What are the different types of ultrasounds?
There are two main types of ultrasounds: abdominal and vaginal. Abdominal ultrasound. You’ll lay on a table with your abdomen exposed. Then the ultrasound technician puts a gel on your abdomen. The gel improves how the transducer works on your skin. The transducer is gently placed on your abdomen and moved over your abdomen and pelvis. There are two more detailed types of abdominal ultrasounds: • Doppler. Higher-intensity sound waves are used to study the movement of blood and listen to the baby’s heartbeat. • Three- and four-dimensional (3-D and 4-D). The 3-D ultrasound takes thousands of images at once, making the image look more realistic. A 4-D ultrasound shows movement as well as still shots. Vaginal ultrasound. The vaginal ultrasound can take a closer look at the organs and fetus. It is used often in early pregnancy, as well as later in the pregnancy to diagnose problems with the placenta and cervix. For this procedure, you will change into a hospital gown, lie down and put your
