WHAT A LEVEL 2 ULTRASOUND LOOKS AT

A level 2 ultrasound focuses closely on fetal anatomy to be sure everything is growing and developing as it should; images are much clearer and more detailed than the fuzzy ultrasound you got in your first trimester. Your baby will be measured from crown to rump, around the middle, and around the head, and his or her weight will be estimated. The four chambers of the heart will be looked at, as well as the kidneys, bladder, stomach, brain, spine and sex organs. The sonographer will also be looking at your amniotic fluid levels, the location of the placenta and fetal heart rate.

A level 2 scan also checks for hard and soft markers, characteristics that may indicate an increased risk of a chromosomal abnormality. Important to know before you head into your scan: Very few babies showing soft markers (choroid plexus cyst, echogenic foci or pyelectasia, to name an unpronounceable few) end up having an abnormality. In fact, these markers are spotted on as many as 11 to 17 percent of all healthy babies — good reason not to worry if one is spotted on your baby's scan. Your practitioner will let you know whether any follow-up testing is necessary (it often isn't).

Be aware that a level 2 ultrasound can also tell you the sex of your baby if you haven't already found out through noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT) or a CVS, though with less than 100 percent reliability and depending on baby's cooperation. Remember: Be sure to tell your sonographer if you don't want to know!

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