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Ophelia
she's baaccckkkk ;)
Member since 5/06 23378 total posts
Name:
remember, when Gulliver traveled....
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Has anyone had a fetal echocardiogram performed?
if so, can you tell me what to expect?
is it something where I'll be able to SEE the heart and the baby?
is it an "internal" procedure?
it's being performed by a pediatric cardiologist.
I am going Friday morning.
TIA.
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Posted 6/9/09 4:18 PM  |
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MrsRbk
<3 <3 <3 <3
Member since 1/06 19197 total posts
Name:
Michelle
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Re: Has anyone had a fetal echocardiogram performed?
I had one with my DD.
It's like a regular sono where they just focus on the heart and taking measurements of it as well as watching blood flow, etc.
You will see and hear the baby
It is an external sono
I had to go to the Childrens Hospital where I delivered to have it perfomed.
In my case, my DD was stubborn and asleep just about the entire time and a 30 minute sono took almost 4 hours!
good luck!
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| Posted 6/9/09 4:23 PM |
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Jenhos
Maeve
Member since 6/05 3273 total posts
Name:
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Re: Has anyone had a fetal echocardiogram performed?
I had 3. It was done at my high risk doctors office and it is a sono on your belly. You will be able to see the baby but they really just focus on the heart and the blood flow to the heart. I didn't get pictures of the baby at any of them.
Nothing to it really.
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| Posted 6/9/09 4:24 PM |
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nbc188
Best friends!
Member since 12/06 23090 total posts
Name:
C
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Re: Has anyone had a fetal echocardiogram performed?
Posted by MrsRbk
I had one with my DD.
It's like a regular sono where they just focus on the heart and taking measurements of it as well as watching blood flow, etc.
You will see and hear the baby
It is an external sono
Same here. I think our's was about an hour long, mostly b/c the sonographer was AWESOME and showed us tons of stuff in addition to the heart, femurs, other body parts. I went when I was 19.5 weeks, so he told me it was a  a few days before our Level II.
At my appointment, the sonographer spent about an hour measuring and showing us images, and then shared some measurements & images with the perinatologist outside the room, then the parinatologist came in a few minutes later and said all looked great.
Message edited 6/9/2009 4:41:22 PM.
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| Posted 6/9/09 4:38 PM |
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LoveMySMT09
<3mySMT.AJT
Member since 1/09 2623 total posts
Name:
VT
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Re: Has anyone had a fetal echocardiogram performed?
can I ask why some of you had them performed?
I'm currently under the care of a high-risk OB for my own congenital heart defects that I *probably* inherited from my father/paternal grandfather.
I want to have one done to see if my has the same defect, but starting at what week can they be done?
TIA!
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| Posted 6/9/09 4:38 PM |
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Ophelia
she's baaccckkkk ;)
Member since 5/06 23378 total posts
Name:
remember, when Gulliver traveled....
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Re: Has anyone had a fetal echocardiogram performed?
Posted by sweetsurprise09
can I ask why some of you had them performed?
I'm currently under the care of a high-risk OB for my own congenital heart defects that I *probably* inherited from my father/paternal grandfather.
this is kind of why I am having it done.
at my level 2, they found an echogenic focus on the baby's heart.
both my paternal grandfather and great grandfather died from congenital heart conditions (my bio father could be suffering from this as well, but I've had no contact with him in 30 years so I don't know)
they are doing the echo to make sure everything is hunky dory.
they do examine the heart and its function at your anatomy scan (level II) so you may not have to have one...if all is looking good at that point.
discuss it with your OB. mine decided to err on the side of caution.
good luck 
ETA: thanks everyone for sharing! I may have dh come with me.
I wouldn't have if it was an internal procedure.
Message edited 6/9/2009 4:45:24 PM.
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| Posted 6/9/09 4:44 PM |
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nbc188
Best friends!
Member since 12/06 23090 total posts
Name:
C
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Re: Has anyone had a fetal echocardiogram performed?
Posted by sweetsurprise09
can I ask why some of you had them performed?
I'm currently under the care of a high-risk OB for my own congenital heart defects that I *probably* inherited from my father/paternal grandfather.
I want to have one done to see if my has the same defect, but starting at what week can they be done?
TIA!
I had mine done b/c I, like you, have a congenital heart defect and they wanted to see if my baby had it or any other heart issues.
I believe it shouldn't really be done before around 18 weeks or so since not everything is fully developed or easy to see clearly...I'm guessing if there was a serious heart issue they detect on the baby earlier they'd do them earlier, but not for routine screenings.
I had discussed my condition with my OB When I first became pregnant, so it was in my records and he was aware of it and told me well in advance that I’d go for it around 18 weeks.
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| Posted 6/9/09 4:45 PM |
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MrsRbk
<3 <3 <3 <3
Member since 1/06 19197 total posts
Name:
Michelle
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Re: Has anyone had a fetal echocardiogram performed?
Posted by sweetsurprise09
can I ask why some of you had them performed?
TIA!
DD had 3 soft markers for Downs at my Level II which we had to move up to 18 weeks from 20 weeks due to my AFP/Quad Triple Screen results. My OB wanted me to have the Fetal Echo done to rule out any heart defects which are common in babies with Downs.
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| Posted 6/9/09 4:45 PM |
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LoveMySMT09
<3mySMT.AJT
Member since 1/09 2623 total posts
Name:
VT
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Re: Has anyone had a fetal echocardiogram performed?
thanks!
I think I'll ask to have one just as a precaution as well.
Nothing was mentioned about markers or abnormalities at my Level II, im assuming that's why they havent brought up a fetalecho yet.
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| Posted 6/9/09 4:48 PM |
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nbc188
Best friends!
Member since 12/06 23090 total posts
Name:
C
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Re: Has anyone had a fetal echocardiogram performed?
Posted by sweetsurprise09
thanks!
I think I'll ask to have one just as a precaution as well.
Nothing was mentioned about markers or abnormalities at my Level II, im assuming that's why they havent brought up a fetalecho yet.
We went before our Level II (a few days before, it's just how the appts worked out)...they did it just based on my heart condition.
Ophelia-- DH came with me...if you have a good sonographer, it's a really awesome look at baby again, he'd love it!
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| Posted 6/9/09 4:57 PM |
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Gertyrae
Peace out Homies!
Member since 5/05 20046 total posts
Name:
Gerty ®
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Re: Has anyone had a fetal echocardiogram performed?
I went to a pediatric cardiologist to have it done. It was an external sono and it took about 45 minutes. The sonographer didn't look at anything but the heart, so it wasn't very exciting for us as far as seeing the baby. I also had to spend some time on my sides for her to get different angles on the heart.
We were scheduled for the fetal echo at 23 weeks due to the fact that my perinatologist said that was the best timing for getting a good look at the heart...but we had already made the decision that we weren't terminating no matter what so that may have had something to do with our timing.
As far as the reason for the fetal echo - my NT came back with a high risk for down's and I declined the Amnio - so this was just a way to check and make sure the baby doesn't have any heart markers for Down's.
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| Posted 6/9/09 6:00 PM |
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dm24angel
Happiness
Member since 5/05 34581 total posts
Name:
Donna
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Re: Has anyone had a fetal echocardiogram performed?
I had one done with my son. A cardiologist did it and it was like 30 minutes or so long.
We had questionable Ultrascreen results and that was the reason. To rule out birth defects.
They told us the results right then and there.
It was an external regular sonogram.
Good luck!!
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| Posted 6/9/09 6:37 PM |
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