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Specialist Ultrasound Clinic for Women Sydney Ultrasound Care - Early Structural

12 Weeks – time for an early structural scan

How big is my baby?

At 12 weeks your baby is about the size of a plum, measuring 55 – 69 mm from the head to the bottom.

When Ultrasound Care recommends an early structural scan

An ultrasound is the only way of assessing the development of your baby in the uterus in early pregnancy. That is why Ultrasound Care obstetricians recommend an early fetal structural scan from 12 weeks of pregnancy

What’s happening this week?

  • Your baby’s kidneys begin to work and they start to produce urine
  • The fetal thyroid gland starts to make thyroid hormones
  • Your baby is about as heavy as a tennis ball, weighing approximately 58 g

What is the fluid around the baby?

The fluid surrounding your baby is called amniotic fluid.  It starts off coming from your blood which is filtered into the gestational sac through the membranes, but after the first trimester it is mostly fetal urine (yes, we all bathed in our own urine before we were born, for months) and secretions from the mouth, nose and lungs. 

If you would like to find out more about an early structural ultrasound, please click here to visit our Early Fetal Structural Scan page or call us at a location of your choice to arrange for an appointment.

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