Ultrasounds have become an expected part of pregnancy, with most (about 7 out of 10) pregnant women opting for at least one during that time.  The technology is actually very new with sonograms being offered in the mid-80s and 90s.

What Do Ultrasounds Achieve?

There are generally about four main reasons a woman may want an ultrasound done:

• To determine estimated due date
• To determine sex of the baby
• To detect possible abnormalities in the baby or placenta
• To determine size of the baby or amount of amniotic fluid

Here are some of the concerns about ultrasounds:

1.  The Sound Levels For Babies May Be Damaging

Scientists are discovering that an ultrasound examination could be “as loud as that made by a subway train coming into the station” to the developing baby[18, 19].

2. Delayed Speech And Ultrasounds

There might be a link between hearing loss and an ultrasound.  One case-controlled study found an association between prenatal ultrasound and delayed speech[21].

Those two factors really spoke to me as I was looking into ultrasounds, and with my second, I decided to opt out of having one done.