Extra Scans and Monitoring, Explained
Reviewed by CDE Mehandi Sharma · Updated
A GDM pregnancy involves more monitoring than one without, and being told you need extra scans can sound worse than it is. Each has a specific job.
Growth scans measure your baby's head, abdomen and thigh bone to estimate weight and plot it against expected ranges. They are checking whether extra growth is happening, and they are usually repeated so a trend can be seen rather than a single point.
Amniotic fluid measurement is done alongside. GDM can be associated with more fluid than usual, and the amount is a useful indirect signal.
Doppler studies look at blood flow through the placenta and umbilical cord, checking that your baby's supply is adequate.
Non-stress tests or cardiotocography record your baby's heart rate over a period, usually later in pregnancy, looking at how it responds and varies.
Fetal movement counting is the one you do yourself, and it is genuinely as important as the machines. You know your baby's usual pattern better than any scan. A change in it should be reported the same day.
What none of these do is diagnose your effort. A scan showing extra growth means the treatment plan needs adjusting, which is precisely what the scans are for.