Going for an ultrasound? Your doctor might give you certain instructions before you go for it they may ask you to drink water but its sometimes not mentioned whether you can eat before your ultrasound or whether you should not. Ultimately, you refer to your doctor’s guidelines and the instructions provided by the clinic where you are going to have the ultrasound. Doctors might not tell moms to avoid eating before having an ultrasound unless there is any specific medical reason for it.

However, moms are encouraged to drink loads of water so their bladders will become full before the ultrasound (certainly during the earlier parts of the pregnancy). A full bladder will make it easier for the doctor to see the uterus and cervix distinctly.

Sometimes moms are confused about eating before an ultrasound because they have mistaken this information with that of the Glucose Test during pregnancy. When the time comes to take your glucose test during your pregnancy, you will be asked to fast (or take a special diet) and will be asked to drink the fluids which the clinic provides. But this is completely different from an ultrasound.

The overall good news is that there are not any reasons which say you can’t eat before an obstetric ultrasound, only if you have specific medical instructions where the doctor will specially ask you to avoid eating.

After all the practioners will ask that you drink water before an ultrasound it has a purpose as said earlier, it fills the bladder and helps with visualization of the uterus and cervix. However this depends on doctors as well as well the duration of pregnancy.

The standard pregnancy ultrasounds don’t require fasting, generally Glucose Tolerance Tests (GTTs) may require fasting, or a restricted diet for several hours before you take them.

So feel free to drink water or eat a healthy snack before you go for the ultra sound.