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Getting to the 8 week ultrasound is quite the accomplishment during pregnancy, and we’re going over all about what happens at that appointment and what you can expect!
In early pregnancy, reaching the 8 week ultrasound can feel like it takes years. It’s a hard waiting period because outside of a positive pregnancy test and maybe some pregnancy symptoms, you really have no proof you’re pregnant. It can be hard mentally! But finally you get there, and here’s everything you can expect at your 8 week ultrasound appointment.
This post is all about the 8 week ultrasound.
Such an exciting appointment! Most likely you’re very first one, and the first time you’ll see real confirmation that there’s a teeny little baby growing in your belly. So sweet!
This is of course just my personal experience, so you might see some variety depending on your doctor’s office, but this should give you somewhat of an idea of what you can expect and what goes on at this appointment.
What can I expect at an 8 week ultrasound?
For me, this was broken up into two different back to back appointments. The first being the 8 week ultrasound with an ultrasound tech, the second being my 8 week appointment with my OB.
For the 8 week ultrasound itself, the tech brought me back into the ultrasound room and I was able to bring a guest with me (I had my husband). My doctor’s office didn’t allow for any cameras or recording, and I think that’s pretty normal, just a heads up.
I had to undress from the waist down, as this is a vaginal ultrasound not an abdominal one. What does that mean? Essentially a wand is inserted into you in order to check on baby. Not painful or uncomfortable, was totally fine so don’t stress too much! Just be prepared in case you’re expecting it on your stomach.
The ultrasound tech did things with the video off so we couldn’t see until she checked everything out and then she put the video on for us at the end. Not sure if that’s the norm, but that was our experience.
RELATED POST: All About Your First Doctor Appointment After Positive Pregnancy Test
Eventually she showed us and we could see the tiny little bean in there! He wasn’t really moving, which is normal, although they can be moving! And we heard his heartbeat. We could also see his heartbeat clearly flickering on the screen – super cool!
She printed out some pictures for us, which are so special to me, but also you can’t see much since he’s just a tiny little thing in there. But it was nice to have that solid proof that yes, there is in fact a real live baby in there!
You’ll also get information on how big the baby is measuring at that point.
After the ultrasound, we went back to the waiting room and were called back for the OB portion of the appointment. I peed in a cup, they took my blood pressure, and a few vials of blood.
My OB confirmed my pregnancy, that everything looked good so far (thank goodness), and went over some pregnancy basics and what the schedule of appointments were going to look like from there on out. At this point I was given my official due date based somewhat off of my own dates and mostly off of the ultrasound.
I didn’t bring my husband back for that part cause I wasn’t sure what the protocol was, but I didn’t have to undress or do anything at all but sit there and chat so you could bring your guest with you no problem (if you want to!)
8 week ultrasound picture:
Will I hear a heartbeat at 8 week ultrasound?
Yes! While you likely won’t be able to hear it on a doppler for a few more weeks, the ultrasound will pick up the heartbeat. You’ll be able to hear it and get the heartbeats per minutes.
It’s wild to hear it!
Can you tell gender at 8 weeks ultrasound?
Nope. You won’t be able to see what gender your baby is for many more weeks. However, if you choose to do the NIPT test, which can happen anytime after 10 weeks, you will be able to find out the gender (plus checking to see if baby has any abnormalities). This is what we did, and we found out we were having a baby boy just a few days after I hit 10 weeks.
Alright, that’s everything you need to know about the 8 week ultrasound! If you want a more detailed look at that appointment, be sure to check out my post All About Your First Doctor Appointment After Positive Pregnancy Test for more information.
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