A couple of weeks ago now
At 32 weeks pregnant
We had a very special family experience
Nine months is a long time
A long time to grow a baby
A long time to wait for a sibling to be born
We told Esther, William and Bea
At 12 weeks
That mummy had a baby in her tummy
They have been very excited by
And very involved with this pregnancy
Since that time
They love to talk to bump
Cuddle and kiss bump
But I think it must still be all very surreal for them
So I decided it might be nice for them
To have a sneaky peek at their baby sister
Before she is born
And thanks to the wonder of modern technology
This is now possible to do
We were invited by Ultrasound Direct in Maidstone
Part of Baby Bond
To take the children along to a 4D Bonding Scan
And it was a wonderful, magical experience
One that I will never forget
And one that I hope has made this baby feel more real
To her older siblings
They were definitely very excited in the car on the way there
Ultrasound Direct Maidstone is based at Turkey Mill
Less than half an hour from our house
When we arrived the car park was busy
But we found a space nice and close to the door
We were greeted by a lovely lady
Who showed us upstairs to the waiting room
There was plenty of space for us all to sit
And the children were made to feel very welcome
As I filled out the necessary paperwork
When it was time for our appointment
We met our sonographer Caroline
And were taken to the scanning room
This was a large room with two sofas
For a maximum of five friends and family to sit on
Mummy goes up on the couch ready to be scanned
There was a lot of floor space in the room
And as the appointment is quite long
Compared to NHS scans
It might be an idea to take books or colouring for younger children
In hindsight we should have done this for Bea
However the available space and the kindness of the staff
Meant Bea being typically two for some of the time
Did not detract from our shared experience
To begin with all the children were engaged
Entranced even
As our unborn baby came to life on screen
We were able to see her heart beating
And then we had a really good look at her face
It was really very emotional for me
To see our fifth and final baby
With three of her siblings in the room with us
She looks to be a very beautiful baby
Almond eyes
Button nose
Rosebud lips
She seems to like a camera
And was keen to show off all her physical features
As well as a bit of personality
A bit of character!
The pictures were so clear
And seeing her move was just amazing
She likes to put her hands to her face
We saw her swallow and yawn
It was a truly magical experience
And as we stared at the screen
Caroline our sonographer
Who is also a midwife
Talked us through everything that we were seeing
In detail but in simple enough terms for the children to understand
She encouraged us all to ask questions
William was amazed to learn that baby drinks her own wee!
The scan showed that our baby girl already has quite a lot of hair
We talked about who she might look like
Esther is hoping very much that this new baby girl
Might be more like her
As both Tilda and Bea have been more like William
Esther was very sweet throughout the scan
Definitely the most interested
And her reaching out to touch her baby sister on the screen
Really melted my heart
She is going to be a wonderful big sister
The bonding scan lasted for over 20 minutes
As well as getting to know the baby
And what she looks like
We were also given some basic well being information
The sonographer took measurements
Gave an estimated weight
And was able to reassure us that baby was well
4D Bonding Scans are available with Ultrasound Direct
From 24 – 34 weeks gestation
At 32 weeks
With a larger baby
I was at the top end of that scale
We were very lucky though
That baby loved the camera
And showed us all her best angles
We have pictures of tiny hands
Tiny feet
And those all important
Extra special
Facial shots
Included in the 4D Bonding Scan Package is
20 minute diagnostic appointment
Babybond wellbeing checklist
Growth report with fetal weight estimation
Complimentary sexing of your baby if requested
2D and 3D b/w prints taken throughout your scan in sleeve
Babybond® 4GB USB memory-stick of 4D movie clips (AVI format) and 3D still images (jpeg format)
2 x colour gloss 3D scan prints with your choice of white, blue or pink Babybond bag, to take home
Once the scan was complete
The sonographer
With some help from Esther and William
Printed the best of the pictures
For us to choose two to have printed in colour
Esther and William loved being part of this process
And were very pleased to each be given
A bag to carry home the photos and videos from the scan
I feel like I have done a really bad job
Of putting this experience into words
Perhaps because there are no words
It is all about the pictures
Images to treasure now
Whatever happens next with baby
We will always all have this time
A bonding scan such as this one
Would make a great gift for a mummy to be
Perfect for Mothers Day
A birthday
Or just because
This particular experience costs £99
But the experience
Images
Videos
And reasssurance given
Are priceless
For all the family
To find out about 4D scan experiences where you are
Please contact Ultrasound Direct
The staff are super helpful and friendly
And they will be able to help you choose
The best experience for you
We were invited to a scan free of charge in exchange for an honest review
Oh Jennie, she’s so beautiful. Honestly, I don’t have words for what such an experience must have meant for you all together. Technology has come on so much since my last pregnancy. Truly so special and amazing. xxx
What wonderful photos, so detailed, and sounds like a fantastic experience. Esther is so sweet!