Water, water, water!

To obtain the best images, we require fluid around the baby. The more fluid, the better the images will be and you’ll be able to see a true representation of what your little one looks like. Unfortunately, it’s often when we see babes tucked into mamas placenta or smushed against her uterine wall. To avoid this, we ask you stay extra hydrated starting a week prior to your appointment. It takes 2-4 days for fluid to begin to cross over, so drinking a ton right before your appointment won’t help. You’ll need to up your water significantly for the week leading up to your appointment.

Don’t fill your bladder!

We don’t require a full bladder for the best images. We want you to feel comfortable! Feel free to use the restroom prior to your appointment or at our studio.

Wear loose & comfortable clothing!

We don’t require any special clothing but we do suggest pants and not a dress or skirt if it can be avoided. We do not provide gowns or sheets.

Get baby moving!

The more movement we have, the more shots we can get! It’s incredibly special to see your little one wiggling, moving and even opening their eyes in live 4D.

To get baby moving, we suggest juice, ice water or even coffee 10-15 minutes before your appointment. Sugar, iced drinks and caffeine have been shown to perk babies up and get them moving.

Some times babies just don’t cooperate, even when mama has done everything she can to prepare. In these cases the imager will step in and try moving arms and legs with gentle repetitive pressure on the abdomen, get mom to switch to laying on her side or even have her take a few moments to bounce on a birthing ball.

99% of the time we are able to make baby cooperate but it can be helpful to bring juice or iced water into your session to perk up your little one.

The further along in your pregnancy the less babies tend to move around. Their sleep cycles tend to be longer, combined with less space. We tend to see a lot of wiggling in babies younger than 20 weeks.

When to book!

We get asked all the time, when is the most ideal time for a session, and the answer is – it depends!

10-15 weeks is so fun when you get to hear the heart beat, especially if your dating scan wasn’t able to pick it up the first time. Abdominal Ultrasounds are not sensitive enough to detect heart beat before 8-10 weeks, which is why your initial dating scan with your physician is at 8-10 weeks. It’s incredibly special and also one to add a heart beat bear to – your first item for the nursery!

16-20 weeks is also incredibly special to see baby after your initial dating scan with your physician. So much has changed in just a few short months and often times we can determine gender which makes it all feel that much more real. Babies at this stage are small with thin limbs and big heads. That’s perfectly normal! We also see a lot of movement at this age as they have tons of space still. It’s so fun for mom to see baby move and determine if she can begin to feel their kicks and jabs.

25-32 weeks is a great time as well. We start to see baby’s characteristics come out with big, full lips and cheeks. We can see if hair is forming and if baby will have a full head of hair at birth. Some times babies open their eyes, wave or stick their tongues out. We see it all! Babies at this stage tend to be a little quieter with movement so imagers bring out all their tools to get those famous head shots.

32+ weeks is a bit trickier as babe begins to run out of space in mama, however we can and still do, get some amazing shots of an almost full term baby! Cheeks are full and round, fingers are plump and adorable. We get to see little waves, sucking the thumb or nestling in to mom. These are the quintessential photos you see in the side by side shots. One side is baby in 3D and the other side is baby postpartum. They are so fun to see the detail and similarities!

Who to bring!

While this is an incredibly personal choice, we want to ensure you get the most out of your appointment. We do suggest keeping your guest list small, as the more people tend to make the appointment a bit overwhelming for mom and dad.

Children are welcome to join as well but we do ask they are able to steer clear of our machine and probe. It’s a wonderful moment for big brothers and sisters to see the new addition in real time. We often see kiddos who can’t always make it through the longer appointments. We do offer toy bins to keep them occupied and for mom and dad to have some special moments as well. Bringing tablets or a special gift might also be an option to occupy little kiddos.

Grandparents and additional family love to see the big screen and it can be an amazing bonding experience for all or just mom and dad make a wonderful appointment as well. It’s a beautiful moment to share together and we see a large range of emotions from tears to cheering!

Our best advice is to bring along family that will make the moment a very special one.

Payment and cancellations!

We take debit, credit and cash at the time of appointment; however we do require a credit card to hold your appointment time. If you do not have a credit card please reach out so we are able to accommodate you.

We require 24 hours to cancel or reschedule your session or a $50.00 fee will be charged. We understand life can some times get in the way even when we have the best intentions, so please contact us right away if you cannot make your scheduled appointment.

To ensure your appointment isn’t missed we offer optional email or text reminders prior to your appointment.

Reach out!

Have a question or want to make your experience personalized? Reach out to us here!