I tell you... Once you have enough "birth junkie" friends on Facebook, you don't have to do much research - the articles just arrive in droves! Love it!
I think I read this article when it came out, but it's a good resource for those who are ultrasound-leery. It makes some good points. Check it out:
Ultrasound: Weighing the Propaganda Against the Facts
I'm on the fence with ultrasound.... Like most obstetrical interventions today, I believe that it is majorly overused. Personally, if I have another baby, I don't think I'll be having an ultrasound. I didn't have one with our first (who was miscarried) or second (our son); I did have one ultrasound with our last baby because I felt (for whatever reason) that I needed to - however, I don't think I'd do it again. After all, I wouldn't abort for any reason, so it's kind of pointless (it is nice to be forewarned of problems... but I do think that there are risks with ultrasound, so I'd rather play it safe).
However, everyone is different, and some women live for ultrasounds. For most of my friends, ultrasounds are the high point of their pregnancies. (I was so nervous that the tech would slip and tell me baby's gender that I didn't enjoy mine at all!) So... to each his own! It's definitely a wonderful technology that can be used for great good, and it's helpful in many situations. Also, for parents who like to know ahead of time if baby has problems so that they can be prepared, it can be quite useful.
Thoughts, anyone?
I've had one u/s (to rule out twins!) at 37 weeks out of my two now three pregnancies. If I felt a "need" to have one, I would, because it is possible for them to see something that *would* make a difference -- for instance, finding out the baby needs to be taken immediately to surgery or something; or that the baby is so tangled in the umbilical cord that it would not be physically possible to be born vaginally. Yes, it's very rare; but it happens. Many parents report that they felt relieved by finding out ahead of time some negative diagnosis, because they were able to prepare themselves prior to birth, and it wasn't a huge shock when the baby was stillborn, or died soon after birth, or was rushed immediately from the room. **However** there have been parents who deeply regret having had an u/s because it identified a problem that either resolved itself spontaneously or had been misdiagnosed to start with, and it just sent the parents on a several months long stress trip, ultimately for no reason. Plus, there are the numerous false-positives that come up on screens, and if parents decline amnio (due to the miscarriage risk), then they have the diagnosis of "increased risk of Down Syndrome" (or whatever other problem identified) weighing over them the whole pregnancy, knowing that *likely* everything is okay, but *possibly* it isn't.
ReplyDelete-Kathy