Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to make an appointment?
Yes, appointments are necessary. We offer easy online scheduling so you can book your appointment at your convenience, or feel free to call us to schedule your 3D/4D ultrasound. Keep in mind, evening and weekend appointments are the most popular and fill the fastest.
When is the best time to get a 3D/4D or Real-D ultrasound of my Baby?
If you only plan on coming one time and you are trying to wait as long as you can but not too long, then the best time to get a 3D/4D and/or Real-D ultrasound is between 27-29 weeks. Most of our Mommy’s start at 14 weeks and come every six weeks for peace of mind and to enjoy every stage of their Baby’s growth! Real-D makes all weeks even more amazing!
We start gender reveal as early as 12 weeks (our no-stress guarantee begins at 14 weeks). Schedule early to reserve the perfect date and time. We look forward to meeting you and your little Miracle soon!
Many families come in more than once to watch their little miracles grow – early at 15 weeks, 22 weeks and again between 27 and 32 weeks. This gives you the chance to watch your baby at many different stages.
Some people ask if it’s better to wait until much later in pregnancy for 3D or 4D ultrasounds. While every baby is different, we found that coming in before 32 weeks offers families the best chances of seeing their baby. As your baby gets bigger in the later weeks, it can be more difficult to obtain images due to factors such as the baby’s size and position, placenta and fluids; however, we have done ultrasounds as late as 40 weeks with amazing images.
May I bring friends and family?
ABSOLUTELY! We encourage and welcome you to bring your friends and family to your ultrasound session. Your 3D/4D ultrasound session is a special chance to share your baby before birth, so please bring guests. Our theater seats 10 comfortably, although we can easily accommodate more people and had 20 in our theater already. With our big screen TV and theater seating, all of your guests can see the TV without a kinked neck. We provide the most enjoyable experience for mom and her guests! Please let us know ahead of time if you are bringing over 12 guests. Please understand that we cannot wait past your appointment to accommodate late-arriving guests.
Can kids come to the appointment?
Yes! We are a kid-friendly facility. Many of our clients bring siblings along to introduce them to their new baby sister or brother. It provides a great bonding experience for the entire family. We ask that you please supervise your children at all times as our facility has costly, fragile medical equipment. Children must be with you at all times and cannot come near the medical equipment. They may be supervised in the waiting room as well. We have a few toys available in the waiting room, but we encourage you to bring some of your child’s favorite toys to keep them entertained since the sessions are typically up to one hour.
How should I prepare for my ultrasound?
To help you obtain the best pictures, YOU MUST drink plenty of water – at least – 6 to 7 days before your appointment. Hydration can increase the amniotic fluid and improve the clarity of your ultrasound. Drink your doctor’s recommended amount of water each day – typically 12 8oz glasses each day. Drinking water consistently throughout the day – every day – is key to the BEST IMAGE quality. Positions of baby you cannot control, but you are the sole person that determines the CLARITY of your images. The more amniotic fluid, the clearer the images tend to be, regardless of which way baby is facing. You don’t need to have a full bladder. The day before your session, it is recommended that you stay away from caffeine and carbonated drinks – this includes anything with high sugar content (juice, sweet tea and soda). One hour before your session, try not to eat a big meal. That can put your baby to sleep, but 15 to 20 minutes prior to your appointment, eat or drink something that will get your baby moving. Some moms find that drinking OJ or eating some fruit typically gets their baby active and ready for the session.
What can I expect during my 3D/4D or Real-D session?
Do I need a doctor to get an ultrasound?
It is our policy that you must be under the care of a healthcare provider for your pregnancy. We require the name and phone number of your healthcare provider responsible for you and your baby. This can be your Ob/Gyn, midwife, healthcare group, health department etc. 3D Baby Bump non diagnostic ultrasounds are not a replacement for pregnancy healthcare.
What should I wear?
We recommend that you wear a two piece outfit, so we have easy access to your belly.
What are my payment options?
We accept cash, all major credit cards, and PayPal. Sorry, we do not accept personal checks. Gift certificates are also available.
What is the difference between a 2D ultrasound, 3D ultrasound, 4D ultrasound and a Real-D ultrasound?
A 2D ultrasound is the black and white or gray-scale ultrasound that has been around for many years.
A 3D ultrasound basically refers to a photo of your baby taken in 3D instead of the original black and white 2D ultrasound picture most people are used to seeing. 3D ultrasounds are usually a sepia color and allow for more dimension and curves of your baby to be seen. 3D ultrasound images are the photos that get copied to a CD if a CD is included in your package.
4D ultrasound is essentially the same as 3D ultrasound except 3D refers to one single image and 4D refers to many 3D ultrasound images taken one after the other creating a video or movie. The movie is what you watch live when you are in your session. The 4D ultrasound video is the video that gets copied to a DVD if a DVD is included in your package.
When most people talk about 3D ultrasounds and 4D ultrasounds they are usually referring to the same thing. Basically, 3D ultrasound is a photo and 4D ultrasound is a video.
Real-D is the latest advancement in ultrasound technology. Real-D is also called HDLive and Realistc Vue. Real-D allows you to see your baby unlike ever before. The Real Dimension adds shadowing and lifelike colors so you can see your child as amazing as if you took a Real picture with a great camera or saw them in side with your own eyes! (Remember, ultrasound uses sound and then converts the sound to colors to make what you see on the screen. A camera, like what you have on your phone, uses light and can show colors on your screen as they are without the need to convert. Since there is no light in your belly, ultrasound is used to “see”.)
(And for those techies out there who want to know it all; “time” is the fourth dimension. Therefore, multiple 3D photos based over time gives you 4D
Does my insurance cover this exam?
No. We offer an elective, non-diagnostic ultrasound for entertainment and for your enjoyment, so it is not covered by medical insurance. We accept cash, and all major credit cards.
What if I need to cancel or reschedule or what if I’m late for my appointment?
We offer a flexible and fair cancellation policy. Should you need to cancel or reschedule your appointment, for any reason, we ask that you please call 48 hours ahead of your scheduled time. If you do not show up to your appointment, we reserve the right to apply a $50 no show fee. If you did not show up for your appointment or provide us with 48 hours cancellation notice, you will be required to pre-pay for your future appointments.
Please be sure to arrive on time for your appointment. Arrive at least 10 minutes before your scheduled session start time to complete the registration form. If you are late (regardless of how tardy), we will have to reschedule your appointment due to the unique nature of our operations. We only have one machine, so unfortunately it is not possible to “squeeze you in” or disrupt the next client’s appointment time. We will not jeopardize the quality of your session or the next client’s session by attempting to squeeze you in. We also cannot wait for your guests who are not on time for your scheduled session.
We’re on a busy road, so plan ahead to ensure you arrive early and on time.
When you arrive, we may be in another session, so complete the registration form on the table to help move the process along. We will greet you at your appointment time.
What is the difference between an ultrasound and sonogram?
An ultrasound is a procedure that uses high-frequency sound waves to scan a woman’s abdomen and pelvic cavity, creating a picture (sonogram) of the baby and placenta. Although the terms ultrasound and sonogram are technically different, they are used interchangeably and reference the same exam.
I am having twins. Is there any additional fee?
We love seeing twins. You must select a 3D/4D package with at least 20 minutes (check out the Little Joy with 20 minutes or Bundle of Joy package with 30 minutes). Twins are more difficult to photograph so the additional time is not only helpful but is needed. We also cannot guarantee that images of both babies can be obtained during your session, and rescans are not available if one baby is hiding. Rescans for twins are only offered if both babies are hiding and we are unable to obtain any images. We always try our best to get you 3D images. It’s recommended to have your session between 24 and 26 weeks for the best chance of capturing images of both babies. After 27 weeks, the babies become bigger with much less room, and it may become more difficult to photograph them together.
The experience of seeing your twins in a 3D and 4D ultrasound, however, is priceless — you’ll get a good glimpse of how your twins will interact with each other. When scheduling your appointment online, just add a message to your appointment that you are having twins.
I’m a plus sized mom. Will I be able to get pictures?
We work with moms of all sizes, and most of the time, yes, we’re able to get 3D pictures for plus sized moms. However, maternal tissue is an obstacle to 3D pictures since the sound waves must travel through the extra tissue. The 3D photos may be grainier than typical, and it may be more difficult to capture your baby’s facial pictures. At 3D Baby Bump, we make every effort to get you photos of your baby regardless of your size or other factors, but we cannot guarantee what your baby will show or the quality of the image due to factors outside of our control. Be sure to stay hydrated and drink your doctor’s recommended daily allowance for water at least 7 days (or more the better) prior to your appointment, as hydration is KEY to getting better quality images. Please see the preparation question above. Our families have told us that the most important part is seeing and bonding with their baby. That’s what this experience is all about.
Will I always get a picture of my baby’s face?
The most frequent type of picture we see shows one-half to two-thirds of baby’s face. The reason for this is because of your baby’s position. For instance, your baby may be positioned toward your spine or have one arm on her face. Some families do see 100% of their baby’s face while others see more of a profile. Your baby is the director of the show! Your baby will determine how much of her face you get to see. Many of our families will schedule multiple sessions, so they can watch their baby grow throughout the pregnancy. Every session is different in amazing ways!
Depending on the baby, some sleep throughout the ultrasound or keep their face down while others are quite active. At times, you can see your baby smiling, yawning or even stretching. Depending on the baby’s position and gestational age, each image will vary. We make every effort to obtain the best possible images of the parts of the baby that can be seen.
We cannot guarantee what images your baby will show. The session time you pay for gives us time to work with you and your baby to obtain whatever images your baby will show. Some babies are shy and other factors may affect image quality that we don’t control.
We offer several packages with varying session times to meet the needs and budgets of our clients – from 10 minutes to 30 minutes. 20 to 30 minutes gives families the best chances of seeing their baby as we have more time to work with baby and moms. Our 10 minute packages are designed for earlier in the pregnancy, as later in the gestational age, it becomes more difficult to obtain images and more time is beneficial. Please keep this in mind if you select a package with 10 minutes. We do our best with the time you purchase, but if your baby is shy, you may only get to see him or her for a small portion of that time.
How long does a 3D/4D session take?
Depending on the session you select, the time will range from 10 to 25 minutes of actual scanning time. Typically clients are with us for 45 minutes to one hour. Please allow extra time to complete forms and for us to finalize your CD, DVD and print your photos.
What if I can’t see images on my CD or my DVD won’t play?
Occasionally customers tell us their CD or DVD is not working. If you believe that’s the case, you can schedule a time to come back for us to review it. In the rare case that your CD or DVD is not working, we will give you a replacement. However, 98% of the time when customers return, we have confirmed that their CD or DVD is working properly. To verify your CD is working, first insert it into a computer or laptop that takes CDs. Open or explore the folder. The first 20-50 images may be all black images; that is normal, but once you sort your images, you will find more than 100 there. To verify your DVD is working, be sure to use a DVD player that will read a DVD-R disc. Most of the time, playstations and other gaming systems DO NOT read these DVDs. Computers and DVD players should work. If you think your discs are not working, try a different device first. As we said, 98% of the time, customers’ discs do indeed work.
What should I bring to my appointment?
You must be under doctor’s care for your pregnancy to get an elective ultrasound. At the time of your appointment, you will be asked to provide us the name of your OBGYN and their phone number. If you are not under doctor’s care for your pregnancy, we cannot see you. Elective ultrasounds are not a replacement for prenatal care.
If you are under 18 years old, your parent or guardian must be with you at the time of your appointment.
As stated above, please arrive on time for your appointment to complete the registration form.
What are your office hours?
We have availability 7 days a week up till 8 pm on most days. However, the days/hours our office is open does depend on availability. While we can sometimes take walk-ins, it is best you make appointment, as we may be closed on some days or our schedule may be completely booked up. We do not stay open when we do not have appointments so please call ahead before coming.
What is the No-Stress Guarantee?
- This No-stress Guarantee applies from 14 weeks to 34 weeks and is our special way of helping you try again if your little miracle is shy on your first visit.
- If your baby is shy and we are unable to get any photos or reveal gender at your first visit, we will have you come back for one (1) complimentary rescan session at no additional charge within two weeks.
We understand how difficult it can be on families not to get to see their little one or find out there gender and that is why we have this guarantee. We pay for the facility and technician for you to try again as our way of trying to help you get to see your precious miracle. OUR SERVICE IS TO SCAN and as much as we wish we could get all babies to do what parents want for that perfect photograph, that is just not possible. It does occasionally happen that after your paid attempt and the rescan session we pay for that we are not be able to get you the photo you were hoping for. We hope you can understand that we cannot know before we provide the service of scaning what everyone will get to see. Please do not ask for a refund. WE CANNOT GUARANTEE WHAT YOUR BABY WILL GIVE YOU FOR PHOTOS AT ANY VISIT.
- Up to eight (8) weeks after your session, if your physician determines that you are having the opposite of what is revealed to you at 3D Baby Bump , we will have you come back for one (1) gender session at no charge to confirm gender. If your 3D Baby Bump gender reveal is incorrect, you will receive one (1) complimentary full 3D/4D Bundle of Joy Package at no charge within eight weeks.