Thread: Elective Ultrasounds

how do you feel about elective ultrasounds? would you have one done if you had a center near you?

My doctor already said I wont have another ultrasound till the 20 week mark, but I was thinking about looking into a 3d or 4d one around 16 weeks if I found a place close and cheap enough.

Is that just silly?

I've had 3d/4d ones with my girls when I was 28 weeks. My doctor office offers them for a fee and we've opted to do them both times. I'll probably do it again, just to be "fair" to this baby.

I'm not much for elective gender ultrasounds. My doctor has a firm 20weeks rule for gender/anatomy ultrasounds, and I've waited, and will again. With my DD1, I was 20 weeks 5 days actually. I'll be 20 weeks 2 days for this baby.
I just feel a lot more comfortable doing ultrasounds at my doctors office. My first daughter had a "weird" heartbeat, and I had to be sent to several specialists for the next 10 weeks to check on it.

I do like the later 3d/4d scans because you can see the baby and what it looks like and that's really cool. By then I know everything is good with the baby, and if the tech sees something concerning she can call the doctor in. I would be paranoid about seeing something wrong on the ultrasound at one of those centers and having to call my doctors office and wait for an appointment for them to get me in, etc.etc. But I'm just paranoid like that.

I'm planning on doing the 3D/4D with this baby around 30 weeks. I did it with DS and even have a DVD of the U/S. It is really neat to go back and look at the pictures and video now that its been 5 years and DS enjoys looking at it too. My doctors office offers them, but you just get a couple of pictures. The places you find that offer those services alone have really neat keepsake packages that you can buy.

We did it with my last DD. With my first they were not around lol We choose to do it as the local hospital does not allow you to take children in. As my DD was 6 she was really interested. The place was awesome, we had a Saturday appt. They let DD put the jelly on my belly and really included her in the appt. The baby would not cooperate so I got to go back 2 weeks later at no extra charge. Ended up with loads of b&w and colour pics and a cd of all the images and a DVD.
I would say though I researched and went to someone who has been doing it for a long time, and had good reviews. There are some companies that seem to be in it for the money only. Like charging extra for multiples, even though I have not had any I think that is a rip off. Not sure if I will do it this time it was a lot of money think we paid about $200

We did the 3D/4D wDS, but unfortunately the place that used to do it around here got rid of their machines. No clue why, they were making a KILLING! It was like $150 for it out of pocket! And I know a LOT of people around here who did it. They only did them between 30-32w though.

I chose NOT to do an elective 3D/4D ultrasound with DD, but not because of the ultrasound. It was more because we already knew the gender and I wanted her features to be a surprise to us when we had her I'll get a more detailed u/s with this baby just because I did the nuchal scan and you get another u/s at 17 weeks and part of that is 3D/4D.

We did not have a 3d/4d US with DS1 but did for DS2 it was additional testing that was done so insurance paid for it. We also did not find out the sex of either baby so we did not see the point in paying for one. I love the surprise at the end when you finally get to hold and see your baby for the first time.

I only had 3 scans last time. The original one to date the PG, the gender scan and the 3D/4D scan around 30 weeks or so. My drs office included the 3D/4D one for no charge... I hope they do the same this time. I actually had to have this one done twice (so technically I had 4 scans) because the DD would not cooperate the first time. The tech had me drink a coke & eat a snickers to hype her up so she would move around for the scan.

With all that being said, I'm not really 'in' to other places doing a scan. I personally wouldn't do a special scan that early but that's just me.

It is silly! It's expensive and we should just wait a few more weeks for the big U/S! That being said... I had one with DD at 15 weeks and while I'm not planning it this time I'm impulsive and I can't really rule it out lol. My dr is strict with the 20 weeks date and its always so packed with appointments it usually falls around 22 weeks and I get impatient wanting to know it LO is a boy or girl! So basically I feel for you!