Most practitioners wait until at least 6 weeks to perform the first pregnancy ultrasound. However, a gestational sac can be seen as early as 4 1/2 weeks after your last period, and a fetal heartbeat can be detected at 5 to 6 weeks (though that isn't always the case).

When do you get your first sonogram?

Some doctors perform the first ultrasound exam around 6 to 8 weeks of pregnancy, often during the first prenatal visit. Others only recommend this exam if a woman has symptoms of a high-risk pregnancy—for example, bleeding, abdominal pain, or a history of miscarriage, birth defects, or pregnancy complications.

What weeks do you get ultrasounds during pregnancy?

Most women get an ultrasound in their second trimester at 18 to 20 weeks of pregnancy. Some also get a first-trimester ultrasound (also called an early ultrasound) before 14 weeks of pregnancy.