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.

Should I really wait till at least 27 weeks for my 3D ultrasound?

I often hear clients, (understandably very exited about seeing their new baby) ask, do you really recommend I wait till 27 weeks for my 3D sonogram? The answer is unaquivintly YES!

The fetus doubles its weight in the last 3 months of pregnancy, therefore before 27 weeks it's really small. It's very cute any time, but if you want clear facial shots, it is really worth the wait.

An advantage of coming earlier is that you get to see more of the fetus in one picture.

The major disadvantage of coming earlier is that the face has not "chubbed" out yet. The features are much more prominant after 27 weeks.

Another advantage of waiting past 27 weeks is that the fetus starts opening its eyes at 26 weeks. You have a much better chance of seeing it blink and open its eyes at a later stage.

So please hold on tight and wait if you can. Don't overdo it, as fetuses over 33 weeks may become too big to be seen well.

3D and 4D Baby Ultrasound Services in Baltimore Maryland

Little Bo Peep Inc. is a specialized service offering 3D and 4D ultrasound services in the Baltimore, Maryland area.

Our 3D and 4D ultrasound images are taken with the state of the art technology from GE. The GE Voluson 730, same as the 3D ultrasound purchased by Tom Cruise to track Katie Holmes's pregnancy, offers exceptionally clear, amber-tinted photographic images of the fetus still inside the womb.

Why Should You Consider 3D and 4D Baby Ultrasound Images?

Unlike the blurry, black and white images of traditional ultrasound, which usually require a sonographer to interpret, 3D and 4D ultrasound images are plain to the eye, and allow parents to see what their little ones will look like after birth. From counting the baby's toes to arguing over whose nose he has, families get an up close look at their new family member, this process may help parents bond more easily with their newborns.