Ultrasound FAQ

Inside View 3D/4D Ultrasound near Olympia, WA
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Frequently Asked Questions about Ultrasounds near Olympia

If you’re a newly expectant mother or just new to 3D & 4D ultrasounds, you may have questions. We’ve compiled a list of common questions and answer from our past clients that tackle many thoughts and concerns new to this field. If you can’t find the answer to what you’re looking for below, please feel to reach out.

What is an elective prenatal ultrasound?

An elective 3D/4D prenatal ultrasound can provide a more detailed image than traditional black and white 2D imaging. 3D/4D is an experience that can provide a positive bonding experience for Mother, Father and family members of the unborn baby. Being able to see a realistic picture of your baby’s movements, sucking their thumb, smacking their lips, wiggling fingers and toes provides a greater connection to baby. We make no claims that 3D/4D ultrasound technology in this examination at our facility is used to assess the baby for abnormalities. A routine ultrasound examination at a medical facility should have already been performed to assess the gestational age of the fetus and to evaluate for fetal abnormalities as recommended for screening during your pregnancy.

Does this replace the ultrasound at my Dr.'s office?

ABSOLUTELY NOT!! This is strictly an elective and non-medical ultrasound session. You must be already BE receiving prenatal care with a qualified healthcare provider including medical testing and a diagnostic ultrasound as ordered by your physician. This means you must bring proof that you are being seen by a Dr. to your appointment at our office. This elective ultrasound is a basic scan that can confirm heartbeat, position, number of babies in the pregnancy and gender. Diagnostic ultrasounds screen your baby for any genetic, chromosomal, or physical abnormalities. This ultrasound should not be confused with or take the place of ANY ultrasound ordered by your physician.

Do I need an appointment?

YES! All of our sessions are by appointment only. Please refer to our information about when is the best time for you to come in for your ultrasound. Please try to schedule all appointments 2 weeks in advance. For weekend, Holiday and Evening appointments we especially encourage you to schedule in advance. However, there may be a same day appointment available to don’t hesitate to call!

Is an elective 3D/4D ultrasound safe?

Extensive studies over 35 years have found that Ultrasound has not been shown to cause any harmful bio effects to mother or baby. Routine scans of all pregnancies are now normal throughout the United States. 3D/4D ultrasound uses exactly the same frequency and intensity as conventional 2D ultrasound used in diagnostics. Ultrasound is using high frequency sound waves with no radiation.

How long will my appointment be?

Appointment times will vary from approximately 15 mins to one hour depending on the type of service you are requesting. We want to make sure we have plenty of time to obtain the best possible images of your baby and not feel rushed. The whole appointment time will include time for you to fill out paperwork, and for us to print your picture and get you everything you need after your ultrasound.

Is this elective ultrasound covered or paid for by insurance?

Unfortunately no. At this time insurance does not cover an elective ultrasound session. We can accept a FSA or HSA card. Most companies will allow you to use these account, however it is your responsibility to make sure it is a covered service, and to follow up with your plan if they question the charges. You will need to bring payment for the cost of this ultrasound at the time of the appointment. We accept cash, Visa, MasterCard and debit cards. Sorry no personal checks.

In 2016, the average mother had 3 ultrasounds averaging $686 when performed at a hospital.

Do I need to bring anything with me to my ultrasound appointment?

We require that all of our clients are under the care of a medical professional for the pregnancy and have had their due date assigned by a Dr. or midwife. When you come in for your appointment please bring proof of this care. You can bring an appointment card or documentation of a Dr.’s appointment, a prior ultrasound picture from a diagnostic scan, or written approval from your Dr. or Midwife. You can also show us your appointments and visit summaries on your phone if you have a My Chart type App.

Can I bring my friends and family?

Yes! In fact we encourage our clients to invite family and friends to attend the ultrasound session. This is a joyous and wonderful experience that everyone wants to be a part of. Currently we are limiting everyone to groups of 8 including the Mom and including children. Please be courteous to other groups in the office as we are trying to not have the office overcrowded. 

Will I always get a beautiful picture of my baby like I see on the website?

Usually, but not always. With every ultrasound we perform, we do our best to capture the best 3D/4D images possible. There are always things that affect how good of pictures we can get with the 4D ultrasound. THe biggest one if where your placenta is located. If your placenta is on the FRONT or an ANTERIOR placenta, it is better to come in on the earlier side, like 27 or 28 weeks. We have to have space in front of the baby’s face. Also how much amniotic fluid you have makes a difference, and every mom is different. Also Baby’s position and how cooperative they are. Mom’s weight, build can affect how good of pictures we can get. Sometimes if the baby is persistently looking face down, i.e. towards mom’s spine it may be impossible to see the Baby’s face. If this happens, and we are unable to get any pictures, a repeat scan be offered, at not additional cost, to give the baby a second chance. A repeat session is up to the discretion of the technologist. Repeat sessions will not be scheduled on a Friday or Saturday. Keep in mind every mom and baby are different. We will do our best to get as many great pictures of whatever part of the baby we can see.

How can I help get the best pictures of my baby?

WATER, WATER, WATER. It is very important that you stay hydrated at all times during your pregnancy, but being hydrated is very important to obtaining the best pictures with 3D/4D. We suggest to our clients that mom drinks extra water for the 3 days leading up to the ultrasound. Second, pay attention to what time of day your baby is most active, and schedule an appointment during that time of day. Third, pay attention to whether eating or drinking affect your baby’s energy levels and try to eat or not eat right before your ultrasound. Many babies perk up when Mom drinks something cold and/or fruity. In that case we recommend that mom drinks a bottle of juice, or a fruit smoothie on the way to the appointment. Please avoid caffeine!! In my experience it has the opposite effect, and puts Baby to sleep. The only time caffeine is ok is if it is still a regular part of your day.

How early can we find out the gender?

We offer the SneakPeek Clinical DNA Gender blood test at our office. It’s a simple test collecting a sample of blood from just the skin surface from your arm. You have to be at least 6 weeks into the pregnancy.

For ultrasound we start Gender at 13 weeks. Erin does encourage you to wait till 14 weeks. WHY? Sometimes, even if you have had a dating ultrasound, you can be a little behind, or ahead on your dates. Sometimes at that first dating scan you can measure 5 to 7 days different than your LMP date (depending on the Dr or midwife) and they will just say everything looks great! They don’t always tell you that the baby measured smaller. So if you come in at 13 weeks and 0 days, there is a chance that you might only be measuring 12 weeks and 3 or 4 days. We will not guess at the gender if you are measuring less than 13 weeks at your appointment. So I do encourage waiting till closer to 14. There are also some babies, that are totally developed and it may prevent you from having to come back for a recheck if we are unable to tell.

What if you are unable to determine the gender of my baby?

We can get an indication of baby’s gender as early as 13 weeks. In MOST cases we can provide an indication of the sex of the baby. We can’t however guarantee that the baby will cooperate during your session. Certain factors such as position, placental placement, developmental stage, mother’s body tissue content can all affect the ability to determine sex. If due to circumstances we are unable to determine the gender of your baby we will offer one return visit to take a second look. We offer a 100% Guarantee on Gender Determination. This must be booked within one month. For our full-figured moms, it is best to wait until 16 weeks for a 3D/4D scan and approximately 17 weeks of gestation for gender determination for the best view. However, we will always do our best!

What if I do NOT want to know the sex of my baby?

We have many moms and dads who do not want to know the baby’s gender until the birthday. There is no problem having this remarkable 3D/4D ultrasound session performed without determining the gender.

When is the best time to do a 3D/4D ultrasound?

The best time for a 3D/4D ultrasound is 26 to 33 weeks gestation. However excellent pictures with 3D can be obtained at almost any time of pregnancy. Below are some examples of babies at different stages so you have an idea what to expect, and plan your visit. 24 to 26 weeks of pregnancy is an ok time, however, baby is still going to be smaller and thinner, and you might not get the pictures you were expecting. Many mothers choose to have more than one 3D/4D ultrasound to have images from their second and third trimesters to enjoy. What Baby will look like depends on how far along you are. We can often get great pictures of the whole baby curled up and moving around, and we can see the features of Baby’s face but they are still a little on the thinner side. If you are wanting to see Baby’s features well, and a fuller face with chubby cheeks, we recommend that you wait until after 28 weeks of pregnancy. Where the placenta is placed often affects the quality and ability to obtain pictures. If you have an anterior or front placenta, we recommend that you come around 27 to 28 weeks. Don’t hesitate to call and make an appointment even if you are further along in pregnancy. We have gotten great images on babies all the way up to 39 weeks!

3d Ultrasound at 15 Weeks

15 Weeks

3d Ultrasound at 17 Weeks

17 Weeks

3d Ultrasound at 22 Weeks

22 Weeks

3d Ultrasound at 29 Weeks

29 Weeks

3d Ultrasound at 36 Weeks

36 Weeks

3d Ultrasound at 39 Weeks

39 Weeks

What if I want to have multiple scans with my pregnancy? What is suggested?

We recommend you check out our Pregnancy Journey Package- this was specifically designed to see Baby every step of the way. -1st ultrasound is done between 8-12 weeks.

Second visit is 13 to 20 weeks for gender determination. The third and fourth visit are scheduled 27 to 33 weeks for the 3D/4D scans.

Can you tell how big my baby is?
Since we only perform non-medical ultrasound we are not able to take measurements or tell you how much your baby weights.
What happens if you see something wrong with my baby?
Although this is a non-medical ultrasound, and we are not checking on the health of your baby, there are times when we notice things that we feel may need to be examined more in depth at a medical facility. In this case we ill contact the physician you are seeing.
What is your cancellation policy?
Please give 48 hours advance notice if you need to cancel your appointment. If you Need to reschedule for a different day please call the office, we would be happy to help you find a better time. There is a $25 Late Cancellation Fee and a $50 No Show Fee – you will be billed if you do not show up for a scheduled appointment without notice. Any future appointment after a no show will require pre-payment in full. If you are coming from out of state, you will be required to put a deposit down. After you make your appointment the office will CALL you, and we can take a card number over the phone for a $50.00 deposit. If we are unable to reach you to obtain this deposit your appointment will be canceled, due to a high incidence of no shows.
What kind of Ultrasound equipment do you use to perform your ultrasound?
We have a GE Voluson S8 machine with HD LIVE technology. GE is the leader in ultrasound worldwide, and this machine has the newest, and top of the line imaging and performance quality. The HD Live technology will give you an unparalleled quality image of your baby that you really have to see to believe. The realistic appearance is amazing! Get a real look at your baby’s face, see whose nose they are going to have with incredible detail!
How does the Baby Flix Live Streaming work?
BabyFlix is the App service at the office.  It has the capability to stream your ultrasound session Live to friends or family at home, but it’s also an App on your phone that you will have all your pictures loaded into, and it saves a recording of the whole ultrasound session as well.  We will set up your account when you come in for your appointment.  You don’t have to do anything before you get here.  Don’t register or make an account on BabyFlix before you arrive at the office, as we need to register your account under the business.  Once we create your account in the office, you will receive the Live Streaming Link via Text message. You can then easily forward that link to anyone watching at home.  It’s super easy! They do not have to download the App or anything to join in the ultrasound.  They just click the link and it opens to the Live ultrasound.