Pregnancy Ultrasounds in Australia: Every Scan, Week by Week

Most pregnancies in Australia include two to three routine ultrasounds, each with a different job:

• Dating scan (around 6-12 weeks) - confirms your due date, checks the heartbeat, and shows whether you're having one baby or more. See our dating scan guide. • Nuchal translucency or "12-week" scan (11-13 weeks) - part of combined first-trimester screening, done alongside a blood test. See our 12-week scan guide. • Morphology or "20-week" scan (18-22 weeks) - the detailed anatomy check of your baby, the placenta, and amniotic fluid. See our morphology scan guide.

Some pregnancies also include extra scans in the third trimester - growth and wellbeing scans - but only when your doctor or midwife recommends them. See our growth scans guide.

Every scan on this list is an ultrasound: sound waves, no radiation, safe at every stage of pregnancy.

Typical timing windows in Australia:

• 6-12 weeks: dating scan (often around 8-9 weeks) • 11-13 weeks (plus 6 days): nuchal translucency scan • 18-22 weeks: morphology scan (commonly booked around 20 weeks) • 28-40 weeks: growth or wellbeing scans, only if recommended

The windows matter - the nuchal translucency measurement, for example, is only accurate within its 11-13 week window, so clinics will ask your dates before booking. Your GP, obstetrician, or midwife will tell you which scans you need and when.

Yes. Like all diagnostic imaging in Australia, pregnancy ultrasounds need a referral - from your GP, your obstetrician, or a participating midwife. The referral is also what makes the scan eligible for a Medicare rebate.

You can take your referral to any clinic you choose, even if a clinic's name is printed on it. That means you're free to compare prices, bulk-billing, and appointment availability before you book.

Costs vary by scan and by clinic:

• Bulk billed: many radiology clinics bulk bill routine pregnancy ultrasounds for patients with a valid referral and Medicare card - meaning no out-of-pocket cost. • Private fees: specialist obstetric imaging practices often charge a gap, commonly in the range of $100-$250 per scan after the Medicare rebate. • Later and more complex scans (like a detailed morphology scan) tend to sit at the higher end.

Because the same scan can be free at one clinic and cost $200+ at another, comparing clinics before you book is one of the easiest ways to save money during pregnancy. Radly shows prices and bulk-billing status side by side.

Yes. Ultrasound uses sound waves, not radiation, and has been used in pregnancy care for decades with no known harm to babies at diagnostic settings. It is the standard imaging method used throughout pregnancy in Australia.

That said, scans are medical tests - Australian guidance is to have the scans your care provider recommends rather than extra scans without a clinical reason.

The nuchal translucency scan is one part of first-trimester screening. Some parents also (or instead) have NIPT - non-invasive prenatal testing - which is a blood test available from about 10 weeks. NIPT is not an ultrasound and doesn't currently attract a Medicare rebate, so there's an out-of-pocket cost.

Which combination of screening is right for you is a conversation for your GP, obstetrician, or midwife - this guide covers the imaging side only.

Extra scans are common and usually nothing to panic about. Reasons include checking growth if your bump measures small or large for dates, following up the placenta's position seen at the morphology scan, gestational diabetes, twins, or reduced movements later in pregnancy.

These follow the same rules as routine scans: referral required, Medicare rebate for clinically indicated scans, and prices that vary clinic to clinic - so it's still worth comparing before you book.

1. Get a referral from your GP, obstetrician, or midwife. 2. Compare clinics near you - price, bulk billing, and how soon you can get in. Pregnancy scans have timing windows, so availability matters. 3. Book, and follow the clinic's preparation instructions (early scans usually need a full bladder). 4. Bring your referral and Medicare card on the day.

Radly lets you compare imaging clinics across Australia and send a booking request online, with your referral attached - so you're not phoning around between appointments.