Ultrasound Scanning
How does ultrasound work?
Why use Ultrasound?
Ultrasound Health
Ultrasound Pictures
Ultrasound Pregnancy
Ultrasound UK
Ultrasound Waves
3D Ultrasound
Doppler Ultrasound
Transvaginal Ultrasound

Pregnancy
Preparing
Dealing with your pregnancy
Maternity & Paternity Leave
Lamaze Classes

Children's Health
Keeping Healthy
Making time for yourself
Mother and Toddler
Children's Gifts

How does ultrasound work?

Ultrasound works by passing sound through the body, which then echoes back the size and shape of what it finds. This is then made into an image through a computer. Ultrasound allows you to see your baby’s shape as well as his/her internal organs including the heart, gallbladder and liver along with major arteries and veins.

When you go to have an ultrasound your doctor will use a transducer that is connected to the ultrasound machine and is used to view your baby. The transducer will emit the sound waves and detect the echoes that come back from the waves when it is put on your stomach area. When the waves find your baby it will echo the shapes back to the machine that then creates an image via a computer.

Ultrasound is not as complicated as one may fear and it is commonly used in pregnancies as the waves are capable of passing through soft tissue and fluids. Many animals use a similar technique to find their way around or catch prey, with bats, dolphins and whales constantly using a form of ultrasound to avoid crashing into trees and to catch moving food.

If you want to know more about how ultrasound works then you can find out more information from your midwife or doctor. They will be able to give you more detailed information about what is involved in the operation of an ultrasound.