2D Reassurance Scan

Whats the difference between 2D, 3D and 4D?

2D is a two dimensional image of your baby. This is a black and white cross-section, the same as when you attend your normal NHS scan. A 2D is best for our sonographers to be able to see the internal bones and organs of your developing fetus/baby as it offers a clear view throughout the body. For this reason, we use 2D scans for our Early Reassurance, Dating and Presentation Scans.

3D is a three dimensional image of your baby, this means you can see depth - no, you don't need to wear special glasses. :) The external probe that we use omits sound waves in different directions and measure those sounds wave bouncing back, much in the same way sonar works. From this information, our machine builds up a 3D image of your baby. Our 3D scans typically take a look at your baby's cute button nose and tiny fingers.

The 4D image is the term given to the 3D image moving in real-time, so you may see baby waving, having a drink, or sometimes they are naughty and may be pulling their chord.

Is an ultrasound scan safe?

There is currently no evidence to suggest that ultrasound (including 4D Bonding Scans)  are harmful, however, it is important that you have all of the facts about the risks associated with the procedure before coming to your decision on the matter. In general, it's recommended for good measure to keep your scan times to a minimum, and that this is particularly during the early stages of pregnancy, for this reason, we will end scans during the very early stages of pregnancy once we have been able to provide you with the reassurance that you seek.

The following links will help:

• Public Health England guidance
• NHS Fetal Anomaly Screening Programme
• Care Quality Commission (CQC) - Choosing a baby scanning service
• British Medical Ultrasound Society (BMUS)
• EFSUMB – European Federation of Societies for Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology

Whether you choose to have a scan with us or not, it is essential that you keep your NHS Ultrasound appointments. 

Does ultrasound use radiation?

It is a very common misconception that because our 2D images show a cross-sectional image in black and white, which can similar to an X-Ray in appearance, that Ultrasound also uses Radiation to capture images. Ultrasound does not use radiation to create the images that you see. Instead ultrasound uses high frequency sound (beyond that audible by humans or animals) to produce the images that you see; much in the same way as a sonar on old submarines.

Who can I bring to my scan?

Here at Your Baby Scan we want your experience to be the complete opposite to your NHS scan. We know that they only allow 2 people to your scans. We want you to be able to share your experience with your mum, dad, nan, gran, aunt and uncle and even your neighbour!

At the moment the number of people allowed to attend your appointment is dependent on COVID restrictions at the point in time and you should always check our COVID restrictions page before you visit for the most up to date information.

Typically we allow yourself plus either:

• 3 adult guests plus any dependent children
• 5 adult guests

We have a large TV screen in Widnes, and an even bigger projection screen on the wall in Crewe, so everyone can see.

Please note: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic there may be additional restrictions to how many people can attend your appointment with you, please see our latest COVID-19 restrictions. Whilst restrictions are in place, our Your Baby Scan Live service will be available for free of charge for friends and family to join your scan from the safety of their own homes.

Boy or Girl I want to know, can you tell me?

Sure our sonographer will do their best to be able to sex your baby, if they cant on your first visit we will bring you back free of charge for another try.

What if I don’t want to know the Gender?

Then this is fine. Just make sure you let our sonographer know and she will try and stay away from this area

Do you charge more for twins or more babies?

No, although we would suggest a 30 minute appointment to ensure you get plenty of time to see all of your babies, you are more than welcome to come to one of our standard appointments if you have twins and you will not be charged any extra. This simply allows less time to see each of your twins. 

Do I still need to have my NHS appointment?

YES, absolutely! Our sonographers want to make sure you see your baby and don't carry out a full abnormality check during your scan. Our sonographers will perform a wellbeing check during your scan, but this does not go into the level of detail required during an abnormality scan, which by itself could take up the entire time that you appointment is planned for, and would leave no time for you to bond with your baby or see them in 3D/4D. As a result, the wellbeing check doesn't cover all the things that your midwife needs to see and know so its best to still keep up with all of your NHS scans and appointments.

What if the sonographer does pick up on something?

Whilst we don’t go out of the way looking for problems, if our sonographer does notice something unusual  then with your permission we will refer you to your midwife or local hospital and our sonographer will provide you will a clinical report of our findings and letter to take with you.

Each of our sonographers are fully qualified in performing diagnostic obstetric ultrasound scans, so they are more than capable of measuring for example the amount of fluid around baby, or nuchal translucency inline with NHS and UK protocols, but they will not perform these measurements unless they happen to have a cause for concern. 

Our sonographers will absolutely not hide away from telling you if there is something wrong.

Do I need a full bladder for my early scan?

For all scans up to 21 weeks we require a full bladder prior to scanning. Filling your bladder helps to lift baby out of the pelvis and make it easier (and therefore clearer) to see which is essential for checking baby's wellbeing.

Anything you drink can take around 20-30 minutes to get to your bladder so we recommend drinking around 2-3 pints of water 20-30 before your appointment time so that it has time to fill up. Anything you drink after you arrive for your appointment is likely to be filling your bladder after your scan has been completed which could make for an uncomfortable journey home.

I have bleeding or pain, can I have an appointment?

If you are experiencing bleeding or pain it is essential that you contact your NHS clinical care team in the first instance. They will most likely want to provide you with a scan, and will have clinicians and facilities available if you need urgent treatment which will not be available in our clinic

How old do I need to be to have an appointment?

At Your Baby Scan we have a strict policy of only providing ultrasound scans for people aged 16 and over. For young people aged between 16 and 18, whilst we do not require a parent or legal guardian to attend your appointment with you, we strongly recommend that they attend with you to provide you with the guidance and support during your appointment.

Unfortunately we do not routinely allow ultrasound appointments for young people aged 16-18 years prior to 9 weeks (Dating Scan).

How often can I come for an appointment?

Some people will want to visit us once during their pregnancy, and others will want to visit us multiple times. We recommend spacing all ultrasound appointments 4-8 weeks apart where possible to keep the amount of time that your baby is exposed to ultrasound to a minimum. Though there is no clinical evidence that ultrasound can cause any harm to your development baby, this is precautionary. You should consider that your NHS appointments will be fairly fixed points during your pregnancy, with your NHS Dating Scan around 10-14 weeks, and your NHS Abnormality Scan 18-21 weeks.

Whilst you can come sooner than 4-8 weeks, you should let your sonographer (private or NHS) know if you have had a scan less than 2 weeks ago so that this can be taken into consideration when taking measurements.