Last Updated on October 19, 2023 by Emma
Are you nervous about an upcoming ultrasound?
Although there are several reasons for someone to have an ultrasound, most people associate getting one with pregnancy. Typically, the first ultrasound during pregnancy occurs at around seven to eight weeks, to check for a heartbeat and mark an expected due date.
You may have taken an at-home pregnancy test and had it come out positive. Now, you want to schedule an ultrasound to confirm. You may be thrilled and also nervous. All types of emotions may come up in the following days.
If you’ve never had one before, it can be an emotional experience, as it allows you to see your first glimpse of your hope in the womb. If you are pregnant, you will hear a heartbeat, which makes hope a reality. An ultrasound usually occurs in a doctor’s office in a private room, with an ultrasound technician present.
It is also a physical experience. Your belly is exposed and the technician will apply ultrasound gel all over the area. It is cold and you’ll know it! It serves as a connector so the sound waves can produce a clearer image of your womb. As you watch the images on a screen, you will see the reality the prophet Jeremiah described:
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
before you were born I set you apart;
I appointed you as a prophet to the nations” (Jeremiah 1.5, NIV).
Although at your first ultrasound you’ll only see a small dot, but you will hear a heartbeat. At later ultrasounds is when you get the opportunity to see more of a baby form and grab a screen shot that you’ll post on social media and put on your refrigerator. Wherever you are in your pregnancy journey, let the moments of an ultrasound be a joyous time, just as the Psalmist declared:
For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be” (Psalm 139.13-16, NIV).
Still, though, you may be nervous about the ultrasound and any medical test can be stressful. These four caring prayers are for you to use before and after your ultrasound. We cannot predict your situation, so feel free to alter the prayers to suit your circumstances. The prayers here and elsewhere on this website are written to help you begin to pray to God.
There is nothing in your life that you cannot pray to God about, including an ultrasound appointment. Pray before, pray after, pray during the ultrasound if you want. As you pray, you grow closer to God. Know that God cares about everything in your life, so embrace the relationship with him and pray!
We invite you to share your personal prayer requests or your comments at the end of this article.
Prayer Before Having Your First Ultrasound
Lord, I am on the way to my first ultrasound. I am so excited and also a little nervous. I’m glad my husband is driving because I don’t think I could focus on the road.
Thank you that we were able to get an appointment that fit with our work schedules. Thank you that the doctor’s office is close by as well. All my friends have told me that it’s all going to be fine and there’s nothing to fear.
I am not afraid, just a bit overwhelmed. I am pregnant and this is going to confirm it with an actual image and a heartbeat I can hear. This is going to move from a hope and a wish and so many prayers to a reality. Help us enjoy this whole experience, Lord. In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen.
Prayer After Having Your First Ultrasound
Oh God, what a wonderful experience I just had! We just had our first ultrasound and I was overwhelmed when I heard the heartbeat–whoosh, whoosh. The joining of our love for one another started that!
The scan just showed a little dot, like the size of a grape but I could see it moving and heard a heartbeat! I am so happy, Lord and give you thanks that we are at this moment. We have wanted for so long to become pregnant and were becoming despondent.
And now, we know. It’s official and real! Thank you for the technician who was so understanding when we started freaking out when we heard the heartbeat and began laughing and crying all at the same time. Thank you for her caring manner. Thank you Lord. In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen.
Prayer to Schedule Your First Ultrasound
Jesus, I think I am pregnant. I’ve been late this month and we’ve been trying to get pregnant. The at-home pregnancy test was a clear positive, so I’m going to call to schedule an appointment with my ob-gyn this morning.
I’m excited and nervous and worried all at once, Lord. This is something we both have wanted and now it seems like it is becoming a reality. I pray that the doctor has an open appointment sooner than later. I don’t want to wait too long to find out for sure that I am pregnant.
I know there are not any risks with having an ultrasound, but I’m nervous because I just want to know, and see!
I pray that I can be calm as I call today. I pray that they have an open appointment this week. I give you thanks that our insurance covers all of this so we don’t have to worry financially. I pray all of this in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Prayer For an Ultrasound Later in Pregnancy
Dear Lord, I am schedule for my second ultrasound in a couple of weeks. I am so excited to see how my baby has developed in just a few months. I’m in my second trimester so my doctor said I’d be able to really see the baby’s form and even get a picture to take home!
I just want everything to go well. The more I become visibly pregnant, the more I worry about my health and the health of my baby. Please keep us safe as we drive to the ob-gyn’s office. I pray for a good view of the baby. I pray for my baby to be healthy as she develops.
Thank you for the honor and blessing to have this child. Help me to take care of myself. I pray that I will be a good mother. I’m excited for this ultrasound, Lord. I ask that I can be calm today, in the name of Jesus, Amen.
Final Thoughts
Ultrasounds are so commonplace these days that when it is time for it to occur, many people may not view them as a serious concern, or a concern at all. But, if you’re the person receiving an ultrasound, and it’s your first experience, you may have some excitement and nerves.
This is natural and even expected. There are not any risks to having an ultrasound so you can be at peace in that regard. Enjoy the whole experience as you begin your journey of pregnancy.
Deep in the Old Testament, there is a story of a mother and her child. She had hoped for a child and prayed for a child. Perhaps you can identify with her story. Try to read Hannah’s story in the book of Samuel. In the midst of her journey, she made this declaration:
“As surely as you live, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the Lord. 27 I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him” (1 Samuel 1.27, NIV).
Try to embrace the entire experience–the sights and sounds and your feelings. Think about the reality that medical technology has progressed this far that you can see your baby in your womb before the baby is born. You can see your child move around and watch how she develops. You are able to get a photo of your child. You can hear her heartbeat. What a blessing you are getting to experience!
Whether this is your first ultrasound, or one of several, let your prayers be an encouragement to yourself. Allow God to strengthen you and surround you with his love as you go to the ultrasound. Give thanks for the technician and your doctor and your spouse. Give thanks for insurance and access to healthcare and financial provision.
Mostly, though, give thanks for your baby and your health. Praying about an ultrasound is an opportunity for you to speak out your gratefulness to God for what is happening. Praying is an opportunity to bring God right into what you are feeling and seeing. Keep on praying!