Oh what a joy it brings when you see your unborn baby for the very first time. It's almost as if you are able to touch and talk to your little one by just looking at him or her through the screen. Thanks to ultrasound technology, this moment has become even more precious.

A prenatal ultrasound, also known as sonography, is a noninvasive diagnostic procedure that utilizes sound waves to produce a visual image of your baby, placenta, uterus, and your other pelvic organs. Apart from creating pictures, this test is also performed as part of genetic testing such as the nuchal translucency test, chorionic villus sampling, or amniocentesis.

It permits your physician to gather information and to monitor the growth and health of your little one. With this, you are able to see your baby's face, shape, position, and movements.

Additionally, it is used to identify whether there are abnormalities in the fetal development. You may also be able to listen to his or her heartbeat if you like.

Usually, your doctor will instruct you to have your first ultrasound sometime between the 6th to the 10th week of your pregnancy; then, successive sonography tests will follow periodically. You will be able to determine your baby's gender during the 16th to the 20th week.

You might be probably wondering about what to expect during your initial ultrasound scan. To ease up your anxiety, here are some pieces of useful information:

Drink lots of water to fill your bladder. This test can produce the best images of your baby when you have a full bladder. However, being pregnant makes it difficult to maintain; so, try drinking sips of water on the way then gulp the rest when you have already arrived at the clinic's parking lot. In that way, it would not be too uncomfortable for you to hold your bladder while waiting for your turn to be scanned.

During the test, you will need to keep quiet. Your technician is very serious about his or her job. He or she is concentrating on taking clear pictures of your little one so that you and your doctor could assess your baby's growth and development. If the images are not clear, your physician might misdiagnose an abnormal fetal deformity or something even if there is none. Hence, you need to give your technician some silence in order for him or her to correctly produce the images. If you have any questions about your baby's health, ask your doctor because your technician cannot professionally answer your queries even if he or she does know. Besides, it may end up in a law suit if he or she did answer you.

Moreover, since it is your first time seeing your baby, you can ask for some photos of your little one. You can preserve these images in your album or give them to your close families and friends as treasured keepsakes.

Lastly, if you are worried about the safety of ultrasound scans, you don't need to because they are relatively safe. Unlike x-rays, these tests don't use radiation to harm you and your little one.