Ultrasound and Fertility

Following the exam, the saline will drain (slowly, in most cases), so be prepared to wear a pad to protect your clothing. Walking around may aid the force of gravity and help you feel better. Some women plan on having someone drive them home after a hysterosonogram; others feel just fine and return to work. Light spotting is not uncommon for a day or two afterward.

The Use of Ultrasound in Infertility Treatment

If the results of your fertility examination lead to treatment for infertility, you'll likely be experiencing many, many more ultrasounds. Truth be told, you may get to know that transvaginal transducer almost as well as it knows you.

Ultrasound is essential for so many treatment plans. For example, it's used for monitoring endometrial development, follicle development, and ovulation, particularly for women who are taking fertility drugs. For these monitoring exams, your reproductive endocrinologist will be present to check your progress, and the good news is that these ultrasound check-ups only last about five minutes.

Doctors also employ ultrasound to guide medical instruments during surgical procedures, such as egg retrieval for IVF. If early pregnancy is detected, ultrasound is commonly used to confirm the location of the pregnancy and assess the gestational sac. And when fertility treatments have succeeded, an ultrasound is frequently used to detect the heartbeat of a fetus, or two!

Ultrasound tests for fertility don't produce exciting, 3-D, look-at-our-baby sonograms, but they are useful and virtually risk- and pain-free. Most importantly, they provide information that can help and your partner achieve your dreams.