In Part 1 of this series I have shared my experiences with missed miscarriages due to ultrasounds and in Part 2 the research on the risks of ultrasounds. As a result of those posts, several women shared that they canceled or postponed their already scheduled scans. This post is for you gals! I’ll give you the advise I give to my patients (do’s, don’ts and remedies) and your alternatives for ultrasounds. Because yes, you have options for anything from confirming to dating your pregnancy, to checking the heartbeat or checking for twins.
If you have seen the previous two posts of this series and have read that not even the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists will guarantee the absolute safety of ultrasounds, you will understand these 5 things I advise my patients as their fertility homeopath.
Ultrasound advice I give to my patients:
1. Do not us Doppler or 3D and 4D imaging at all
2. Skip the first ultrasound that confirms if you are pregnant and do not get an ultrasound before 12 weeks, unless your doctor suspects an ectopic pregnancy. (Preferably skip an ultrasound your entire pregnancy)
3. Have you doctor inform you on symptoms to look out for if you have a higher risk of complications such as a past ectopic pregnancy.
4. If you need to have a scan for medical reasons, take the homeopathic remedy Ultrasound 30c before the scan, right after, and once a day after that for 2 more days.
5. Evaluate if you really need an ultrasound at all and consider your alternatives
Alternatives to scans..? Yes, you have alternatives! For thousands of years women and babies have done without ultrasounds and there are technologies today that can give you the information that ultrasounds give. So here we go.
“I had planned an ultrasound next week now that I am 6 weeks pregnant, but after reading your article, I postponed it. I have had two missed miscarriages in the past. In both cases I had 5-6 week scans that looked good, but the heartbeats were gome at the 8 and 10 week scans. Both times the babies measured at only 6 weeks, so they must have died right after the scans.” – patient
1. Your alternative for confirming your pregnancy.
Using a drugstore test will tell you that! On top of that, if you have charted your menstrual cycle, the continue elevated temperatures will confirm that as well. To make sure that you are pregnant indeed and that you have the right level of HcG (pregnancy hormone), I recommend that you get a blood test instead with your doctor.
2. Your alternative for dating the pregnancy.
According to studies, dating from your last period is just as accurate as from an ultrasound. If you chart your cycle and can pinpoint when you ovulated, you won’t be able to get more accurate than that! (Not pregnant and not charting yet? Sign up for my free course). This is also really helpful if you have irregular cycles.
It is also important to note that dating via ultrasound is only reliable till the 14 week mark. After that, if baby is 10-14 days bigger or smaller than expected, the due date is adapted even though that is not reliable! That puts women at risk for unnecessary induction and c-sections because they are considered overdue even when they are not.
3. Your alternative for finding out the sex.
Ok, I understand this is fun, but is it really worth putting your baby at risk just so you can pick a name and colors? Go old-school and be surprised when your sweetheart first sees the light! If you really want to know though, this too can be found out through a blood test. Yes, that is from your blood, so it is non-invasive. This can be done through the DNA analysis of fetal cells in your blood.
4. Your alternative for checking for placenta previae.
One of the things checked at the 20 week scan is if the placenta covers the cervix partially or completely. This is called placenta previae. However, in almost all cases where this shows up at that scan, it is resolved by the time a woman goes into labor! Therefore getting this diagnosis at 20 weeks may unnecessarily give you worries. Also the doctor will order follow-up scans, exposing baby to even more ultrasounds. If a woman actually does have this problem, there will often be a warning bleed later on in the pregnancy, at which stage you could still consider doing an ultrasound shortly before you are due. Again, if you do, make sure to take Ultrasound 30c before and after, and daily for another 2 days.
5. Your alternative for checking the heart beat.
From 18-20 weeks you can start using a fetoscope (a stethoscope but for you belly) to listen to your baby’s heartbeat. Remember that Doppler raises tissue temperature above the safe levels even more so than ultrasounds, so leave those home devices to the side.
6. Your alternative for checking if you carry twins.
If in early stages you are dealing with extra nausea and feel like you are growing quite big quickly, you can have a blood test done. Chances are that your HcG levels will be higher than with a momma with just 1 tenant. To be sure, you will know once the midwife can check your belly and feel several babies. Ultrasounds can sometimes even be inconclusive on this because kiddo’s sometimes hide behind one another! So not worth the risk..
So there it is, you do not need to do all the ultrasounds that are offered to you!
I really hope that these posts have helped you make up your mind on this difficult topic. If so, please share so that more women can make an informed decision.
If you would like natural treatment during (the early stages of) your pregnancy and/or labor, book an appointment for a pregancy action plan with me and we will look at your case together.