In an early scan, we look for a heartbeat and number of foetuses. We measure the size of the foetus and determine the date of delivery. You will receive several 2D-images to take home to show friends and family.
When you book an early scan, you should be able to see the heartbeat of your child. For many, this is an unforgettable experience to see the heartbeat for the first time. And for many, it also provides a comforting security to see life in the womb.
You should be able to see the foetus move and glimpse arms and legs at this point. This time is ideal for measuring the size of the foetus and thus determining the estimated date of delivery. We measure the foetus from “head to tail”, the so-called Crown-Rump-Length (CRL) measurement.
If you are pregnant with more than one foetus, this is also possible to see at this point via the early scan.
Depending on how the foetus is lying and the general overview of your uterus, it may be necessary to perform a vaginal scan to get good pictures.
It is not possible to see the gender in an early scan. It’s only from week 14+0 that we can determine the gender.
We generally don’t recommend an early scan prior to week 6, as it may be too early to see anything, due to the size of the pregnancy.