Comments on babyREADY: Do Ultrasounds "Just For Fun" Carry Risks?

Anon, I am just basing this on the people I know i...

2009-07-21T21:25:22.576-04:00

Anon, I am just basing this on the people I know in "real life" who asked for the 3D US, had multiple US, got US done at the mall, etc. All of them were obsessed with seeing/hearing baby before birth, got those expensive pregnancy pics taken, had a cast made of the belly, etc. I mean, doing any one of those things is not that weird I guess, but doing them ALL and then being a very hands-off parent is very strange to me and it seems to be the norm based on the couples I know who've been very baby obsessed like this.

Anonymous, I must ask, were you ever told, when yo...

2009-07-21T15:08:38.558-04:00

Anonymous, I must ask, were you ever told, when you went for your 3D Ultrasound, that the research regarding the safety of the procedure on the unborn foetus had never been done and that, in fact there was research to suggest a potential for it being damaging to him? Were you told there were risks? Did you know this information so that you could make an informed decision about it?
I am curious. I have never met anyone who has been told that ultrasound safety has not been thoroughly studied and that preliminary research suggests that there is the potential for risk to the unborn baby. I would love to talk to someone who was given the risks, especially someone who has been for a commercial ultrasound. In Canada the operators of the machines are "certified" to use that machine but not to read or even remotely interpret the results. That, in and of itself is a risk in my opinion.

I am by no means obsessed with my unborn child in ...

2009-07-21T14:39:26.628-04:00

I am by no means obsessed with my unborn child in any way that is unhealthy and I did have a 3D ultrasound of my own child. I take great offense to being categorized into the same group by Elita as someone who thinks "breastfeeding is gross, uses cry-it-out, gets a planned c-section and wouldn't dream of laboring without an epidural." As to the contrary, I breastfed my first child until he was 18 months, never once let him cry-it-out to fall asleep, did not have a 'planned' c-section and laboured completely without an epidural, thank you very much!!!
Yes, I agree that there are people who go to the extreme and excessively request or pay for ultrasounds, buy dopplers, etc. but really, watch the overclassifications!

Thanks Michelle. I am with you. It astounds me w...

2009-07-21T09:44:03.743-04:00

Thanks Michelle. I am with you. It astounds me when I hear of the sheer volume of U/Ss moms have with pregnancies. I have had more than one mom become angry (when I worked as admin in a m/w office) that we couldn't just "book her another u/s." She just wanted to check the baby, to be sure everything was okay. Yikes!

Thank you Annie! You're right, they can be used effectively to detect ectopic or molar pregnancies. Unfortunately beyond that though they don't see most baby body parts adequately enough to be more than a suggestion that a more in-depth study needs to be done.

I was shocked when I learned that a childhood frie...

2009-07-21T09:15:15.044-04:00

I was shocked when I learned that a childhood friend of mine, who is a nurse, used to go and use the ultrasound machine at the hospital on her breaks when she was pregnant just to look at her baby. She did this regularly, just for fun.

I'm thankful for ultrasound technology. I was very thankful when we suspected my first pregnancy might be ectopic. The ultrasound was able to provide me with peace of mind (and alternatively if it had been ectopic, it would have given us the opportunity to deal with the situation sooner rather than later).

But I don't think it is a toy or something to be played with.

Great post as usual.

I'm dismayed at how routine ultrasounds seem to be...

2009-07-21T01:01:27.535-04:00

I'm dismayed at how routine ultrasounds seem to be these days - multiple ultrasounds seem to be the norm, rather than the exception. The frustrating part for me is that for most parents even one ultrasound doesn't provide any useful information - though it may provide for lots of worry. How often do mothers worry about a low-lying placenta at 18 weeks (when it will almost always move up)? Or undergo invasive testing for a relatively unspecific ultrasound finding (that often won't change a thing about prenatal care or delivery)? I've felt the anticipation too - and the 3D images are pretty amazing. But some things are meant to be a surprise and I wish we'd have the sense to leave them like that.

Elita, once again I agree with every word you have...

2009-07-20T22:02:07.930-04:00

Elita, once again I agree with every word you have written. You are brilliant my friend and quite well spoken too!
Thanks for the comment

People are nuts. Seriously. I love my kid, but the...

2009-07-20T21:38:45.221-04:00

People are nuts. Seriously. I love my kid, but the rabid consumerism surrounding babies has gotten out of control. I was reading a local parenting blog and one of the writers was trying to find an affordable doppler so she can listen to her baby's heartbeat all the time. All of this stuff is just insane to me. 3D ultrasounds of the baby you will get to see in a few months in person? Really? It's just creepy to me that people become obsessed with their unborn child in a way that seems unhealthy. These are also the same people, BTW, who think breastfeeding is gross, use cry-it-out, get planned c-sections and wouldn't dream of laboring without an epidural.

Thanks @SuSuseriffic! My pleasure!

2009-07-20T21:34:09.723-04:00

Thanks @SuSuseriffic! My pleasure!

VERY interesting..thanks!

2009-07-20T21:20:27.743-04:00

VERY interesting..thanks!