Advice needed from women who have given birth

[SoftPeaches]

This is my first child, and I have just started my fifth month. We had our prenatal checkup, and the doctor said that she was going to schedule us for an ultrasound, providing our insurance will pick it up (we had one already to determine the conception date).
The insurance, of course, will not cover it (unless something goes wrong).
So, we are trying to decide whether or not to have the ultrasound. I really would like to know what the gender is, but the doctor told me that the real purpose of the ultrasound is to determine whether or not the baby is forming correctly (i.e. does it have 2 lungs, 1 liver, etc).
We could pay for it ourselves, but it would be $250, which is just another bill on top of the ones I have already accrued.

So my question to you women who have been kind enough to read through this rambling is........would you get the ultrasound, cost be damned, because it is an important prenatal step, or would you bypass it? Did anyone elect to go without one altogether, for whatever reason?

 

[Willing and Unsure]

i've never had children... but when my sister was pregnant, i think she bypassed it.. she had the ones where she could listen to the heart beating.. and i said it sounded like a cb radio transmission with as much static as there was.. but i think the same thing happened to her with the insurance thing and she didnt have it

 

[Guest]

Just going from my own experience here...I had several during my first pregnancy because of complications. Insurance covered them all. Is it possible for your doctor to give a medical need for the ultrasound, and then insurance may cover it? Ultrasounds can determine so much before the baby is born, and point to any possible complications. Maybe you should discuss it more with your OB.

 

[Bubblegum *sugarless*]

Sorry the above post was me. *Sigh*

 

[SoftPeaches]

Is it possible for your doctor to give a medical need for the ultrasound, and then insurance may cover it? Ultrasounds can determine so much before the baby is born, and point to any possible complications. Maybe you should discuss it more with your OB.

I don't seem to have any problems that would make a second one necessary (everything seems to be going great), and my doctor doesn't seem to be the type to bend the rules. It's not something I even really want to suggest, because I don't want to seem dishonest.

 

[freakygirl]

When i was 17.. i found out i was pregnant. I came from a family who didn't believe in Welfare.. so my boyfriend/husband (we got married after i was 3 months pregnant) decided to try it on our own. We made arrangements to make monthly payments to the doc and the hospital. We were doing great almost all the bills were paid before the baby was born. Well i wouldn't let the doc do an ultrasound, because of the cost. He explained it wasn't necessary but it was important to have the ultrasound. It could tell him in advance if there was a possiblity of any problems during delivery. I still didn't have it done, I figured women had been having babies for years without ultrasound and modern money making procedures.

In May of 1987, i went into labor. I thought that i'd go, have a few pains and pop out a beautiful little baby, and go home the next day. after 52 hours of labor (wouldn't let the doc do a c section because i couldn't pay for it) he told me.. i had NO choice, a c section was better to pay for than a funeral (as both me and baby would die, if he didn't come out NOW!)

If the doctor would have done an ultrasound early in my pregnancey he would have known that my pelvis was just to small for giving birth, and we could have been prepared.

i had 3 more pregnancies after that.. all of them i had insurance for. My insurance paid for multiple ultrasounds.. i guess i was lucky.

Now for your question, i would do it. have that second ultrasound and pay for it (talk to them about making payments, i'm sure they would let you) or call your insurance and find out why they won't pay for it, you may be surprised that they will.

Good luck

 

[Calamity Jane]

If the only reason you want to have an ultrasound is to determine the sex of the baby, I wouldn't do it. I had a sonogram with both of my children. Both times, it was just one of those 'routine' things that my OB did. Both times he was 'almost positive' that I was having a boy. Both of my children are girls.

If you think that there may be complications with your pregnancy, or your Dr believes that there is a valid medical reason for the US, then obviously, you should find a way to pay for it. But if it's a superficial reason like the sex of the child, let it go.

 

[teresafannin]

I didn't have an ultrasound or a sonagram with my son, but I also had an easy pregnancy & delivery. I had no insurance & made arrangements to pay the hospital every month, my parents paid for me to have my own OB-Gyn. I skipped the ultrasound because I couldn't afford it, but also because I felt I really didn't need it. Hope this helps, if you are really concerned, could you work out a payment plan for it? Good luck & congratulations on the new addition to your family.

 

[Silverlily]

I had to have ultrasounds with both of my girls every six weeks during my pregnancies due to interrupted uterine growth rate (IUGR). Like pagancowgirl said, both times the doctor SWORE I was having a boy and both times (obviously), he was wrong.

Unless you are showing signs or have a family history of complications, you don't actually need an ultrasound. Additionally, they are not reliable as indicators of gender.

 

[Guru]

 

[christophe]

soft i am shocked that your insurance doesnt cover that service so here is a tidbit that i have seen work time and time again, and the women i know swear by it as well..... when you start to show if you are all upper belly its a girl, if u carry the baby low and the tushie gets bigger then its a boy....dont know how that works but i have rarely seen it go wrong.....i was right about mt wifes butt and the boy she had!

 

[Skitten]

I would recomend having the ultra sound if at all possible. I did with both my kids, but my hubby had medical issues and the DR. was looking to make sur the babies didn't have theese issues. So our insurance paid for it. It is not a neceessity but it is nice to know that the baby is growing properly, but if you really can't afford it there is nothing wrong with not having it done. If it is just for the gender don't coun't on it 1 they got right one they didn't it all depends on how the baby is laying that day too.

Good luck hope I helped some and good luck with the baby.

 

[MissTaken]

With both pregnancies, I had ultrasounds at six weeks, seven months and then weekly thereafter, due to possible complications.

For the first ultrasound, when there was no indication of problem, the doctor wrote the order to "rule out multiple births." Doctors know how to word things so as to ensure insurance coverage.

I highly recommend you get another ultrasound. They proved beneficial to my second born. I won't go into details, but it did turn up some things that had gone otherwise unnoticed.

But, if the only reason he wants to do one has to do with gender or due date, it wouldn't seem like a good use of time or money. To check physical development, they are very useful.

Good Luck....and enjoy your pregnancy ! (I loved being pregnant!)

BTW, both children born happy, healthy and haven't slowed down since birth!

 

[SoftPeaches]

Thanks everyone

Thanks for all the advice/anecdotes. I think that I will lean more toward getting the ultrasound, and paying it in payments, rather than going without, and having to worry about whether or not I should have gotten one. I would like to know what the gender is, but I could live without it. I just can't deal with worrying for the next four months about whether or not the ultrasound would have shown something like freakygurl's problem.

I will leave updates for anyone that cares to share in my happiness!

 

[batter]

good luck!

i dont know how your health insurance works for you but, here in canada, if the ultrasound is done in the hospital, the government insurance picks up the tab.
if the ultra sound is done in the hospital, is it covered by the insurance?
hope all goes well for you. i know how excited i was during the pregnancy with our first born.

and this is just me but, i didnt want to know the sex ahead of time because it takes away from the surprise when they enter into the world. it heightens the excitement of the moment.

again....good luck!

 

[asphaltangel]

Ultrasound

I am a Mother of 4 and also a Dr. It is not necessary to have the ultrasound. unless your family has a pre-curser to birth defects. Save the money and use it after the baby comes.

Candy

 

[LedAstray]

Definitely!

I would absolutely get it done. I've had two very healthy babies, but a friend of mine discovered that her baby had a heart defect thanks to the 5th month ultrasound. Because of this, they were able to give the baby the care she needed immediately rather than discovering the problem after the baby was born.

 

[peaches~n~cream]

I think the initial ultrasound is very important and then if any problems arise, it should be repeated. I had placenta previa with my last child and had an ultrasound every teo weeks after 6 months of pregnancy to make sure it was okay.

Unless there is a problem, I would forego the extra ones. By the way, all my ultrasounds said boy. I had a girl.

 

[Earthgoddess]

I have had two children so far and am happily working on number three. I had only one ultrasound with my first, had multiple with my second( I was losing weight and there were concerns about the amniotic fluid) and have had two so far with this baby-just to verify implantation and date the pregnancy. I can honestly say that without a medical necessity, I would have skipped them. On the sex determination issue my ultrasounds were 100 per cent, but only after 20 weeks. Follow your doctor's recommendations, and enjoy your pregnancy!

 

[Elizabeth]

I had one ultra sound with #1 son. I had 3 or 4 with #2. Placenta problems that they wanted to keep an eye on. If you only want to know the baby's sex, I wouldn't do it. But check with your insurance company.

 

[Southern37]

im no woman..but ive got 2 kids ...we had ultrasounds both times and they were 100% correct on sex..i find it odd your insurance doesnt pay for one late enough in preg to determine sex....also $250..seems high as hell..i think your getting ripped off

 

[Gilly Bean]

We have never had a problem with insurance not covering it. I think with baby number one (can't remember now...) when they wanted to give me a second one, and the insurance balked, my doctor came up with a medically sound reason as to why I needed it. Something to do with not devolping properly, or some such crud. Some doctors are willing to fudge around a bit to see if it can be covered, and some are not.

Now, we are into month 7, and I know for sure we are going to have at least one more, because in the last one, the baby was breech, and wasn't posed to be. So, they will medically need to do another to determine the best birthing for the baby.

Anyway, talk it over with your doctor, and see if he thinks it is medically needed, or just a want right now. I wanted to know with both my other children what the sex was, but had insurance not covered it, I don't think I would have gone for it, cause back then, that was a LOT of money for us. Hell, it still is, but it is more conceivable now.

 

[Gilly Bean]

soft i am shocked that your insurance doesnt cover that service so here is a tidbit that i have seen work time and time again, and the women i know swear by it as well..... when you start to show if you are all upper belly its a girl, if u carry the baby low and the tushie gets bigger then its a boy....dont know how that works but i have rarely seen it go wrong.....i was right about mt wifes butt and the boy she had!

-chuckles-

I love 'old wives tales'.

A baby will lay however it wants in a belly. Whether it be carried high, low, breech, or normal, there is no surefire way to tell what a baby is just by the shape of a woman and her belly. Most definatly, let alone her ass.

I have had one of each, with number 3 on the way, and with all three, almost everyone agreed that from the back, I didn't look pregnant at all. Baby 1 was carried a bit high, and was a girl, though most people kept trying to tell me it was a boy. The same was true with the boy, in opposite.

With me, personally, I just kind of 'knew' what I was having with both, and ultrasounds confimed it. With this one, an ultrasound proved the baby to be shy. Kept the legs closed through the whole thing. But, we had already opted not to find out.

Also, if you are worried about a problem like Freakygurls, a doctor can do a fairly decent measure of a pelvis without an ultrasound. If you are very narrow hipped, then it may be a problem. And I mean VERY narrow. Like the type of hips that wear kids size clothing. I wore a size 3 in juniors, and had small hips before baby one, and I delivered naturally. It is more painful, I have heard, but it can be done. If there is a complication like FG had, then a doctor now days will not wait 52 hours to do a c-section. Especially if the mother or child are in high risk. A baby can not stay in the canal for long, so once it enters there, they are more or less on a count down.

With most women, when the baby enters the canal, it is only a matter of anywhere from minutes, to a few hours. Forceps, and Vacuuming are two things they may try before opting for a painful surgery removal.

If your doctor is worried about anything, he may be able to do an amnio, that the insurance will cover. I have never had one done, have never had cause, but if it hasn't been mentioned, then there is no need for one. Besides, they look painful.

Try not to worry over small details like labor just yet. YOu will have PLENTY of time to do that. Right now, concentrate on getting things ready for the baby. Green and yellow are two nice colors for a boy or a girl. Girls can wear boy-ish clothing a bit easier then vice versa. Onsies, and sleepers come in a variety of unisex colors, and they are about all you need right away, anyway. If you are going to be getting a shower, see if they will wait until after the baby is born, so that you can
get gender specific's.

Good Luck with everything, and I hope everything remains well!