What Happens at the 11-Week Ultrasound Appointment?
You may have previously had a viability or dating ultrasound. But it’s common for providers to recommend another scan around 11 weeks. Get excited! You’ll get a “sneak-peek” of newbie-to-be at your upcoming 11-week ultrasound. And—spoiler alert—baby is start to look more like, well, a baby! Here’s the lowdown on what to expect at this appointment from experts and real moms.
“You should have had an early pregnancy ultrasound prior to 11 weeks to confirm your due date and make sure things are progressing in the right direction,” says Nirali Shah Jain, MD, a reproductive endocrinologist, in in Basking Ridge, New Jersey. “But if you were late to find out you were pregnant, this may be your first official scan.”
Even if you had a 6- or 8-week ultrasound, your provider might recommend a first-trimester screening for genetic abnormalities. This testing often includes a nuchal translucency (NT) scan, an ultrasound performed between 11 and 13 weeks.
Your provider could suggest an 11-week ultrasound for a number of reasons, according to Jain:
- To confirm the pregnancy if there were any uncertainties or to verify fetal development. “This ultrasound helps ensure the presence of a heartbeat and that the pregnancy is progressing as expected,” she explains.
- To establish or confirm the due date by measuring baby’s size and adjusting the gestational age, if necessary.
- To screen for genetic conditions. In an NT scan, the ultrasound technician measures the fluid behind baby’s neck to help assess the chance of Down syndrome.
The 11-week ultrasound may be performed transvaginally or transabdominally. In the latter case, the ultrasound technician, nurse midwife or ob-gyn will move a wand (called a transducer) over your belly. To best see baby, they’ll need your bladder to be full. So, before your procedure, drink plenty of water and avoid peeing. There’s a chance that the ultrasound could be transvaginal instead. It depends on your provider’s preference and what they’re able to see at this point in time. In this case, a condom-covered wand will be lubricated and inserted into your vagina.
Here’s some good news: Your job is to lie down and relax. Then, the ultrasound tech will coat your belly with gel and move the transducer around on top of your skin. As sound waves bounce off the inside of your body, they will transform into images that appear on a screen.
During this process, the tech will measure baby’s size and, if they’re performing an NT scan, the fluid-filled space at the back of the neck. This measurement can help assess the risk of certain chromosomal abnormalities, most commonly Down syndrome (trisomy 21) and trisomy 18, notes Jain.
At the 11-week appointment, you might receive non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) instead of or in addition to an NT scan. This blood test has largely replaced the NT scan, says Melissa Dean, a midwife and founder of Casa Natal Birth and Wellness Center in Los Gatos, California. Administered after 10 weeks, it analyzes fetal DNA and provides a more accurate risk assessment of genetic conditions.
If you had an earlier ultrasound, you’ve already experienced the excitement of seeing and hearing baby’s heartbeat and have likely found out whether you’re having a singleton or multiples. But the 11-week ultrasound brings new developments. Instead of a bean, your little one is starting to take on a human form. Their face, arms, legs and external genitalia are beginning to develop, and you might even see them make subtle movements.
Baby’s development at 11 weeks
At 11 weeks, baby’s face is taking shape, their nails and teeth buds are forming, their toes and fingers are no longer webbed and they can open and close their adorable little mouth. Their brain is also developing left and right hemispheres and their external genitalia is beginning to form. Suffice it to say, a lot is happening. Learn more about baby’s development at 11 weeks, here.
11-week ultrasound pictures
At the end of your 11-week ultrasound appointment, you should receive a parting gift: a printed photo of your developing baby. Like previous ultrasound pictures, this image won’t be colorful or professional-looking. But the blurry black and white “snapshot” still deserves star placement on your fridge. It’s proof of what’s to come. Here’s what an 11-week ultrasound picture may look like:
https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/fetus-11-weeks-by-ultrasound-1748000672 https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/fetus-11-weeks-by-ultrasound-scan-1588922593
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did my due date change at the 11-week ultrasound?
If the measurements taken during your 11-week ultrasound are inconsistent with the estimate of baby’s gestational age, your provider might change your due date, says Jain. Believe it or not, this is not all that uncommon, so don’t be alarmed!
Can baby’s sex be determined at the 11-week ultrasound?
Providers can often determine baby’s sex at an 11-week ultrasound. “This is when most patients ask for sex information,” says Jain. Still, at 11 weeks, the accuracy rate is only about 72 percent, according to data. The 20-week anatomy scan or NIPT test will provide the most accurate results, says Dean.
Can twins go undetected at 11 weeks?
If you’re having multiples, you likely know by now, says Jain. “Twins should be detected on your first ultrasound with a heartbeat, generally no later than 8 to 10 weeks.”
What is happening with baby’s development at 11 weeks?
At 11 weeks, the fetus is the size of a lime: about 2 inches long and one-third of an ounce in weight. Facial features, major organs, external genitalia, and arms and legs are starting to develop, adds Jain.
To Sum It Up
Each ultrasound is an opportunity to have a visit with baby before they actually arrive—and the 11-week ultrasound is no exception. Along with helping to assess the risks of a genetic condition, confirming due date and making sure everything is on course, this scan will offer a window into how much your little one has grown already.
Melissa Dean, CNM, is a midwife and the founder of Casa Natal Birth and Wellness Center in Los Gatos, California. She is a graduate of the National Midwifery Institute.
Nirali Shah Jain, MD, is a reproductive endocrinologist in Basking Ridge, New Jersey. She earned her medical degree from the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
Learn how we ensure the accuracy of our content through our editorial and medical review process.
Navigate forward to interact with the calendar and select a date. Press the question mark key to get the keyboard shortcuts for changing dates.
