Pregnant and Need an X-Ray in Ajax? What to Tell the Team

Pregnancy does not stop the rest of life from happening. People slip on icy steps, sprain wrists, develop stubborn coughs and hurt their backs while they are expecting, and sometimes a health-care provider decides an X-ray is the best way to find out what is going on. If that is where you are right now, you probably have one main worry: is this safe for the baby?

That question deserves a real conversation with your provider, and we have written separately about how X-ray dose works and how imaging teams keep it low. This post is narrower and more practical. It is about communication: what to tell the people involved in your care, when to tell them, and which questions are worth asking, so that the decision about your X-ray is made with all the facts on the table.

The one sentence that matters most

If you are pregnant, or there is any chance you could be, say so before the X-ray is taken. Say it to the provider who orders the test, say it at the front desk, and say it again to the technologist in the X-ray room.

That may feel repetitive. It is meant to be. Imaging is a team process, and each person in the chain plays a different role. The ordering provider decides whether the test is needed. The technologist decides how to perform it. If either of them does not know about a pregnancy, they cannot factor it in.

You might also be asked directly. Technologists routinely ask people of reproductive age whether they could be pregnant, sometimes more than once. It is a standard safety question, not a judgment, and an honest “I’m not sure” is a perfectly good answer.

Before you arrive: talking with the provider who ordered it

The best time to raise pregnancy is when the X-ray is first suggested. Your family doctor, nurse practitioner, walk-in physician or specialist is the person who weighs whether the information from the X-ray is worth having right now.

Things to share with them:

1. That you are pregnant, and roughly how far along. If you know your due date or the date of your last period, mention it.
2. Any pregnancy complications you have been told about.
3. Whether you have had other imaging recently, including CT scans or X-rays at other clinics or hospitals.
4. Who is managing your pregnancy, such as an obstetrician, family doctor or midwife, so they can be kept informed if needed.

Questions you might ask them:

• What are you hoping the X-ray will show?
• Would the result change what we do now, or could it wait until after the baby arrives?
• Is there another test, such as ultrasound, that could answer the same question without radiation?
• Should I let my obstetrician or midwife know before I go?

There is no wrong answer here. Sometimes the provider will decide the X-ray is clearly worthwhile, for example to check for a fracture that needs proper treatment. Sometimes they may suggest a different approach or a short delay. The point is that the decision is made deliberately.

If the X-ray was ordered before you knew

This is common. A requisition might have been written weeks ago, and you have since found out you are pregnant. Do not simply go ahead as if nothing changed. Call the ordering provider, let them know, and ask whether they still want the X-ray. They may say yes, but it should be their decision with up-to-date information.

At the front desk

When you check in at an imaging clinic, you will usually be asked for your health card and your requisition. This is a good moment to mention pregnancy, even if it is already written on the form. Front desk staff can flag it so the technologist knows before you walk into the room.

If you are unsure whether you are pregnant, for example if your period is late, say that too. The team may ask a few questions or suggest checking with your provider before going ahead. Call the clinic to confirm how they handle this situation if you would like to know in advance.

In the X-ray room: what to tell the technologist

The technologist is the person positioning you and taking the images. They are trained in radiation protection and will want to know:

• That you are pregnant, or might be.
• How far along you are, if you know.
• Where it hurts or what the problem is, in your own words. This helps them confirm they are imaging the right area.
• Whether you have trouble with any positions. Later in pregnancy, lying flat on your back can make some people feel dizzy or unwell. Let them know if that applies to you, so they can look for alternatives where possible.
• Anything else that matters for comfort, such as pain, nausea, or needing a washroom break.

You can also ask the technologist questions. Reasonable ones include:

• Which part of my body will the X-ray beam be aimed at?
• How many images are you planning to take?
• Is there anything I can do to help you get it right the first time?

Technologists cannot tell you what the images show or make medical decisions about your care, but they can explain what they are doing and why.

Why the body part matters

Not all X-rays are alike from a pregnancy point of view. An X-ray beam is aimed at a specific area, and the main concern in pregnancy is radiation reaching the uterus.

• Areas far from the abdomen, such as the hands, wrists, feet, ankles, knees, elbows and often the chest, involve aiming the beam away from the baby.
• Areas closer to the abdomen, such as the lower spine, pelvis, hips and abdomen itself, are the ones where providers and technologists think most carefully.

This is a big part of why the conversation with your provider matters. A wrist X-ray after a fall is a different decision from an abdominal X-ray, even though both are “an X-ray.”

Our related posts on wrist and hand X-rays and chest X-rays explain what those exams involve if you are heading in for one of them.

A simple script, if you feel awkward

Some people find it hard to bring up pregnancy, especially early on when they have not told family or friends. You do not owe anyone details. A short, matter-of-fact sentence is enough:

“Before we start, I want to let you know I’m pregnant, about [number] weeks.”

or

“I might be pregnant. I’m not certain yet.”

Health-care teams hear this every day. It is kept confidential, and it is simply information they need to do their job safely.

If you find out you were pregnant after an X-ray

It happens. Someone has a routine X-ray and discovers a week later that they were in the very early stages of pregnancy. If this is your situation, try not to panic. Contact your health-care provider and let them know which X-ray you had, when, and which part of the body was imaged. They can talk through what it means for you and, if needed, involve a specialist. Most diagnostic X-rays, especially of areas away from the abdomen, are low-dose exams, but your provider is the right person to put your specific situation in context.

When it is not a clinic visit at all

A community imaging clinic is not set up for emergencies. If you are pregnant and have been in a car collision, had a significant fall, or have severe pain, heavy bleeding, fluid leaking, reduced movement of the baby, chest pain or trouble breathing, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department. Hospital teams can assess both you and the pregnancy together.

A few common misunderstandings

“I’ll just skip the X-ray to be safe.” Avoiding a test your provider recommends can carry its own risks, for example if a fracture goes untreated. If you have concerns, raise them with your provider rather than quietly cancelling.

“X-rays make you radioactive.” Diagnostic X-rays do not leave radiation in your body. Once the image is taken, the exposure is over. This is also why an X-ray does not affect breastfeeding.

“If I wear a lead apron, nothing else matters.” Practices around shielding have changed over the years, and technologists follow current guidance for each exam. Positioning, careful aiming of the beam and keeping the number of images to what is needed all play a role. If you have questions about shielding, ask the technologist.

“Ultrasound can always replace an X-ray.” Ultrasound is excellent for many things and uses no radiation, but it cannot show everything an X-ray can, particularly some bone injuries. Which test fits depends on the question being asked.

Before you go: a short checklist

• Tell the ordering provider you are pregnant, or might be.
• Ask whether the X-ray is still the right test now.
• Let your obstetrician, family doctor or midwife know if your provider suggests it.
• Bring your health card and requisition.
• Mention pregnancy at the front desk and again in the X-ray room.
• Tell the technologist about any positions that make you feel unwell.
• Ask questions. Nobody minds.

Walk-in X-ray at our Ajax clinic

Rossland Diagnostic Clinic offers walk-in digital X-ray at Unit 102, 300 Rossland Road East in Ajax, Monday to Friday from 9:00am to 5:00pm and Saturday from 8:00am to 3:30pm. Walk-in availability can change and the clinic may close to walk-ins once daily capacity is reached, so please call 905-426-3111 before you come. If you are pregnant and have questions about your visit, mention it when you call and we will help you plan. You can also request an appointment online.