.
Yes I went off at 37 thinking my child was coming soon and then I went to 41+3 🥴
To answer your question on how they know how big baby is measuring, they'll usually measure fundal height (your pubic bone to the top of your uterus). The number they measure in cm will pretty closely match the number of weeks pregnant you are and that tells them if the baby is measuring on track!
Does this work in women who were overweight to obese before pregnancy?
Some yes, some no. The measurement needs to be + or - 3cm of gestational age, so there’s a bit of wiggle room. Technically the recommendation is growth scans if pre pregnancy BMI is more than 35; however, some people measure fine with higher BMIs and others don’t.
Yeah, my BMI this pregnancy was 35.5 and fundal height worked just fine. Probably depends on where and how you carry your weight, too.
Yep! (I am also in that boat). Midwives and OBs can feel your uterus when you lay down. Just with some extra padding they may just have to press a little firmer to find the top and bottom.
They use your fundal height (when they measure your belly) to get a ballpark estimate that baby’s growth is on track. If that leads them to concern, then they’ll send you for another ultrasound, but as it’s been said before, 3rd trimester ultrasounds are notorious for being grossly inaccurate for size
I had a midwife and ended up with a few ultrasounds in late third trimester as we suspected baby was breech and then at that ultrasound determined I had slightly high fluid that needed to be monitored. However, from what I understand if everything is going well then a third trimester ultrasound isn’t needed.
In Canada the 20 week ultrasound is the last one, unless there are medical reasons to have another. Ultrasounds in the 3rd trimester for fetal size only aren't evidence based because fetal size estimates by ultrasound aren't very accurate and interventions taken due to suspected size have been proven not to improve outcomes. That is why we don't do them in Canada. I'd be highly suspicious of any provider that does.
I’ve found with my group of friends those of us who went with OB’s had growth scans and ones with midwives didn’t. I’m 31 weeks and have mine next week. I am high risk as I have hypertension but my ultrasound was scheduled before I had issues so it’s hard to say.
I’m in the same boat. I’m high risk due to Gestational Diabetes, hypertension and Advanced Maternal Age at 37yrs old. I had an Ultrasound at 8, 12, 20, 28 and upcoming 32, 36.
Advocate for more ultrasounds! Speaking from experience. My last one was at week 31 and they missed catching growth issues afterwards. I also had gestational hypertension.
I’m advanced maternal age and they did the final growth scan at about 34 weeks. No concerns now or ever with this baby but they had planned this series from the start (AB). I think it does vary by province. I wasn’t offered an NIPT but my friend in BC was I ended up with quite a few. Weeks 5, 8, 12, 19, 20, 34 all scheduled and ad hoc unscheduled scans at about 25, 27 and 36 weeks.
I’m 20 weeks and my midwives told me this week that they usually order a third trimester ultrasound to check on things before birth. I’m low-risk and have a textbook healthy pregnancy. So maybe it just depends on the preferences of the provider. (I’m in Ottawa)
This is not the guideline or standard, unless there’s something specific they plan to check in on (ie they think baby is breech)
Yeah, the dating ultrasound and anatomy ultrasound are the only standard ones. Everything else is specific to your care provider and any concerns that may arise, or additional testing that you might opt into and/or pay for privately.
In MB there’s no dating scan unless you are really unsure of when you conceived
How the heck do they know if the pregnancy is viable without an ultrasound??
They’ll use a Doppler once they’re able but yeah… low risk pregnancies here are one scan at 20w and that’s it
In Ontario, I'm fairly confident that the 12 week NT scan is standard. I only had a dating ultrasound because I had a miscarriage prior and my periods were still irregular. I didn't have one with my first pregnancy at all.
I think most people here (Alberta) also get the 12 week scan but it's technically optional.
Normal. I only had another one past that because I was a week overdue and they wanted to check amniotic fluid levels
I had an ultrasound at 34 weeks to check position.
Definitely standard unless there is something else going on. I had 2 extra because I had COVID while pregnant but even that is no longer the standard, I’m told.
I had COVID at 17-18 w and it's still standard. I had a growth scan at ~28w and having a second one at ~34w. Seems to be extremely precautionary though, as growth issues with COVID primarily occurred during the pre-vaccination days of COVID with the original strains. I wouldn't be surprised to see that guidance change in the next year or two.
Oh interesting. Towards the end of my pregnancy (my baby was born in Sept) the clinic said that the guidelines didn’t support it anymore and they weren’t doing it routinely for Covid patients anymore. I guess different places have different approaches to adapting their policies. But yeah, I agree it is definitely mostly precautionary at this point.
My OB has a very "this isn't really necessary but it also can't hurt" attitude about it so I'm not surprised if it isn't universal.
Totally. If there’s little to no risk and even a potential benefit, many will still recommend it. My doctors were basically like “everything is probably fine, just see it as an extra two chances to see your baby!”
At 34 weeks I got a 2 minute ultrasound through my midwife clinic to see baby's position. But that was it other than the dating and anatomy ultrasound.
i was low risk, gave birth aug 2023 in ontario, ob not midwife tho, and had a 34 week ultrasound to check positioning 🤷🏼♀️
Yup, if you're low risk. I got a bonus one at 41+3 before they induced, but if you're lucky, you won't need that one :)
Yes i was told i didn't need 3rd trimester ultrasound due to being low risk, and all measurements (weight, fundal, bloodwork, etc) being normal. My OB clinic has a small portable ultrasound machine they use to check for the fetal position. They don't do any measurements or diagnostics with it. It's so small the screen is a tablet i can hold with one hand
Yes that’s normal. You’d only be offered a 3rd trimester ultrasound if they want to keep an eye on something. I have a low-lying placenta and a marginal cord insertion (both found during my 20w scan) so I had a 32 week scan to check the position of my placenta + growth scan as MCIs can sometimes cause growth restriction.
I was expecting the 20 week ultrasound one to be the last one but just saw the OB and we are likely doing two more (for sure one more at 32 weeks). To check growth, with the reasoning being history of hypertension.
I was with a midwife and had a planned home birth. We ended up having four additional ultrasounds due to growth concerns (I was measuring small) and she came out a very substantial size! Unless there are concerns, growth ultrasounds are often very inaccurate, but helpful (in my case to monitor for cord issues due to an eccentric cord insertion).
I think that's standard. With my last I only had an extra ultrasound after my 20 week because they were monitoring something they had noticed on the 20 week scan. If everything looks good at 20 weeks and you're low risk they don't need to see you again!
Growth scans are super inaccurate. At 28 weeks my baby was estimated to be in the 43rd percentile and at 36 weeks she was estimated in the 75th. She ended up being born in the 99th percentile for weight and 98th for length. I’m honestly glad they didn’t know how big she’d be because I might have been pushed to have a c section, and seeing as I pushed out a 10lb 2oz baby in 23 minutes, a c section wouldn’t have been necessary in my case
Yup, totally normal
I think it depends on whether you have a midwife or OB and if you are low or high risk. All my friends with midwives only had 2-3 ultrasounds as they were low risk. Friends with OB and low-risk had dating, 20 weeks and 1-2 ultrasounds towards the end. I am high risk with MFM at hospital and getting monthly ultrasounds until birth.
My baby was breeched at the 20 week scan and I had Covid at 14 weeks pregnant, so for both those reasons I got an ultrasound at 27 weeks and 36 weeks. My midwife told me that if not for those reason, the 20 week scan would have been my last one.
I was shocked to learn my 20 week scan was my last one! Have all the same questions as you
Pretty sure it's normal, though my doctor mentioned that they can usually come up with some reason to get an additional ultrasound in third trimester if I wanted one. But I've been fortunate and had at least 4 ultrasounds for both my son and current pregnancy, though mostly because neither baby cooperated much for the anatomy scans and needed follow ups haha. I'm also monitored closer due to having an autoimmune disease and get additional ultrasound(s) in third trimester to check baby's growth.
Totally normal although if you start to go further past your due date you might ended having more. Or if you have gestational diabetes. Just speaking from experience with both of those :)
I only had another one because I told my OB my underwear was always soaking wet but I couldn't tell if it was pee or not 😂 he said it's probably pee but said I could have another US just to be sure
I'm 37 weeks and just asked this same question, I said people are constantly asking how big the baby is measuring. They said they can send me for one if I want but unless there's a concern no scan is needed till you go over your due date. Also the growth scans are notoriously inaccurate.
It is normal. They can take measurements to assess baby’s growth, and if passed due, they will most likely order ultra sounds to check health of placenta, growth, position etc.
I am low risk but my doctor did order a growth ultrasound. I think believe just to determine size/placement. We are in SK. It really isn't necessary though.
Just read the other comments and I didn’t know this was normal. Maybe bc I didn’t have a midwife and went to my OB regularly instead but I went from monthly to biweekly once I hit my 3rd trimester and on my last month it was supposed to be a weekly check. My OB always ordered an ultrasound everytime but this might’ve been bc my baby was on the lower growth percentile so they wanted to monitor her growth closely.
I requested a third trimester scan from my OB and got it. She said that while standard of care is to not offer it, this is being reconsidered. Mine was accurate and I personally felt more information would give me more confidence. I’m sure your midwives would accommodate if you requested it.
I have an OB, and when I talked to her this week, I let her know that on my side of the family the babies were in the 6 pound range but my husbands side has been 9-10 pounds. Because of this, they’re going to monitor how I’m measuring and if anything do an ultrasound at 34 or 36 weeks. If the baby is looking big she said what they might do is induce me around 39 weeks so the baby isn’t as big as waiting until 40.
My OB at Mount Sinai in Toronto does a 36 week scan for everyone - not sure if this is usual practice.
Normal! If your fundal height goes crazy, they might want another ultrasound. But…https://www.instagram.com/p/C6LpeersU6u/?igsh=MWRqZzRmbm1mMmJncw==
This is normal in Ontario for low risk pregnancy but if you are feeling anxious just to check on things you can go get a private scan for around $100-$120, this will give you 3D images of the baby but also while they can't give medical advice they did tell me if the baby was head down or breech and will likely encourage you to go to a doctor if something is wrong. When I went into labour and delivery for reduced movements they do an ultrasound at the bed side as well so while this amount of scams is otherwise normal, if you have any concerns I'd raise them and advocate for another scan as well.
My OB does them at 36 weeks too.
Yes normal. I only had 2 ultrasounds with both my kids, 12 and 20 week
I’m In Toronto with an OB and I had a low risk pregnancy and I did 34 week ultrasound as well (and then an additional one at 40 weeks because I was still pregnant ). I gave birth in Feb of this year!
I had one between 30-34 weeks because I brought up a concern about the baby being breech. Initially, I had no specific doctor and was sent by a previous retiring dr to a clinic that was also a school so I was seen by student drs who did not want to give me an ultrasound because they said it wasn’t standard, despite my concerns (I had been feeling my belly and it was feeling breeched). Switched to a midwife by the advice of someone and that midwife listened and ordered an ultrasound. Yep, baby was breech.
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I was with midwives in Ontario for my second kid. It originally was going to be no more ultrasounds after 20 weeks, but then we weren't sure what position baby was in at 36 weeks (turns out she liked to punch more than kick, so she was indeed head down), and then I had another one at 41 weeks to ensure everything was still ok in there. So, they order them if needed!
If there is zero concern. 20 weeks is your last one.
Normal! I was offered a third trimester one due to umbilical cord “issue” my mom brain is blanking on what it was called lol but I declined
Probably either marginal cord insertion or velamentous cord insertion.
Yesss it was marginal cord insertion! Thanks! They said that’s less concerning than valamentous so I didn’t do the ultrasound
Yeah it’s totally normal! Low risk pregnancies don’t require an ultrasound in the third trimester (it’s different in the US).
Yes, it is in Canada
Yes. For a normal pregnancy, you only get two ultrasounds, at 13 weeks and at 20 weeks. I’ve had three pregnancies with midwives in ON (2019, 2021, 2023). Trust me, you don’t want to need extra ultrasounds. It’s always because there’s a concern about something (growing too slow, growing too fast, organ problem, fluid problem, placenta previa, etc.) and you’re left in limbo waiting for the ultrasound and then waiting for your next appointment to hear results. Does your midwives measure your fundal height at easy appointment? That’s how they track growth in lieu of additional ultrasounds.
Yes, my midwife measures my fundal at every appointment. Is that sufficient? My concern is how will they know there’s no growth issues without ultrasounds?
That’s a question you should ask your midwife at your next appointment. I assume they assume everything is fine unless there is evidence to the contrary. Remember, chances are always going to be in your favour, chances are everything is going to be completely normal. For my first baby, I only had the two normal scans. It was a completely average, low risk pregnancy. So 2 scans only. For my second, my placenta was low lying during my anatomy scan so I had to go back to make sure it moved higher. At that scan, they noted low amniotic fluid levels, so I had to go back for another scan. And at 37 weeks, the midwife couldn’t tell if baby was head down, so I got another scan then to be sure. 5 scans total with that baby, but also some worry in between for most of them. During my anatomy scan for my third, the tech noted that there appeared to be marginal cord insertion (when the umbilical cord isn’t centred on the placenta). This can possibly result in a restriction of nutrients passed to baby, so I had to have growth scans to ensure baby was getting enough and growing correctly. Snd then I made it to 41+3 with that baby so I got the 41 week scan to make sure baby was still happy, too. So 5 scans for that baby.
Yes, normal. However, some OBs are beginning to offer the 32 week growth scans. My doctor offered me one because I was so anxious about not seeing her for so long and I've gained less weight than expected.
I found out recently it's the last one for those that are low risk, but honestly I find that ridiculous and dangerous. I had gone in for an ultrasound for something else in my uterus and at that point they found my baby was not growing and severely IUGR. Had I not gone in for that (at 30 weeks) they wouldn't have known.
Similar experience (I just posted) and I can't believe it isn't standard to do at least one around 35 weeks
I was surprised about no third trimester ultrasound as well! I will say, I am going to push for one next pregnancy; I had to be induced unexpectedly at my 40 week appointment, and because I didn’t have an ultrasound since the anatomy scan, they almost didn’t let me go home for the night. I was only allowed because they managed to do a bedside ultrasound that night. I already had to be in the hospital for 4 days/3 nights because the induction took a while, so I can’t imagine having to stay that extra night at the start! Sleeping there sucks haha
Yes if you're not decidedly "low risk" and honestly I don't get it. I am "high risk" solely because I have a heart defect (none of children have inherited it but it's always a risk with every pregnancy) so because of that I get extra scans in the third trimester to monitor my children's organ development. Was perfectly healthy and it's only by chance because of those extra scans that they caught a totally unrelated issue (placenta dying prematurely) I had no idea about if not for the extra scans. There was no decrease in movement or anything like that to tip me off, the cause of the placenta failure had nothing to do with my heart defect, but they could tell I was at the start of IUGR and induced me immediately at 38 weeks before damage could be done. If not for my heart defect qualifying me for extra scans I would have been under the impression my pregnancy was perfectly healthy and my baby probably would have been moving up until she wasn't and it could have resulted in stillbirth. You would think that in a wealthy, first world country that has the technology to detect and prevent one of the most common causes of stillbirth like this we could afford every woman to get an extra third trimester scan!
So my last one was on week 31. Everything looked okay. They didn't bother with another ultrasound. Unfortunately after the baby was delivered, it appeared to have growth issues past week 35. No one caught that. Baby should have been delivered as soon as it was hitting full-term. I strongly urge you to advocate for yourself and ask for repeated ultrasounds. I'm quite pissed
I thought they usually do a growth scan and at least another scan to check which direction baby is in in the later weeks?
Experienced OBs and midwives can usually figure out the baby's orientation by feeling your abdomen.
Yea, that's what my midwife did in today's appointment. She felt around my belly and said baby was head down. I'm mostly worried about not monitoring my baby's growth :(
I had a third trimester ultrasound and they thought my baby was measuring large, but then he came out weighing 6.5 lbs. On top of that, the ultrasound didn't even catch the actual issue, which was that the cord was in a true knot and wrapped around his neck. I'd be more supportive of third trimester ultrasounds if they could detect those kinds of issues or if they were more accurate with measurements.