FAQs
We offer elective prenatal ultrasounds to provide a positive bonding experience for the mother, father, family members and friends with the unborn baby. We feel that realistic surface images provide a connection between the parents and baby that can be beneficial and enjoyable to the entire family.
ABSOLUTELY NOT! Women seeking an elective prenatal ultrasound MUST be receiving treatment with a healthcare provider for prenatal care and have already undergone a medical, diagnostic ultrasound ordered by their provider to confirm their due date, screen for fetal anomalies, and to look for any other pregnancy related issues.
The issues that we are evaluating in the elective prenatal ultrasound session include a limited diagnostic scan to confirm heartbeat, and the position of the baby. Please note, at no time is this exam to be used in place of a complete diagnostic ultrasound with your medical provider
Extensive studies over 30 years have found that ultrasound has not been shown to cause any harm to mother or baby. Routine scanning of all pregnancies is now normal throughout the United States. In 3D/4D/HD scanning, the same type and intensity of ultrasound is used as with conventional 2D scanning. 3D/4D/HD Ultrasound both utilize sound waves to look inside the body. The technology is similar to radar. A probe placed on the body emits sound waves into the body, listens for the return echo and generates an image. 4D ultrasound will be similar to a conventional scan in terms of exposure.
The term 4D in an ultrasound simply means you will be able to see the baby’s movements in real-time during your ultrasound. All of our ultrasounds are in 4D.
Yes, appointments are necessary for all of our services.
We offer our 3D/4D/HD Ultrasound sessions throughout the pregnancy. However, we recommend that you wait until at least 20 weeks.
If you plan on having only one Ultrasound examination, we would recommend having the examination performed between the 27th and 33nd week of the pregnancy. This allows baby time to ad fat stores and will give a better idea of baby’s facial features.
However, excellent images of your baby can be obtained anytime after about 20 weeks of pregnancy. 20-26 weeks is a great time to come in to see more of overall baby and to visualize fetal movement.
While we can never guarantee the quality or number of images obtained, the odds of getting images do tend to go down past the 36th week due to the large size of the baby, less fluid in front of the face and other factors. Many mothers obtain more than one 3D/4D/HD Ultrasound and have images to enjoy from their second and third trimesters. We do offer a 10% discount of all future ultrasounds after your first visit.
We do offer a 2D Ultrasound position check at 37 weeks at a very reasonable price. If you come in for the 2D Ultrasound and baby is still in a good position for 3D/4D/HD ultrasound we can upgrade your session. We have been able to view some very late term babies.
Usually, but not always. Sometimes if the baby is persistently looking face down, i.e. towards your spine it may be difficult to see the baby’s face. If this happens, a repeat scan will usually succeed because the baby has turned to a more favorable position. We make no promises that the images will be similar to those you might have seen elsewhere or even from our studio, or that we can always meet everyone’s expectations. Every baby scans differently, depending on its gestational age, position, amount of fluid, and mother’s condition. We promise to make every effort to obtain the best possible images of whatever parts of the baby that can be seen. We do not offer refunds on any of our services but do offer a free second session (weekdays only) if we are not able to obtain at least a partial view of baby’s facial features. While we do our best, we cannot guarantee full face images.
Ultrasound works best when the sound waves have plenty of fluid to travel through. A well hydrated system of the mother will help to optimize the images. This is probably the most important factor. Increased body weight of the mother can often affect the quality because sound does not travel as easily through tissue as it does fluid. Full figured mothers should consider having their ultrasound session around 31-35 weeks.
Absolutely, this is a family event. The more the merrier! We have a large viewing room and a big screen TV. We can easily accommodate up to 10 and can expand that if needed. Just let us know how many will be joining you and we will be more than happy to make everyone feel comfortable.
We do not charge for two sessions, however, we do add a small fee of $20 on the Gender Determination Package and a $30 fee on the Platinum and Platinum Plus packages. We do recommend you come in between 24-28 weeks for twins for 3d/4d/HD packages. We still offer twin gender determination starting at 13 weeks. For Mulit visit package add the twin fee for each visit.
Yes, in most cases we can provide an indication of the sex of the baby starting at just 13 weeks. We can’t however guarantee that the baby will cooperate during your session. Certain factors such as body tissue content, developmental stage and fetal position all affect the ability to determine sex. If we are unable to determine the sex of the baby, we will reschedule a quick peek return visit one week later at no additional cost. We will continue to offer this return visit until we can obtain an optimum view.
If you just can’t wait until 13 weeks to find out gender of your baby by ultrasound, we do offer a concierge DNA Gender Blood Test starting at just 6 weeks. Learn more here.
At this point, insurance does not cover the costs of our Ultrasounds. All of our ultrasound services are elective and not intended to be a replacement for a complete diagnostic Ultrasound, therefore, you will need to pay the cost of this Ultrasound as an out-of-pocket expense. However, you will find our ultrasound services to be very affordable with services starting at around just $60 up to around just $140. Well worth the memories you will create. We accept cash, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, Amex, and debit cards at time of service.
We have packages to fit just about anyone’s budget. We continuously strive to provide the highest quality products and packages at the most affordable costs. We always have special discounts so continue to visit our website or give us a call.
Please try to allow us at least 48 hours notice for cancellations. Any cancellation less than 24 hours prior to the appointment may be subject to a $50 late cancellation fee. Any no show will be subject to a $50 no show fee.
A 3D ultrasound is a static 3 dimensional image of your baby and 4D adds the dimension of time, allowing you to see your baby’s movements in the womb in real time. While you do go home with images of your baby (3D), the most miraculous part of the experience is seeing your baby move inside the womb. Watch as they smile, yawn and play with their toes. We spend the majority of your session in 4D mode so that you don’t miss any precious movements. All of our 3D/4D/HD sessions are done in 4D mode with the exception of gender determination. Our gender determination is done primarily in 2D for better accuracy. We do offer a peek in 3D/4D/HD during the gender scan to see overall fetal movement.
Our equipment offers not only superior 3D/4D Ultrasound technology but also a newer feature called HDlive. HDlive ultrasound goes beyond 3D/4D Ultrasound to provide you with realistic images of your baby in the womb with unsurpassed clarity. Some are referring to this technology as “High Definition” and “5D “Ultrasound since it goes beyond what we have seen before with 3D/4D Ultrasound. HDlive has better skin rendering and shows more depth. We can also adjust a light source to provide a variety of views of the same image. The “HD” refers to the better rendering of the ultrasound and “Live” refers to the fact that we can see baby moving in real-time.
Also referred to as “Real 5D” image edits. These are edited images using 8k technology to provide you with a realistic interpretation of what your newborn baby will look like in a photo at birth. You will receive a high resolution jpeg as well as a video in an mp4 format showing the transition from the Ultrasound image to the photo-realistic image. This service is an add-on option following any 3D/4D/HD Ultrasound session. Click on the video to see an example. View more examples in our 8k gallery here.
Clients of Blooming Baby will have the opting to an 8k image edit following any 3d/4d/HD Ultrasound session. If you have already had a 3d/4d/HD Ultrasound with us or elsewhere you may still order an 8k Image edit. Order here.
We may ask you to close your eyes and will turn the monitor away during the ultrasound session until it’s safe to get a peek at what the baby is up to in the womb without showing the gender. If you don’t want to know at all, we will avoid the area.
If you do want to find out at a later time we will likewise find the gender while you are unable to view the session. We offer gender-reveal confetti cannons and gender-reveal surprise boxes as an upgrade or we can work with you to notify a trusted party of the gender or simply write it down in a sealed envelope.
We are proud to offer a customized app that allows us to email you a link to your images that you can then instantly download, print or share. You may even share the link with family and friends. We do ask that you download within a week of receiving your images.
For video, we also share a digital download of your ultrasound session with the same cloud-based app. You may add this option in our office if it is not included in your package. This is a great way to share the entire ultrasound with family and friends who may not be able to attend the ultrasound session. The Video is downloadable and editable if you would like to add your own touches to it. We also ask that you download it within a week.
Frequently Asked Questions
The questions listed below are the most frequently asked questions about our elective prenatal ultrasound packages. Should you have any questions that are not answered below, please feel free to call or contact us.
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