05/18/2026
20 weeks — a major milestone! You’re officially halfway through your pregnancy. At this stage, your little one weighs about 12 ounces, roughly the size of a can of seltzer.
Around 20 weeks, you’ll have your anatomy scan, also known as a fetal survey. Years ago, this was often when parents first found out whether they were having a boy or girl, but advances in bloodwork now allow that to be determined much earlier in pregnancy.
This ultrasound typically lasts anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes, depending on how cooperative your baby is being — and if you’re expecting twins, you can expect it to take even longer!
During the anatomy scan, your ultrasound technician is carefully examining all the incredible details of your baby’s development. There is so much more to see than just the profile or gender. While chatting with you and explaining parts of the exam, your technician is also focused on documenting important structures such as the brain and heart, both hands and feet, and even counting the tiny bones in the fingers.
At the same time, they are working to capture clear, textbook-quality images for the reading physician to review — all while trying to photograph a constantly moving little baby! Because of this, you may be asked to change positions, roll from side to side, or even take a short walk to help encourage your baby into the best position for imaging.
Keep up the amazing work — you’re growing a tiny human, and you’re halfway there!
