It is no secret to anyone that today a woman’s pregnancy is not something unknown and incomprehensible. At least three times during the entire period of bearing a child, a woman can see her baby on a monitor screen and find out how her pregnancy is proceeding. All this happens during a visit to the ultrasound room. However, this procedure has its differences depending on the duration of pregnancy. Let's look at the features of ultrasound at 30 weeks of gestation.
The objectives of the ultrasound
The third trimester of pregnancy originates from 28-30 weeks. At this time, the last screening study is being conducted . Ultrasound at 30 weeks of gestation is more extensive than before. Its main purpose is as follows:
- identification of malformations characteristic of the latest gestational age;
- determination of indicators for cesarean section;
- identification of pathological processes that are threatening for pregnancy (ICI, fetal oxygen starvation, the presence of infection).
If any of the indicators occurs in a pregnant woman, then the situation can still be corrected, despite the late date. In addition to fetal ultrasound at 30 weeks of gestation, CTG and vascular dopplerometry can also be performed. They help to better assess the condition of the child.
Pregnant belly
In addition to ultrasound at 30 weeks of gestation, a pregnant woman should make regular trips to the antenatal clinic, where she is registered. An external examination by a gynecologist also gives information about the normal or impaired course of pregnancy. For example, a doctor may visually note premature abdominal prolapse, which may indicate the imminent onset of labor.
In addition, it should be noted that now your stomach is growing along with the baby and its muscles are quite stretched and weakened, so you need to be very careful when moving. It is not recommended to make sudden movements, and when getting out of bed, first turn on its side.
Also at this time it is recommended to monitor the skin of the abdomen. Its excessive stretching entails the appearance of stretch marks. To prevent their appearance, you can use special creams and gels for pregnant women. Olive, almond or citrus oils are also good for this, especially in combination with a light massage.
Uterus condition
At an external examination, the gynecologist also measures the height of the uterine fundus. Now it is 10 cm above your belly button. You yourself can feel where it ends when your baby pulls her legs from the inside. In general, its size increases to 30 cm.
At this time, you can also note some contractions of the uterus. These are the so-called “training” fights or Bregston-Higgs fights. They do not have certain gaps and are not as painful as the real ones. In addition, they usually affect only the area of the uterus, while true contractions are accompanied by lower back pain and pubic symphysis.
Ultrasound at 30 weeks gestation may also involve intravaginal examination. This is necessary to check the condition of the cervix. If the uzist detects its premature shortening or opening of the internal pharynx, this will mean the threat of premature birth. In this case, hospitalization is indicated to slow down these processes.
Fetus at week 30
Ultrasound of the fetus at 30 weeks of gestation shows what condition your baby is in. The fetus is already fully formed, its cardiovascular and urinary systems are already working independently. All movements of the child are already coordinated and suggest that the musculoskeletal system is also formed. The baby's reaction to light and sound shows that the senses are functioning. In general, we can say that at this time the child already completely looks like a little man, has the same organs and systems, as well as needs.
In the last trimester, the child gains weight and is growing rapidly. He can already show a lot to his mother, for example, how he can react to light and sound, calming down or, conversely, moving more actively. Also, the mother can sometimes notice weak rhythmic tremors. This means that the baby hiccups. This happens because the baby can already swallow a large amount of amniotic fluid.
The fetus also makes breathing movements. Their intensity reaches 40 times per minute. This develops his respiratory muscles and helps prepare for spontaneous breathing after birth. He also continues to accumulate subcutaneous fat, and his body is still wrinkled and has lanugo on it.
Fetal size
The first thing that they always look at ultrasound in 30 weeks of pregnancy is the size, the norms of which can fluctuate for various reasons. Usually the average value is taken. However, if the size of your fetus does not coincide with them, do not be very upset, because the development of each person is individual.
So, at 30 weeks of gestation, the size of the fetus is approximately 36-40 cm. The coccyx-dark spot (CTE) is about 27 cm
Another indicator that is calculated by ultrasound at 30 weeks of gestation is the weight of the fetus. At this point, it should be approximately 1300-1400 gr. This is an important diagnostic indicator of a child’s development.
Survey indicators
Ultrasound indices at 30 weeks of gestation - this is the main thing that a specialist looks at during the examination. All of them, as a rule, together have an important diagnostic value. Most often, at this time, the method of delivery is determined. This can be a natural birth and a caesarean section.
So, the main indicators that are investigated at this time are:
- fetal fetometry data (height, weight);
- Compliance of fetometry data to gestational age and regulatory indicators;
- the condition of the internal organs of the fetus (the presence or absence of malformations);
- the degree of maturity of the placenta and lungs of the baby;
- presentation of the fetus and placenta;
- the amount and condition of amniotic fluid (amniotic fluid);
- the location of the umbilical cord (the presence of entanglement);
- the condition of the cervix (its maturity, the presence of shortening or opening).
Ultrasound data decryption
Very often, having received the result of an ultrasound examination, we want to read it ourselves and understand whether everything is in order. Especially often this desire arises if the uzist doctor did not bother to explain to you everything that interests you.
The interpretation of ultrasound during pregnancy at 30 weeks consists of an explanation of the following abbreviations:
- BDP - biparietal size - it is measured between the temporal bones, normally 78 mm;
- LZR - fronto-occipital size - normal 97 mm;
- Exhaust gas - head circumference - normal 285 mm;
- - abdominal circumference - normal 264 mm;
- DBK - the length of the femur is normal 56 mm;
- The length of the bones of the leg is normal 53 mm;
- KDP - the length of the humerus - normal 53 mm;
- The length of the bones of the forearm is normal 46 mm;
- DHA - chest diameter - normal 79 mm.
Also, upon receipt of an ultrasound protocol, the form should indicate:
- the thickness of the placenta is 23.9-39.5 mm;
- the degree of maturity of the placenta - 1 (first);
- the amniotic fluid index is 82-258.
Examination and analysis
Screening is also available in the third trimester. In addition to ultrasound of the baby at 30 weeks of gestation, it includes other studies. Among them:
- repeated blood test for HIV;
- Analysis of urine;
- smear on the flora;
- measurements of pressure and size of the abdomen.
A pregnant woman passes some tests before each visit to the antenatal clinic, namely a urinalysis and measurements of weight and pressure. By the way, at this time a woman should visit a gynecologist every 2 weeks. This is necessary because pregnancy is an unpredictable process, and at such a solid period it must be controlled even more carefully.
As we already mentioned, your doctor may prescribe additional tests. It can be CTG or dopplerometry.
CTG - cardiotocography. With its help, the activity of the child's cardiovascular system is investigated. The heart rate, their rhythm, as well as the motor activity of the baby and the frequency of uterine contractions are determined.
Dopplerometry is part of an ultrasound scan. This procedure helps determine the speed of blood flow in the mother-placenta-fetus system.
Sex determination
What they look at ultrasound in 30 weeks of pregnancy, we found out: this is the state of health of the baby and the course of pregnancy. However, besides this, the most interesting question for parents is who they expect. That is, an ultrasound scan, most likely, you can consider the gender of the unborn child.
It should also be noted that no one will conduct an ultrasound examination specifically to find out the gender of the child. Neither you nor the child need extra radiation. In addition, doctors consider the determination of sex to be concomitant, because the main thing is that the baby develops normally.
There are times when the baby does not allow you to see your gender until the very birth, and then this moment becomes a surprise for the parents. There are also frequent cases of errors in determining sex. This is because the genitals of babies in the womb are similar (the prolapse of the testicles in boys completely occurs only after birth).
Heartbeat
The heartbeat rhythm is heard already at 5-7 weeks of pregnancy. This indicator is checked on ultrasound and during examination in a antenatal clinic with a stethoscope.
It is believed that the sex of the child can be determined by the heartbeat. However, doctors themselves do not consider this method reliable. After all, the rhythm of the heart can depend not only on gender, but also on many other factors. For instance:
- presentation of the fetus;
- fetal hypoxia;
- the time of the examination (the child is sleeping or awake);
- the presence of genetic pathologies.
However, differences in the rhythm of the heartbeat still occur. An ultrasound of boys at 30 weeks of gestation will show a calmer and more uniform rhythm, the sound of heartbeats will be louder. The heart rate in boys reaches 130 beats per minute.
A girl on an ultrasound scan at 30 weeks of gestation will show a slightly different result. The rhythm is unstable, chaotic, the sound of beats is more muffled. Heart rate is higher - 165 beats per minute.
Boy or girl
In a female fetus, from 8 weeks on, the genitals are not mutated. At this time, they form the clitoris and labia minora. In boys, on the contrary, from the 11th week of development, changes in the structure of the genital organs are observed. The tubercle in them is converted into a penis, and a scrotum is also formed. The probability of error during sex determination is very high, because the boys' testicles are still in the abdominal cavity. Their omission will occur at 7 months of pregnancy, and finally after birth.
Externally, you can distinguish a boy from a girl starting from 16 weeks, and preferably from 18. An experienced uzist measures the angle that forms a tubercle for this. If it is more than 30 about , then this will mean that there is a boy in the womb.
However, doctors recommend asking a question about the gender of the child not earlier than 20-24 weeks of pregnancy. At this time, the probability of error is reduced, but not completely excluded.
New technologies
Medicine does not stand still, and three-dimensional ultrasound is now used to determine sex and other pathologies. Such an ultrasound scan is usually done only according to indications, since not all clinics can provide such a service, moreover, it is quite expensive. With its help, it is possible to better consider defects in the facial part of the skull, limbs and other pathologies.
It is not surprising that sex determination during such an examination will be one hundred percent. And all because the fetus is viewed in different planes and the likelihood of confusing the boy’s genitals, for example, with a fragment of the umbilical cord or a child’s pen, which he clamped between the legs, is reduced.
Usually, after the procedure, parents can get a video of an ultrasound scan or a clearer and larger photograph than after a conventional ultrasound.