Ultrasound at 8 weeks of pregnancy
The early or viability ultrasound
At 8 weeks of pregnancy, you can have an ultrasound, but it’s not standard. This viability ultrasound, or early ultrasound, can be done from 6 weeks onwards. However, if you have it done at 7 or 8 weeks, more can already be seen. Want to know if an 8-week ultrasound is necessary and when? We’ll tell you here. Or at our midwifery practice, of course, because you’re always welcome with all your questions.
Dating ultrasound at 10 or 11 weeks
The first ultrasound is typically done around 10 or 11 weeks, known as the dating ultrasound. This ultrasound determines how far along you are in your pregnancy and what the due date is. Although the due date is initially calculated based on the first day of your last menstruation, the dating ultrasound is performed to establish that date more accurately. If there’s a difference between the dating ultrasound date and the one based on your last menstruation, the dating ultrasound date takes precedence because the growth of all embryos is still very uniform at this stage, making the measurement via ultrasound the most reliable.
Early or viability ultrasound at 7 or 8 weeks
Even though the first ultrasound takes place at the end of your first trimester, it’s possible to have an ultrasound earlier. The early ultrasound or viability ultrasound can be done from 6 weeks, but it’s recommended, if possible, not to have it done earlier than 7 weeks. We wrote about this in a previous blog. Of course, you can also have this early ultrasound done a bit later, at 8 weeks. There is already a small difference in what can be seen on the ultrasound at this stage. Depending on the reason for having an early ultrasound, it may be advisable to wait until you are 8 weeks pregnant.
The difference between an ultrasound at 7 or 8 weeks
At 8 weeks of pregnancy, your baby is still very small. It’s not yet referred to as a baby but as an embryo, approximately 1.5 cm in size at this stage. Very small, but already almost twice as large as at 7 weeks. Growth and development progress rapidly, which is why you may feel so tired during this period. And because the embryo is growing so rapidly, the difference between an ultrasound at 7 or 8 weeks is already significant.
When do you get such an early ultrasound?
A viability ultrasound is only done if there is a medical need for it, such as bleeding in the first weeks, abdominal pain, a previous miscarriage, or symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy. If your situation requires this ultrasound, we will arrange the medical indication so that your insurance covers it, and we will schedule the ultrasound for you.
Identifying twins on an 8-week ultrasound
The early ultrasound shows whether the embryo is well-implanted in the uterus and whether the heart is beating. With an 8-week pregnancy ultrasound, you can also see if you are expecting one or more babies. If twins are visible, the sonographer will also check if there is a membrane between the embryos. This is important from a medical perspective.
Growth spurts
So early in pregnancy, your baby is growing in leaps and bounds. The difference between two days can already be enormous. What you see with an 8-week ultrasound is already clearly different from a 7-week ultrasound or a 9-week ultrasound. Whether and when you need an early ultrasound always depends on your personal situation. The midwives at our practice in Amsterdam-Zuid keep a close eye on that for you.
Personal attention during your pregnancy at the midwives in Amsterdam-Zuid
If you’re pregnant, you can come to us from the very beginning. All our midwives are personally there for you. If you have questions about ultrasounds during your pregnancy or anything else, or if you want to get to know us, make an appointment now! We’d love to meet you!