What is a Doppler scan?
This is a type of ultrasound scan designed to measure blood flow, using black and white or colour images. It can be used to see if your placenta is working normally, by tracing the blood flow between the placenta and your baby through the umbilical cord.
You may also be offered a Doppler scan if there are any concerns about your baby’s growth, or if you are suffering from high blood pressure or pre-eclampsia, as this may also affect the blood flow to your baby.
Your baby is attached to the placenta by the umbilical cord, which has two arteries and a vein. Blood from the placenta carries essential nutrients and oxygen to the baby and takes waste products back through the umbilical cord. There should be low resistance in the walls of your umbilical arteries to allow as much blood through as possible. If the resistance is high, blood can't get through very easily and your baby may not get enough food and oxygen, so she cannot grow as well as she should.
A small baby who is found to have normal umbilical arteries by a Doppler scan is most probably getting all the nutrients she needs.
If the Doppler shows the resistance in the arteries is too high and your baby is not growing, she may be delivered early.
Smoking temporarily affects the blood flow to your baby. The resistance in the baby's arteries may be raised for about half an hour after her mother has had a cigarette. (Read more about the risks of smoking in pregnancy.)
Greengrape: Your gynae will advise if you need doppler scan. I had mine at 31 weeks and the next one will be done at 36 weeks. Like Yen, my baby also small, 1.5kg at 31 weeks and also experiencing some resistance with my blood flow. As such, will continue to monitor and see if its necessary to take the baby out earlier...
Yen: Did Dr advise to take the baby out earlier?
This is a type of ultrasound scan designed to measure blood flow, using black and white or colour images. It can be used to see if your placenta is working normally, by tracing the blood flow between the placenta and your baby through the umbilical cord.
You may also be offered a Doppler scan if there are any concerns about your baby’s growth, or if you are suffering from high blood pressure or pre-eclampsia, as this may also affect the blood flow to your baby.
Your baby is attached to the placenta by the umbilical cord, which has two arteries and a vein. Blood from the placenta carries essential nutrients and oxygen to the baby and takes waste products back through the umbilical cord. There should be low resistance in the walls of your umbilical arteries to allow as much blood through as possible. If the resistance is high, blood can't get through very easily and your baby may not get enough food and oxygen, so she cannot grow as well as she should.
A small baby who is found to have normal umbilical arteries by a Doppler scan is most probably getting all the nutrients she needs.
If the Doppler shows the resistance in the arteries is too high and your baby is not growing, she may be delivered early.
Smoking temporarily affects the blood flow to your baby. The resistance in the baby's arteries may be raised for about half an hour after her mother has had a cigarette. (Read more about the risks of smoking in pregnancy.)
Greengrape: Your gynae will advise if you need doppler scan. I had mine at 31 weeks and the next one will be done at 36 weeks. Like Yen, my baby also small, 1.5kg at 31 weeks and also experiencing some resistance with my blood flow. As such, will continue to monitor and see if its necessary to take the baby out earlier...
Yen: Did Dr advise to take the baby out earlier?