So you are pregnant and you have made an appointment to do a 3D (three-dimensional) / 4D (three-dimensional in real time) ultrasound. Are you excited! You will have a chance to see your baby before it is born. How can you increase the chances of getting the best possible images with 3D ultrasound?
Steps
Step 1. Choose the right time during pregnancy to go for an ultrasound
- If you are only interested in knowing the sex of the unborn child, you can do the ultrasound as early as the seventeenth week. If you do this first, you may get inaccurate images.
- To get good images, the three-dimensional ultrasound must be done between the twentieth and thirty-second week and the best photos will be obtained between the twenty-fourth and the thirtieth week.
- If you want to get a close-up photo of your face, the best time is between the twenty-eighth and thirty-second week.
- After the 32nd week, there is less amniotic fluid around the baby and this can lead to less than optimal results. Also, after thirty-two weeks, the baby may have already descended into the pelvis, making any image of the baby impossible.
Step 2. Drink plenty of water for a week or two before your appointment, at least 2 liters per day
This will help clear the amniotic fluid and ensure there is enough around the baby. You leave well in advance; there is no need to drink water the night before or the morning of the day you will do the 3D ultrasound.
Step 3. You have to be comfortable
It is not necessary to have a full bladder, as if you had to do an ultrasound for medical reasons. This is your time and you need to be comfortable and relaxed to enjoy the sight of your baby. Having a full bladder isn't very useful for a 3D ultrasound. That said, if your baby is taking a particularly awkward pose and you have already failed to take good pictures, your doctor may ask you to come again with a full bladder, although this rarely occurs.
Step 4. To see your baby in motion, make an appointment for a 4D ultrasound at the time your baby is most likely to be awake
After 19 weeks, the baby has already developed a sleep cycle and you will be able to predict when the baby is most likely to be awake.
If your baby is asleep when you do the ultrasound and you want him to move, try drinking some orange juice. Orange juice has been shown to help stimulate baby movement. For some women, chocolate works too. You can also try walking a little
Advice
- Make sure you go for the 3D ultrasound at a center that has qualified ultrasound technicians.
- Getting beautiful 3D images depends on the machine, the technician and the pregnant woman. Sometimes the best machine and the best technician may not provide a good image if the child is not positioned well.
- If you don't get good pictures, try returning on a different day or later in the pregnancy. It is expected that in many centers where 3D ultrasound is done you can return for free or by paying a nominal fee to get better images.
- If your baby is covering his face with his hands, this is not necessarily a "bad" picture. It will showcase the child's personality and be a realistic image that you will love more than a precious close-up of the face.
- If you are giving birth to twins, you will need to come earlier, from the 22nd to the 28th week, to get the best pictures.
Warnings
- A beautiful 3D ultrasound image cannot replace medical ultrasound in any way. The 3D ultrasound does not allow you to look inside the baby and cannot tell you if there is any problem. Do not substitute proper antenatal care with 3D ultrasound.
- The sonographer might squeeze your abdomen or do something to encourage you, but they shouldn't get carried away and squeeze your abdomen too hard. Even if it sounds expert, remember that it is your body. If you don't feel reassured by how your abdomen is squeezing, you should ask him to stop.
- Make sure that the center where you will do the 3D ultrasound has qualified ultrasound technicians. Check out their website or call and ask questions about it.
- Make sure the center has a medical director to protect your safety.
- Do not drink coffee or other caffeinated beverages to help stimulate the baby. Although it works, it can also result in a narrowing of the blood vessels of the placenta. Repeated use of caffeine could cause fetal growth retardation or impaired development.
