Also, if you didn’t give up caffeine after finding out you’re pregnant, you can opt for a cup of coffee or can of soda. The caffeine enters your bloodstream and might stimulate your baby to move around.
It can also help to engage in conversation with the ultrasound technician; however, you don’t want to distract them as they are in the midst of important aspects of the ultrasound examination, so ask for permission prior to engaging them in conversation.
What your doctor will look for during this first-trimester ultrasound is a heartbeat, as well as the presence of your baby inside the uterus (checking to make sure there are no pregnancy abnormalities. Your doctor can also use measuring tools on their computer (where the ultrasound is being recorded) to assess what is called the “crown-to-rump length” which is used to date the pregnancy. Not everyone receives a first-trimester ultrasound; rather, it is reserved for those patients whose doctors have early concerns about the pregnancy’s success or uncertainty around dates. In general, everyone receives the second-trimester ultrasound which is a much more detailed assessment of their baby and occurs done between 18 and 20 weeks. External sex organs have not developed at this point so the doctor won’t be able to determine sex during this ultrasound.
It is this second-trimester ultrasound where you will be interested in strategies in getting your baby to move. One particular reason couples are interested in this is that with more movement there is a greater chance the ultrasound technician can determine the sex of the baby (which is of interest to many people). The baby’s sex (male or female) can be determined on second-trimester ultrasound by the presence or absence of a penis, which is usually observable with sufficient fetal movement (or if the baby happens to be in a position where this can be seen from the outset).
