If you are pregnant, your doctor may advise fetal assessment testing for a number of reasons. One very common fetal assessment test is ultrasound. Many doctors believe that an ultrasound examination should be performed during each pregnancy to make sure that the fetus is developing normally.
Many doctors perform the ultrasound test in their office.
However, ultrasound also may be performed at a clinic, a testing center, or a hospital. Ultrasound is used to detect a multiple pregnancy, the age of the fetus, any variation in fetal growth, and the position of the placenta. During an ultrasound, high frequency sound waves echo off tissues in the body and are analyzed by a computer to produce a moving picture of the fetus inside the uterus. Most often, this is done across the skin of the abdomen, but, in very early pregnancy, it can be done vaginally. If your doctor has recommended an abdominal ultrasound test, you will probably be asked not to urinate for a few hours before the test.