Exact Answer: After about 6 weeks
During an ultrasound, sound radiations and waves of high frequencies are used to develop the image of the body of the fetus including its connection with the mother via the placenta. It is carried out after 3 months of pregnancy to know about the development of the fetus inside the mother’s womb. Besides this, it is also used to know about genetic defects and diseases which may be passed on from the parents to the baby.
Ultrasound allows the parents to save the first picture of their baby. It is even used to detect the problems with the placenta which may be corrected to avoid further problems and damage to the baby. It is even used to check the cases of pregnancies that may result in multiple babies. The position and growth of the fetus are also predicted via ultrasound. Among the various types of ultrasound, the transvaginal one is the most effective.
How Long After Miscarriage Ultrasound?
| Type of Ultrasound | Time |
| Transvaginal | 6 weeks |
| Transabdominal | 10 weeks |
Ultrasound is carried out on a specific routine. It is even carried out in cases where the mother experiences pain and menstruation during pregnancy. Miscarriage happens when the mother’s womb has a gestational sac without the embryo. It may also happen when the sac contains a dead embryo that does not reflect any activity related to the heart. Miscarriages can be best detected via ultrasound.
There are mainly two different variants of ultrasound depending on the period of pregnancy when they are being carried out. Before the completion of 12 weeks, transvaginal ultrasound gives a proper internal scanning of the growth of the baby. After the completion of 12 weeks, the transabdominal ultrasound is done regularly to check the development of the baby. The tests during pregnancy and the radiations used during tests are totally safe for the baby.
It is completely dependent on the mother to decide which type of ultrasound she wants to undergo. She can even skip the transvaginal one and go for the transabdominal one throughout her gestation. The physician and the doctor would provide her with the necessary details regarding this. But, transvaginal ultrasound does not give the clear analysis of the fetus as the transabdominal one and the diagnosis is even delayed.
Ultrasounds are not harmful to the baby. It is not even harmful to the mother. If the mother experiences bleeding after a transvaginal ultrasound, then there are chances that the blood was deposited in the region above the vagina which was made to flow down via the ultrasound. Ultrasound is prescribed by doctors within a specific time interval.
Why Does It Take So Long For Ultrasound After Miscarriage?
Ultrasounds around 7 weeks can detect the heartbeat of the fetus. Well, the time is not the same in all the cases. Hence, one needs to be patient and should allow the baby to develop fully at its own pace. The daily routine of ultrasound starts after 12-14 weeks of pregnancy. By the ultrasound, the doctor detects whether the baby has a heartbeat or not.
If the fetus has a heart that beats, then the doctor studies the developmental stage of the body and predicts the approximate date of delivery. The doctor even checks and analyses whether the mother’s womb has one baby or more than one. Some nuchal scanning is also conducted by parents to detect if the fetus carries any kind of genetic disease or disorders due to chromosomes. About around 20 weeks, an anomaly scan is even conducted to ensure that the fetus is developing normally without any disease.
The most preferred time for the ultrasound is around 6-8 weeks of pregnancy when the baby’s heart would have become completely functional. In some cases, the heartbeat is not detected at this time. This indicates that either the baby is developing slowly or is dead. These doubts can be clarified by an ultrasound test done about 2 weeks after this test. In some cases, multiple ultrasound tests are done to get rid of doubts.
Generally, in cases where the baby is dead, the mother may get symptoms like pain in the womb and bleeding which resembles their monthly menstruation. Whereas, in some cases, the fetus dies within the womb of the mother without any symptom of miscarriage. This can only be detected by an ultrasound. The ultrasound tests conducted around 6 weeks of pregnancy can confirm whether a miscarriage has happened or not.
Conclusion
Only when the baby has a heartbeat, one can be ensured that the baby is alive. If the fetus has a heartbeat at around 6 weeks then the chances of survival of babies are 78%. If the fetus has a heartbeat at around 8 weeks, the chances of survival of babies are increased to 95%. The chances of survival gradually increase when the baby has a heartbeat. Without a heartbeat, the baby is lifeless.
Ultrasound at the proper time indicates that whether the mother is having an ectopic pregnancy or molar pregnancy. The ectopic pregnancy means that the fetus grows and develops not within the womb but in any region of the abdomen. The molar pregnancy means that when the baby isn’t able to grow properly but the number of placental cells keeps on increasing. The ultrasound within 8 to 10 weeks confirms whether it is a case of miscarriage or not.