You will need to have a full bladder for this examination. Please drink one litre of water finished one hour before your appointment time; do not empty after this. The urine in your bladder assists us to see the pregnancy and pelvic organs.

A Sonographer (Technologist trained specifically in ultrasound) will perform the examination and record the necessary ultrasound images. The Radiologist will review these images and provide a written report to your Referrer and National Screening Unit.

The Sonographer will ask you to lie on a table. Some gel will be spread on your bare lower abdomen and a transducer will be moved over your lower abdomen to produce images. You will be able to watch these images on a specially mounted TV screen. The Sonographer will be able to show you details of what they are seeing on the monitor.

On average an ultrasound scan takes between 20 and 30 minutes. Factors that determine the length of the scan are, position of the baby in the uterus, how much fluid is present around the baby, how full the bladder is, the reason for the scan, maternal size or whether an endovaginal scan is required.

The Radiologist will review the ultrasound images and provide a written report to your Midwife/Doctor and the pathology laboratory. 

If you attended a Hamilton, Focus or Mokoia Radiology clinic, the scan images will be available to you and your family through the Hamilton My Images app.

Hamilton MyImages offers secure sharing of Pregnancy Ultrasound scans with family or friends.

• Personal access from any computer or smartphone
• No more carrying CD's or DVD's

Access here

Download additional information on how it works here.