FAQ

Yes, appointments are required.  Please call  to book your appointment today.

3D 4D ultrasounds are an elective procedure and not covered by any insurance plan.  Check our website for pricing or call us to help you find the best package for you.  This is an elective 3D 4D ultrasound used to view your Seed of Joy’s gender and to provide imagery and a memorable bonding experience.  We believe that seeing realistic surface images of your sweet baby produces a unique bonding experience between the parents and baby that can be beneficial to the entire family.  While beneficial to the entire family, we make no claims that the 3D 4D ultrasound imagery we provide can be used to assess your baby for abnormalities.  Routine medical ultrasound examinations should have already been performed to correctly assess the gestational age and condition of your fetus and to better screen for abnormalities.

For most screenings, the baby’s gender can be determined as early as the 14th week of pregnancy.  Generally, yes, we can provide an indication of the gender of your baby.  However, we cannot guarantee that your baby will cooperate during your session to the degree required for proper imaging.  Several factors, such as:  body tissue content, developmental stage, and fetal position all affect our ability to determine the gender.  If difficulties arise and we are unable to determine your baby’s gender, a re-scan will be scheduled within 2 weeks.

We strive to produce the highest quality, clearest images possible.  Because all babies give a different scanning experience, these images will depend on the gestational age, position, amniotic fluid, and mother’s condition.  Unfortunately, sometimes your baby can be faced away towards your spine, which makes it difficult to see its face.  If this happens, a repeat scan usually succeeds because your baby has turned to a more favorable position.  We promise to make every possible effort to obtain the clearest images of your baby.

Ultrasounds are completely safe and a routine practice in prenatal care throughout the world.  For over 35 years, ultrasounds have been studied and have been shown to cause no harm to the mother or baby.  3D 4D ultrasounds uses the same type of ultrasound waves and the same intensity found in conventional 2D machines at doctor’s offices, making them completely safe.  3D 4D ultrasounds are safe because they utilize sound waves, to look inside the body, which produces no harmful radiation to the baby or the mother.  A probe that emits sound waves will be placed on the body, the machine will listen for the return echo and will generate an image.  3D 4D ultrasounds have the same exposure levels as a conventional 2D scan performed at the doctor’s office, making it absolutely safe in every way. 

Most women have a diagnostic ultrasound at 18-20 weeks, and while some doctors or sonographers might have the ability to take pictures and video of your baby in 3D 4D, this is a very different experience to the elective experience we provide at Seed of Joy.  Medical ultrasounds are focused on scanning for abnormalities and performing diagnostic measurements.  Here at Seed of Joy, we are focused on creating a relaxed and interactive environment for the most memorable bonding experience possible with all your loved ones.  Your experience at Seed of Joy will be a lot more intimate and longer than what your doctor would provide.  Because your diagnostic ultrasound with your doctor is usually earlier in your pregnancy, you will not be able to capture the best imaging of your baby until it is more developed.

Please do!  We want you to bring your friends and family to share in your precious experience.  We can accommodate over 10 people seated and more if they don’t mind standing.

3D 4D ultrasound imaging sessions usually take 5-35 minutes to complete.

The best 3D 4D imaging results can be obtained between the 26th and 34th week of pregnancy, but we can perform an ultrasound at any time throughout your pregnancy.  To ensure best results, please drink lots of water to increase your amniotic fluid, which produces more clear images.

1.      Pay attention to when your baby is most active during the day and schedule your appointment during that time.

2.      Pay attention to whether eating or drinking impacts your baby’s energy levels.  Try to eat or not eat right before your imaging session, depending on whether it seems to increase your baby’s energy levels.

3.      Many babies seem to perk up after their mommy drinks a cold or fruity beverage.  We recommend having a fruit smoothie on the way to your appointment.

4.      It is extremely important not to be dehydrated during your sessions as this will decrease your amniotic fluids and negatively impact the quality of the images.

5.      The best pictures are obtained when your baby has their head turned downward, so if you know your baby is in breach, you may want to postpone your appointment by a week or two to increase the chance of your baby turning its head before your appointment.

For all our ultrasound imaging sessions, we use the [state of the art] GE Voluson 730 Pro.  The GE Voluson 730 is a high-end ultrasound machine and the most popular and well-known 3D 4D system in the world.