Risks of Ultrasounds?

[waiting4babee]

I am hoping to have my first ultrasound next month at around 9 weeks, and I'm so excited to see a picture of the baby! I also can't wait to know the gender, so I was counting on getting another ultrasound between 16-20 weeks. All of my friends have gotten multiple ultrasounds and I've never thought anything of it...

Then one friend told me very recently that ultrasounds are bad for the baby. So of course I google it, and find lots of scary info. Here is one example:
https://drbenkim.com/articles-ultrasound-pregnancy.html
Apparently ultrasounds can cause miscarriage?

I'm a little freaked out, so I'm hoping to hear everyone else's opinions! Selfishly, I still want to see my baby and find out the gender, but I feel terribly knowing that I may be posing a risk to my baby before he/she is even born!!

What do you think???

 

[Vickie]

I think you need to be very careful with what you find on google. (there is a lot of stuff out there that is scary regarding pretty much anything in pregnancy). I would speak to your doctor about your concerns

I have had 3 US so far this pregnancy for various reasons (low HCG, brown discharge, sliding down a staircase ) and have another one tomorrow (twin pregnancy and they want to check the babies growth).

 

[Platinumvague]

Reading this makes me happy I will only have 3 max ultrasounds this pregnancy.I had one at 7 weeks to date and I won't have another until 20 wks in January.Im not sure how much of this is really true but why risk it.Im like you and want to know the gender at my next app at 16 wks but now I will wait until 20 weeks

 

[mernie]

DH works in the diagnostic imaging/radiology dept at our hospital. There's 0 radiation and 0 risk to the baby. He's educated trained...I trust him.

 

[mernie]

Also I had 10 with DD and she's perfect

 

[waiting4babee]

Thanks for the feedback, everyone!

mernie, I would believe your husband too! Although the worry with ultrasounds is not the radiation, but rather the high-frequency sound waves. Does you DH mention anything about that? Just curious...

 

[mernie]

He said no it doesn't hurt them. He's very much looking forward to giving me my ultrasounds and I know he'd never do anything to harm our baby. The babies don't notice anything about the sound waves.

 

[bananaz]

I said this in another thread, and I'll repost it here:
Given that obstetric ultrasounds have been performed for decades and have been the subject of hundreds if not thousands of safety studies, I'd have to think any dangers they present must not be very significant and must be heavily outweighed by the numerous diagnostic benefits.

As for the article you posted, I skimmed it briefly but the fact that it contains absolutely no references to any kind of material that can back up its outlandish claims destroys any credibility it might have. I would strongly advise you to stick to info from your doctor and from reputable, peer-reviewed sources. I could make a website right now saying that ultrasounds cause babies to grow tentacles made out of titanium but that wouldn't make it true.

 

[shescrafty]

I have to have ultrasounds every 2 weeks in this pregnancy bc of prior cervical surgery, they want to moniter and ultrasound is the best way. Some high risk women need to have them once a week. It is very safe, as per my dr no threat to the baby. My sister in law who is studying to be an ultrasound technician says the ones to stay away from are the 3D ultrasounds, as those can be harmful. As tempting as it is to want to see exactly what those little ones look like, and the 3d's are amazing things......better to stick with the regular US...they are clear enough and won't harm the baby

 

[potatoes]

You have to be careful with what you read on the internet b/c most of the time it will just end up freaking you out. Ultrasound is completely safe. It's soundwaves not radiation (which most people make that mistake). My friend is an ultrasound techinician and she scanned her baby everyday to say "hello".