IS THAT FLUFFY THING AROUNG MY BABY'S HEAD HAIR?

In 3D ultrasound we catch everything in utero, not just your baby. We see placenta and umbilical cord too. On 3D ultrasound when there is fluffy stuff around baby, it is not hair. It is usually just a piece of placenta or chord.

Some babys look like they have a beard or mustache. They do not, it is usually just the umbilical cord that we are catching in 3D ultrasound

WHY DOES MY BABY'S NOSE LOOKED SO SQUASHED IN 3D ULTRASOUND?

Good question!

Baby may press his/her face against the "camera" on 3D ultrasound or the camera may be pushed a little bit too hard against baby's face.

Other reasons would be lack of adequate amniotic fluid, or baby pressed too close against the placenta.

Sometimes, a 3D profile of your baby will give a better idea of what his/her real nose will look like.

So if your baby's nose looks a little bit squashed, tell the baby or sonographer to back up just a little bit.

HOW DO YOU DO GENDER AT 16 WEEKS?

When doing a gender verification ultrasound we start at 16 weeks while others start at 18 weeks. A medical sonogram is usually done between 18-20 weeks. The sonographer will have a lot to look at so if baby is not cooperative she will usually continue the exam.

At Little Bo Peep we use top of the line ultrasound machine- The GE Voluson 730.
This enables us to see the gender clearly at 16 weeks. Our sonographers only job is to find out your baby's gender. When someone is paid to do that they've got all the motivation in the world! Very unoften we get an unusually stubborn baby for eg. if baby is in breech position with its but deep in mom's pelvis, it is more difficult to see the gender.

We do try our best at little bo peep to see the gender. If baby is uncooperative we'll have mom jump up and down a little bit, give her chocolate (sugar rush for baby) or have mom go to the bathroom. This usually works 97% of the time.

As a bonus, we put 3D ultrasound on during your gender verification ultrasound so that you can see a more realistic view of your baby

WHY WON'T INSURANCE COVER MY 3D ULTRASOUND

A 3D ultrasound is not a medically neccessary exam, so insurances are not thrilled to pay for "entertainment ultrasounds." A 3D ultrasound is not typically done at an anatomy scan because the clearests pictures are done around 30 weeks, as apposed to 18-20 weeks.

A 3D ultrasound is sometimes warranted if there is a suspected abnormality under ultrasound. A 3D ultrasound is MUCH clearer and therefore would help with diagnosing an abnormality. For all the lucky other people out there, 3D ultrasounds are an out of pocket expense.

At little Bo Peep we keep our prices as low as possible, with the best possible machine and techs to make it an affordable splurge.

So what really is an RDMS sonographer?

An RDMS sonographer stands for a Registered Diagnostic Medical Sonographer.
An RDMS sonographer needs to have gone through rigorous schooling to learn how to do a sonogram. First one needs to get an Associates or Bachelors degree with a lot of medical prerequisites. Then one goes through a one and a half year accredited program. One learns every abnormality that can be seen under ultrasound and what normal looks like.
After school, one gets the title of a sonographer (certified)
One then needs to take board exams to become registered. A registered sonographer needs to pay a yearly fee and do CME credits (continuing medical education credits)

When we say we only have RDMS sonographers doing your sonogram, you can now have a better understanding of what it entails to be one.

Is it neccessary to have an RDMS sonographer to do your 3D ultrasound?
I would think so. There are places that have "licenced sonographers"
those people go to a 1-2 day course and learn how to do 3D sonogram. They are then given that title.
If there was something potentially wrong with your baby, wouldn't you want your OB/GYN notified right away. Wouldn't you like clear face shots by someone who has been through rigorous school and work doing ultrasounds all day long?
Wouldn't you want someone to safely do your baby's sonogram?
I would.
For public information United Imaging ultrasounds (claimed to have 90 franchise locations) do not require their "sonographers" to be certified, only licenced by their 1-2 day shebang crash course.

Little Bo Peep inc. only hires RDMS sonographers. We're proud of this!!!!

Will my baby really look like his 3D picture after he is born?

The later you come in for a 3D ultrasound, the more likely your baby is to look like he will be after he is born. However, we do not recommend coming in later than 34 weeks.

3D ultrasound is limited though to certain colors. 3D pictures will usually be in a yellow/golden hue. Our sonographers can make your baby blue/red or purplish grey.

Features on your baby's 3D/4D sonogram will be very simular to your baby after he is born.

Hair is not seen on 3D ultrasound, though it is seen in 2D ultrasound and will appear as "spikes" coming off baby's head. This will also depend on the ammount of baby's hair. Sometimes there is only a fuzzy peach-like layer.

3D ultrasound will definately give you a much clearer picture than standard 2D ultrasound. The clarity is like day and night.

WILL MY BABY LOOK SCAREY IF I COME TOO EARLY?

At Little Bo Peep we recommend a 3D ultrasound between 27 and 32 weeks, with 30 weeks being the most ideal.

I often get asked "my mother is coming from out of state" or "it's my husbands birthday". In response to that a 3D ultrasound is always cute. The earlier you come the more of the whole baby you see at one time. The face is developed at 16 weeks except it is not really big. Baby is just skin and bones. You will see cute little punches and kicks, but you will not see close up face shots. You will be able to tell it's a fetus as early as 12 weeks, and not a fuzzy black and white blob.

I always recommend waiting for your 3D ultrasound pictures, but if you simply can not then early is better than never.

WILL A TATOO OR BODY PIERCING INTERFERE WITH MY 3D ULTRASOUND?

I got a phone call yesterday asking if we could do a 3D ultrasound if mom has major belly tatoos. The answer is yes. Ultrasound uses sound waves to penetrate the skin, so a tatoo would not interfere.

Belly rings usually do not get in the way of a 3D ultrasound. There are instances where they can get in the way of a diagnostic test.

SAFETY OF A 3D ULTRASOUND

I'd like to clarify why a 3D ultrasound is so contraversial. Why do some doctors recommend them, while others shy away from the ultrasound.

3D ultrasound uses the same frequency as regular ultrasound, so there is no increased risk to your baby. But what about regular ultrasound, are there any potentially hazardous side effects?

Ultrasound has been around for 30+ years. There has never been a proven side effect on a baby. There have been studies on rats, which exposed to ultrasound for half of their gestation period (their gestational period is only 19 days,) which has shown effects on their fetuses. Can we translate that into human fetuses? I don't think so. One can not compare oranges and apples. A rat is much smaller, an ultrasound probe would probably cover its whole body. No human mother is subjected to ultrasound continuously for half of their pregnancy.

Increased ultrasound has also been connected to increased left handedness in males in some obscure study, I think in Holland.

Since there are no known effects on a human fetus, the FDA does not approve of an ultrasound that is not medically neccessary. 3D ultrasound is not medically neccessary. It does have psychological benefits between baby and mom/dad/family.

Would I get a 3D ultrasound anyway? YOU BET!!

DO I NEED A FULL BLADDER FOR MY 3D ULTRASOUND?

The answer is no. We do recommend drinking plenty of fluids (preferably water) for a few days prior to your 3D sonogram. This has nothing to do with a full bladder. Drinking fluids increases amniotic fluid. Amniotic fluid is needed to get CLEAR face shots of your baby.
So drink plenty, but don't keep a full bladder!

If you're wondering why do you have to have a full bladder for your regular sonogram:
A full bladder is needed to see and measure the cervix properly. This is to make sure that there is no cervical incompetancy. After 18-20 weeks it is not neccessary to have a full bladder as the cervix is more visible.