Why do I need a full bladder for a pregnancy ultrasound?

If you’ve had a pregnancy ultrasound before, chances are you’ve been asked to fill your bladder prior to the scan. I’m sure you remember the uncomfortable feeling of your full bladder and feeling like you couldn’t possibly drink anything more for the rest of the day! But do you know WHY a full bladder is necessary?

No, it’s not just because we’re mean. A full bladder actually makes for a better ultrasound and in some cases, the scan can’t be done at all without it.

Early in the pregnancy, a full bladder helps to push your bowel out of the way so we can get to your uterus. Bowel and ultrasound aren’t friends so the bladder acts as a window that we can see bub through.

Later in the pregnancy, when your baby and your uterus are much bigger, a full bladder can help to move the baby up off your cervix. Throughout the pregnancy, we check to ensure that the cervix is long and closed and that the placenta isn’t too close to the cervix but if baby has its head right down low, it can make it very difficult to see.

Later in the pregnancy, we also use a full bladder to get baby to move. Sometimes the full bladder will get them into a good position and sometimes emptying your bladder will get them to move into a better spot. So, it’s always really handy to have the option of emptying a full bladder if bub just isn’t cooperating.

If you need a diagnostic pregnancy ultrasound or if you’d just like to take a peek at your bub with one of our entertainment 3D ultrasound packages, you can book an appointment at our Blayney Practice via the button below.