Most women have their first pregnancy ultrasound — the dating scan — between 6 and 11 weeks, with around 7 to 8 weeks being the ideal time, when your baby's early shape and heartbeat can usually be seen clearly.
That second line on a pregnancy test can bring a rush of feelings all at once — joy, disbelief, and maybe a flutter of nerves. Almost straight away, one question tends to rise above the rest: “When do I actually get to see my baby?” You may also be wondering whether a pregnancy ultrasound is even required, or a little further along, Is My Baby Moving Enough? At Athena Women's Clinic in Bentley, we understand that excitement completely — and we know just how long those early weeks can feel. So let's walk through what happens next.
Your first real milestone is the early pregnancy scan — the one most people simply call a dating scan. Below, we'll explain when to book your first pregnancy ultrasound, and exactly what our sonographers are looking for.
What Is an Early Pregnancy Dating Scan?
A dating scan is your very first pregnancy ultrasound, carried out by our sonographers during the first trimester. It's the check that confirms your pregnancy and helps make sure everything is progressing safely.
At this stage your baby is still astonishingly tiny, so the scan calls for real precision — which is exactly why we keep the room calm and reassuring throughout. It also gives our doctors the vital baseline information they use to guide the rest of your antenatal care.
So, When Should You Book Your First Pregnancy Ultrasound?
If you're wondering how soon is too soon, here's the honest answer: the ideal window for a dating scan ultrasound is between 6 and 11 weeks, though most doctors recommend aiming for around the 7 to 8-week mark. Timing really does matter, and here's why:
| When you scan | What it usually means |
|---|---|
| Before 6 weeks | It is often too early to detect a fetal heartbeat, so a scan this soon can cause unnecessary anxiety — the sonographer simply cannot see the baby clearly yet. |
| 7 to 8 weeks | The fetal pole (your baby's early shape) usually appears clearly by now, and we can also easily detect a steady heartbeat. |
Not sure of your dates because your periods are irregular? Please don't worry. You can simply visit one of our GPs, and we'll organise a quick blood test to check your hormone (hCG) levels accurately. From there, we write your referral for an early pregnancy scan in Perth — making sure the timing is absolutely perfect.
How to Prepare for Your Pregnancy Ultrasound Appointment
Happily, preparing for this scan is very simple. Usually, our sonographers perform an early pregnancy scan transabdominally, which just means they glide the ultrasound probe gently across your tummy.
- The golden rule: arrive with a full bladder. A full bladder acts like a window — it gently lifts your uterus out of the pelvis and gives the sonographer a clear view of your baby.
- What to do: drink two to three glasses of water about an hour before your appointment, and hold it.
Occasionally, your baby might hide, or it may simply be very early in the pregnancy. If that happens, the sonographer might recommend a transvaginal scan, which provides a much closer, clearer look. We'll ask you to empty your bladder first, and your comfort and consent always remain our top priorities.
What Exactly Are We Looking For?
When you come in for your first trimester ultrasound, our experienced sonographers are quietly checking four crucial things:
- The heartbeat (viability). Seeing and measuring the tiny flutter of your baby's heartbeat is the primary goal of this scan. It provides massive reassurance that the pregnancy is viable.
- The location. We check to ensure the pregnancy is safely located inside the uterus. This rules out an ectopic pregnancy (when a fertilised egg implants in the fallopian tubes), which requires immediate medical attention.
- How many babies. This is the moment you find out whether you're expecting one baby, twins, or even triplets.
- Your estimated due date (EDD). Because ovulation cycles vary, your last menstrual period is not always an accurate way to date a pregnancy. By measuring the length of the baby from crown to rump, we can calculate a highly accurate due date.
Athena Women's Clinic works alongside our sister clinics. For regenerative skin, hair & body treatments see Athena Wellness; for pregnancy & pelvic imaging see Athena Women's Ultrasound.
