Ultrasounds in our own practice | Witsenkade Midwives Amsterdam (2024)

The first ultrasound you can have is the 'vitality ultrasound'.
This ultrasound is made between 7-8 weeks.

We check:

• Is the baby's heart beating? In an early pregnancy, the baby is still very small and does not yet resemble a baby. It looks more like a broad bean. You can see a heart beating on 2/3 of the 'bean'. This looks like a light blinking on and off. We will help you see it!
• Is the baby in the womb? In rare cases, a baby settles outside the womb. This is called an ectopic pregnancy.
• Is there one baby or are you expecting twins?
• How big is the baby? By measuring the baby we can estimate the duration of your pregnancy. Because the baby is still very small, you cannot say exactly what your due date will be. At 10 weeks you will receive a term ultrasound. Then the date can be determined with certainty.

The vitality ultrasound is almost always done vagin*lly to get a better picture of your child.

Costs are covered by the health insurance, or we will not charge you.

During this ultrasound you can see the heart of the baby beating and the baby will be measured.This measurement can very accurately determine how far you are exactly pregnant and what your due date will be. If the ultrasound operator sees a well-developed fetus and a beating heart, then we know that the chance of a miscarriage falls significantly. The chance of a miscarriage before an ultrasound is 10%, after a good echo only 1-3% (depending on the gestational age). This echo is offered by default but is not mandatory.

This ultrasound is reimbursed by your insurance.

If the external examination shows that your child grows too quickly or too slowly, or if there is doubt about it, an ultrasound will be made. Even if your previous child at birth was larger or smaller than average, a growth ultrasound will be made. During this ultrasound, the baby will be measured and checked if a reason can be seen for the possible fast / slow growth. The amount of amniotic fluid will always be assessed.

This echo is reimbursed by your insurance.

The location of the placenta (also called placenta) is not very important, as long as it is not in the vicinity of the exit. If during the 20-week ultrasound it turns out that this is the case, then another ultrasound will be made around 30 weeks to assess the exact location. For this, both an internal and an external echo can be used.

This echo is reimbursed by your insurance.

If the external examination shows that there is too much or too little amniotic fluid in your uterus, an ultrasound will be made. During this ultrasound, the growth of the baby will also be assessed.

This echo is reimbursed by your insurance.

Everyone in the practice gets a head-butt ultrasound at 36 weeks during the consultation hour. Here we check whether the baby is indeed head down.

When the baby is in breech (with its buttocks down) we will confirm this with a position ultrasound, this is an ultrasound where not only the position of the baby is assessed, but also the growth and the amount of amniotic fluid . If the baby is indeed breech then we will tell you about the possibilities of turning the baby, this is called an external cephalic version.

The 13 and 20-week scan is also called structural echoscopic examination. With this scan, the development of the organs of the child is examined extensively.

The difference is that at the 13 week ultrasound it is still early in the pregnancy. The child is smaller and less developed. There is less visible than with the 20 week ultrasound, but some often serious abnormalities can already be seen. If a follow-up examination is required, you will have more time at the 13-week ultrasound to determine what to do with the results.

At the 20-week ultrasound, the child is already a bit bigger and more details can be seen. You have less time – if necessary – to have a follow-up examination done and to determine what to do with the results.

During the first appointment we can inform you in detail about the advantages and disadvantages of a 13- and 20-week ultrasound. You decide whether you want none, one or both ultrasounds.

• The 13 and 20 week ultrasound will take place our own ultrasound center Echopunt.*
• These echos are reimbursed by your insurance.

There may also be other reasons for us to have an ultrasound made. Some examples are: If a woman has a fibroid in her womb, has fallen on her stomach or has had something in her stomach, someone has unexplained stomach pain, etc.

This echo is reimbursed by your insurance.

You can also have an ultrasound made without a medical reason. This is called an ultrasound upon reguest. There are 2D, 3D and 4D echoes.

2D scans are made in our practice. The costs are €52,50.
For 3D & 4D scans we will refer you to ultrasound centers in Amsterdam (costs approx €150,-)

This ultrasound is not reimbursed by your insurance.

An ultrasound performed under 10 weeks is is always carried out vagin*lly. Using a probe that’s inserted into the vagin* to get as close to the womb as possible. This gives the most sharp images and photos in a young pregnancy.
Even in a later period it can be decided to switch to an internal echo if the external echo does not give good image quality. An internal ultrasound is not painful.

A full bladder can get in the way of an internal ultrasound, so if you are less than 10 weeks pregnant, go to the toilet before you get the ultrasound.