Growth / Fetal wellbeing ultrasound
Growth ultrasounds can be performed from 24 weeks of pregnancy at any time until the end of the pregnancy. Your doctor will decide if and when the growth needs to be assessed and will refer you for an ultrasound.
To assess how the baby is growing it is not possible to measure the length of the baby from head to toe because it can curl up and stretch out making this an inaccurate measurement. Instead we measure around the head, across the head, around the stomach and the leg bone and these numbers are put into a computer program which determines the approximate size of the baby.
In addition the amount of fluid around the baby, the appearance of the placenta and the blood flow through the umbilical cord and within the baby’s brain are measured.
Do I need a full bladder?
No. The baby is now big enough to be seen without a full bladder.