Table of contents
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When can you see pregnancy on ultrasound?
Usually, we can see a fertile egg in the uterine cavity on ultrasound at 4 weeks and 5 days – the 5th week of pregnancy. We count the obstetric period of pregnancy from the first day of the last menstruation, that is, on the 32-35th day of the menstrual cycle. It also correlates with the level of total hCG – human chorionic gonadotropin, a hormone produced by the embryo from the moment of implantation. With indicators from 700-750 units/l, a fertile egg is already visualized in the uterine cavity. However, if the indicator is lower, there are still certain ultrasound signs that indicate the onset of pregnancy: an increase in the size of the uterus, an active corpus luteum in the ovary, decidual transformation of the endometrium (certain structure and thickening of the endometrium).
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What can bleeding in the middle of the menstrual cycle indicate?
Often, such secretions signal a polyp of the cervical canal or an endometrial polyp;Excessive growth of the endometrium (hyperplasia) due to enocrine disorders;Also, intermenstrual discharge is characteristic of fibroids of submucous localization (nodes in the uterus that grow into its cavity);Bleeding in the middle of the menstrual cycle can be a symptom of chronic endometritis (an inflammatory process that irritates the mucous membrane of the uterine cavity);Endometriosis (growth of the endometrium outside the uterine cavity) can have the following manifestations, especially if the endometrium grows in the area of the scar after cesarean section.However, the so-called “ovulatory syndrome” is not excluded. During ovulation, the follicle bursts, causing estrogen levels to drop for a short time, which can cause a reaction in the endometrium and bleeding.
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There is an opinion that when taking hormonal drugs, people gain weight. Is it possible to gain weight from taking drugs for the thyroid gland?
Yes, there are indeed hormonal drugs that are prescribed for insufficient function of the thyroid gland – hypothyroidism. The most frequent symptoms of hypothyroidism are rapid fatigue, drowsiness, impaired memory, apathy, increased hair loss, feeling cold, and also a decrease in metabolic processes in the body – and as a result, weight gain. But taking a drug in the correct dosage to normalize the function of the thyroid gland with hypothyroidism, on the contrary, will help speed up metabolism and prevent weight gain, and will not contribute to its increase.
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Is it possible to see whetherуthe egg is of good quality on ultrasound?
During folliculometry, an ultrasound where we focus specifically on the ovaries, it is possible to count the number of antral follicles, monitor whether the dominant follicle is growing and ovulation is occurring. Unfortunately, not every follicle is an egg. A follicle is a place where an egg grows, which we can see on an ultrasound scan, but for now, we cannot see if there is an egg there and what its quality is. Not every follicle contains an egg, but one follicle can contain only 1 oocyte. However, there are still signs that point to its prospects. This is the shape of the follicle (it should be round, oval, with even, clear contours), its elasticity and turgor, size (follicles ovulate when their average diameter reaches 18-20-22 mm, too large sizes, more than 24 mm are considered not very promising) and also the rate of growth (on average, the increase is 1.5-2 mm per day, when the follicle has reached a diameter of 10 mm). It is important for pregnancy planning to understand the growth (recruitment) of the dominant follicle (normally from 6 follicles in one section in the active reproductive age in each ovary). And also on what day ovulation occurs (egg quality may decrease if the follicle ovulates too early – up to the 12th-13th-14th day of the menstrual cycle).
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Is it true that the tendency to multiple pregnancies is genetically transmitted?
There is no gene that 100 percent encodes a predisposition to multiple pregnancy. However, there are factors that increase this probability. Usually, 1 egg is ovulated in one menstrual cycle. There are cases when two oocytes ovulate at once, and if they are fertilized, a double pregnancy (fraternal twins) occurs. Such cases often occur when women have high levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH): the body signals that the egg reserve is decreasing and tries to trigger more than one follicle to ovulate.