By measuring specific parts of the fetus, it is possible to determine its gestational age and/or the weight of the baby, and this way also the date of the term or the expected birth weight.
The most common measurements that we use at Lille Liv are:

Crown-Rump Length (CRL):
The length of the fetus from the pate to its tailbone. This measurement is done between 8-13 weeks of pregnancy and gives an estimation of the gestational age and therefore an expected date of the term.

Biparietal diameter (BPD):
The diameter of the head, which is measured after 14+

Head Circumference (HC):
The circumference of the head, which is measured after 14+

Femur Length (FL):
The length of the femur, which is measured after 14+

Abdominal Circumference (AC):
The circumference of the stomach which is measured after 14+

Last Menstruation Period (LMP):
The date of the first day of your last period. This is used to calculate the gestational age at the start of the pregnancy.

Gestational Age (GA):
Gestational age is the actual age of the fetus, for humans, it is calculated from the first day of the last normal period. Even though ovulation is not until about 14 days later.

EDD is Expected Date of Delivery and is the expected date of the term.

When it comes to a traditional scan (2D scan), the ultrasound machine sends out sound waves at a high frequency (approx. 2-8 Mhz) into the abdomen with the help of a transducer. It is the same transducer that picks-up the echoes, which are thrown back with the soundwaves after it has hit the different parts of the fetus.

These echo signals are then converted into different computer signals depending on how long it takes for the echoes to be registered by the transducer.

On the screen, it is possible to see cut-picture of an organ, for example, the fetus head in 2 dimensions (2D), which equivalent to the length and width. If the depth is measured, then the transducer is turned 90 degrees.

A spontaneous abortion is a spontaneous exclusion of an embryo or fetus. Most abortions occur early in the pregnancy. Perhaps there are some women who already suspects she is aborting due to pain or bleeding.

A lot of women experience to lose during their pregnancy, around 20% of all pregnancy end up in a spontaneous abortion.

No matter when or how you have lost, it always results in sorrow, uncertainty and worries, but luckily it is often seen that they are pregnant again, within a short amount of time.

A new pregnancy can lead to worries and thoughts surrounding the earlier unsuccessful pregnancies. In these situations, it is important to use the tools and opportunities, which is useful for the individual person, to get a more safe pregnancy. It can either be by sharing your worries with the closest/other women in the same position or see professional help (your own doctor/psychologist or conversations during a safety scan).

For pregnant women who has earlier delivered before 36 weeks of pregnancy, it may be of interest to get the length of the cervix measured at rest and during a tightening of the belly. The scan is performed both on the stomach and through the vagina. The sonographer takes a vaginal transducer into the vagina.

The examination lasts max. 15 minutes and is not dangerous for the mother or child.

Yes, but it depends on several factors:

• How old the fetus is (you must be at least 14 full weeks, which is 14+0 weeks after the term that you have received during the nuchal translucency scan)
• How the fetus lies in the mother’s abdomen
• How easy it is to scan the mother

At the moment, the public hospitals do not have common guidelines for gender determination. Most hospitals don’t offer to look after the gender through a scan between 18-22 weeks of pregnancy. Sometimes it is done in indication, for example in certain gender-related diseases such as haemophilia, which typically affects boys.

One can expect to see the fetus’s face, arms, legs, spine, possibly also the sex at the scan between 24-35 weeks. Out of experience with our latest ultrasound machine, it is possible to produce a realistic image of the fetus in 4D as early as 11 weeks of pregnancy.

From 18-22 weeks of pregnancy, it is possible to see the entire fetus move on the screen as well as a close-up of the face. However, a scan after 22 weeks of pregnancy it is difficult to see the entire fetus on the screen. But on the other hand, it is possible to get a good image of the face. If one is lucky, one is also able to the fetus making different facial expressions, opening its mouth, sticking its tongue out and so much more.

After 35 weeks of pregnancy, it is difficult to see the face properly, as the head of the fetus is usually deep down in the pelvis area. It can be difficult to get the ultrasound to hit the face and nose area of the fetus. It requires a very good ultrasound machine and experiences with 3/4D scan to make a nice picture. In addition, the fetus must be in a certain position to get some good images. The best way is if the fetus is pointing its nose upwards and that there is a lot of amniotic fluid in front of the face.

If the fetus is not in the desired position, it is not possible to perform an optimal scan. In that case, we offer a free scan which has a duration of 15 min. later the same day or another day (the last mentioned is only for our big 3D/4D/HD live scan).

A blighted ovum can be seen during an ultrasound, where there is an empty fetal sac in the uterus. The fetal sac is without content, which means that there is no fetus which is something that you would normally see in a normal pregnancy. A wind-egg is due to an error in an egg cell during the early stages of cell division, when an egg is fertilized, it will during a normal pregnancy start to divide itself, and some cells will form the placenta and others a fetus.

When there is talk about a wind-egg, then there is no formation of the fetus, but of the placenta, where it will keep growing and produce pregnancy hormones (HCG). Therefore it is typically if one is pregnant with a wind-egg to produce the same amount of hormones as in a normal pregnancy. Which means that one is able to get a positive pregnancy test and have a normal pregnancy and so forth.

After a certain amount of time, the blighted ovum is unable to maintain the normal hormonal production flow, and the body will by itself start a spontaneous abortion or one will be referred to the hospital and get a curettage.

A missed abortion (MA) is a contraindicated pregnancy, in which the body has not yet rejected the fetus.

If there is a missed abortion, then during the ultrasound of the fetus it is shown that the heart is not beating. The reason to why the body doesn’t reject the fetus, is because the placenta will still be able to produce the pregnancy hormones, so that body is thinking that it is still pregnant. The woman will therefore still be able to test positive and have normal pregnancy symptoms. But after a certain amount of time, the placenta will not be able to maintain the normal homronal production flow, and the body will then either start a spontaneous abortion by itself, or one will be diagnosed and sent to the hospital and get a curettage.