Pregnancy scans: what happens?

This is it: it’s time for the first meeting with your little one! It’s time for your first scan. While you may be impatient to see the first images of your baby, scans are first and foremost medical examinations, and three of them are compulsory. But what happens during these examinations? Do they hurt? When should you have them? We explain everything!

How many scans during pregnancy?

You will have to have three compulsory scans. They are very important milestones in your pregnancy. Each scan is a unique moment.

They are used to check that the pregnancy is progressing well. They also make it possible to monitor the growth of the foetus and detect any abnormalities. If your pregnancy is going normally, you theoretically won’t need any additional scans during these nine months. The three recommended scans are covered by French social security and will be enough to follow your baby’s development. They are carried out by a sonographer.

Apart from these three compulsory examinations, you may also have follow-up scans, either on your doctor’s recommendation or because it reassures you. These can be carried out by your obstetrician-gynaecologist or by your midwife.

What happens during a scan?

After applying gel to your tummy, your practitioner will move a probe over the surface of your skin, depending on the area to be examined. The gel helps the ultrasound waves pass through by ensuring contact between your tummy and the probe. Don’t worry, neither you nor your baby will feel any pain. And of course you are not at any risk during this examination, which lasts around thirty minutes.

The first scan: the dating scan

A long-awaited moment for you and your partner: you will finally be able to set eyes on the little being growing inside you. This scan is carried out during the first trimester of pregnancy, between the 11th and 13th week since your last period (i.e. between the 9th and 11th week of pregnancy). Even if you only have it during the 3rd month of pregnancy, remember to book your appointment from the 2nd month.

But what is this first scan for? Also known as the dating scan, it allows the start of your pregnancy to be dated as precisely as possible. This dating is done by measuring the crown-rump length, i.e. the size of the foetus from the top of its head to the bottom of its buttocks. You will then know your Estimated Due Date (see the article “How do I calculate my EDD?”). It is also the moment to see whether there is just one baby in your tummy or whether, surprise, there are several! During this scan, the practitioner can also check that your baby is growing properly. They will take the first measurements and detect any possible malformations or complications, such as a miscarriage or an ectopic pregnancy.

Either way, this first scan will help you become aware of your baby’s presence. You will also be able to hear their little heart beating and perhaps even see them move!

The second scan: the anomaly scan

This second scan takes place from the 5th month of pregnancy, during the second trimester (between 20 and 22 weeks of pregnancy). It is one of the most moving, because your baby is now big enough for you to see them clearly. You will be able to see their little body with their hands, their toes, their profile… This scan is known as the anomaly (morphology) scan and is the longest. Your doctor will check all your baby’s organs and monitor their growth in full. For example, they will check head circumference, abdominal circumference and the length of the thigh bone (femur).

This second scan is also an opportunity to screen for any structural abnormality and to check the amniotic fluid and the placenta. This assessment shows whether blood is flowing properly between you and your baby. Finally, for many, it’s the long-awaited reveal: your baby’s sex! If you wish (otherwise, tell your doctor at the start of the examination that you want to keep it a surprise), it is normally during this second scan that you will find out whether you are expecting a little prince or a little princess!

The third scan: the last one before you meet!

Yes, it’s the last check-up before the big day! You will have this third scan during the 8th month of pregnancy. The aim of this final examination is to check that everything is fine and to confirm that your baby is growing well. The doctor will look in particular at their movements and breathing, but also at the position of the placenta, the amount of fluid, the blood vessels that are gradually starting to work and any malformations. This scan also makes it possible to estimate your little one’s weight at birth and their position. However, these are only approximations: the margin of error for these figures is around 15%.

So you will have at least three appointments with your baby before THE big meeting, when you will finally be face to face with your little one!

Dylan
Proud dad of three little ones and founder of Premiers Moments. Together with the whole team, I share our parenting tips here to support you, from pregnancy through your child's first years.