The short explanation
A typical schedule is a dating scan in the first trimester, an anomaly scan around 18 to 21 weeks, and growth scans in the third trimester if there is a reason. The dating scan confirms how many weeks you are and how many babies; the anomaly scan checks the structure of the baby and the position of the placenta; growth scans measure size and fluid. A scan is a look, not a guarantee. It can miss things, and a normal scan means nothing was seen that day rather than that nothing exists.
What depends on your situation
The parts of this that change from woman to woman. Uncertainty is stated, not hidden.
- How many you are offered depends on where you are cared for and what your history is. Extra scans are common in India and are not always necessary; it is fair to ask what a particular scan will change.
- Sex determination is illegal to disclose in India under the PCPNDT Act, and a clinic refusing to tell you is obeying the law rather than withholding something.
What this answer cannot determine
The boundary of online education. These need a clinician who can see you.
- This cannot tell you what your scan showed, what a measurement means, or whether a finding matters. A report read on your own between appointments is the commonest source of unnecessary fear in pregnancy.
Questions for your clinician
Take these with you. You can add any of them to an appointment card.
- What is this scan for, and what will you do differently depending on the result?
- Who explains the report to me, and when?
- Do I need this many scans, or is this routine here?
- What does this finding mean in plain words?
When to seek help
Clinician-approved guidance for this topic. When in doubt, being seen is never the wrong choice.
- Contact the maternity service rather than waiting for the next scan if movements have reduced, if you are bleeding, or if you are leaking fluid.
Sources
The evidence this explanation is built on.
No sources recorded yet.
Who wrote and reviewed this
Every AskHer answer names its author. A clinically reviewed answer also names the clinician who signed it off — if no clinician is named below, it has not been clinically reviewed.
- Author
- AskHer Editorial AskHer's editorial team — not an individual clinician Works in English, தமிழ், हिन्दी
- Clinical reviewer
- Nobody yet No clinician has signed this answer off. That is what the “Editorially reviewed” badge means, and why it does not say “Clinically reviewed”. It was written and checked by AskHer’s editorial team, and it is queued for a clinician who works in this area. No sources are recorded against it yet.
- Review status
- Editorially reviewed
- Last reviewed
- Last reviewed 26 September 2026
- Version
- 1
Correction history
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No corrections have been made since this answer was first published.
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