1. Plan your appointment date/time around when your baby is most active
When a baby is awake and moving, it makes the ultrasound more interesting. You will have a better chance of catching those super cute facial expressions and it will make it easier to get the baby to put hands or feet down if they are blocking the face or gender.

 

2. Stay EXTRA hydrated the week leading up to the appointment
The recommended daily fluid intake when pregnant is 64-84 ounces. It is important to drink at least this amount, if not more, to make sure there is sufficient fluid in the amniotic sac. This will help with the clarity of the photos.

 

3. Eat or drink something with sugar right before your appointment
Sometimes this will help make sure baby is active and moving during the ultrasound. 

 

4. Don’t wear a dress for the appointment
Since the ultrasound will be transabdominal (over the stomach), if you wear a dress that has to be pulled up you will be leaving your entire bottom half exposed (don’t worry though, we can supply a blanket for extra coverage). 

 

5. Empty your bladder before the appointment
While it is extremely important to stay hydrated the days leading up to the appointment, you do not need to have a full bladder for the scan itself. Infact, it’s actually better if you use the restroom before hand and can sometimes free up room, to get better photos of the baby. The First Peek & Heart Beat package is an exception for emptying the bladder, in this case, a full bladder can be beneficial.

 

Baby Bloom offers a 3D/4D view of you little one as early as 14 weeks. Please keep in mind that prior to 22 weeks, many babies still look skeletal in 3D, additionally their facial features are more difficult to ascertain. We have found that our clients are much more satisfied with the 3D baby photos that are produced 22 weeks and up.  If you are anxious to learn the gender of your baby, we recommend you pay only for a gender determination ultrasound session which are available starting at 14 weeks and then come back later in the pregnancy for a 3D/4D Ultrasound session when your baby is more developed.

​

On the other end of the spectrum, we prefer to perform the 3D scans no later than the end of the 35th week of pregnancy. While we have obtained some beautiful images of babies post 36 weeks, the odds are greater that the baby may have dropped into the pelvis making facial shots difficult to obtain  Additionally, there is generally less amniotic fluid in front of the face this far in the pregnancy.  With 3D ultrasound, sufficient amniotic fluid in front of the area we are scanning provides the clarity we need for excellent images.

 

At any stage of the pregnancy, the baby can be in a position that is difficult to get facial shots.  They may be persistently facing the spine, covered in placenta or have feet and hands in front of the face.  Early enough in the pregnancy these factors can usually be remedied by repositioning the expectant mother,  or in some cases rescheduling the scan for a later date.  If a mother to be were to come in after 36 weeks we would have less time to reschedule and less probability that the baby will move to a better position given the lack of room to move.    Keep in mind that this is ultrasound and not a photo session.  The babies will often have their hands and/or feet in front of their face.  A full face shot is never guaranteed.

​

We will bring you back for a return visit if we are unable to get any images of your baby on the first visit.  This does occur about 10% of the time and usually is remedied by the 2nd visit. In our experience, the ideal time for most 3D scans is between 25 and 30 weeks. By this stage, the babies facial features are usually developed as well as they still have plenty of room to move around and sufficient amniotic fluid in front of them for clear imaging.