Need a Christmas present for a mum-to-be? Give the gift of a First Encounters baby scan!
Many mothers will tell you that the greatest gift they ever received was their little bundle of joy, so why not treat the expectant mother in your life to one of our 3D/4D baby scans? We offer a variety of different scan packages at our clinics in Bristol and Cardiff, so you're sure to find a choice that suits you and your budget.
Contact Us Now to Order a Baby Scan Voucher >
Our scans offer a truly unique experience for mothers-to-be and their guests, offering an intimate view of the baby and forming a bond that will last a lifetime. This state-of-the-art service is offered in a calm and cosy atmosphere, which helps our visitors to relax and enjoy this special experience.
Before you order your gift certificate, please take a look at our list of scan packages to view our prices and the services included in each package. When you are ready to purchase your gift card, give us a call on 02920 732671.
To find out more about First Encounters and our ultrasound services, visit our About Us page.
Manufactured by GE Healthcare, HD Live is the most advanced 4D ultrasound technology currently on the market. With its improved frame rate and enhanced colour palette, this equipment allows sonographers to capture clearer, crisper images than ever before, which is great news for expectant parents who want a more detailed glimpse of their unborn baby.
The images below should give you a good impression of the difference between HD Live technology and standard 3D/4D ultrasound equipment.
Left image captured by GE Voluson i. Right image captured by GE Voluson E6 with HD Live technology.
We at
First Encounters were extremely impressed when we first witnessed what HD Live technology was capable of, and so we are very pleased to announce that HD Live scans are now available at our ultrasound clinic in
Cardiff. All of our 4D scans now use HD Live technology as standard.
Click here to compare our 4D scan packages and book your high-definition ultrasound experience online.
Accept no substitutes!
Here at First Encounters Ultrasound, we're proud to offer families a superior scan experience using genuine HD Live technology from GE Healthcare. The machine we use for HD Live scans is the GE Voluson E6.
We've seen a lot of other scan providers claiming to provide HD Live scans, but more often than not, these claims prove misleading upon closer inspection. Some providers who purport to use HD Live equipment actually carry out scans using a GE Voluson i, the machine we used to use before our clinics upgraded to the Voluson E6!
Before you book an HD Live scan, be sure to ask the provider what equipment they use to perform the scan. If it's not the genuine article, we strongly recommend that you look elsewhere - otherwise, you may end up feeling very disappointed with the quality of your scan footage!
If you've had a look at our
Images & Videos section, you may be wondering if the examples on that page really are representative of the quality and the clarity you'll see on the screen when you come in for a 4D scan of your own. Will we be able to depict your unborn baby with that same level of detail?
The short answer is yes, for the vast majority of scans we perform. However, 4D ultrasound scans are not an exact science, and with each and every pregnancy being so very different, the achievable results can vary for each client, thus making it very difficult to provide an airtight guarantee when it comes to the quality of the imagery we aim to capture during our 3D/4D scans. That said, we will always endeavour to obtain the very best result achievable, working with you to encourage your baby into the best possible position; however, whilst a change of position can, in most cases, be achieved with the aid of sugar stimulation, there are other factors that may affect image quality and resolution.
All ultrasound scans obtain images via the reflection of sound waves, which penetrate from the probe placed on your belly through to your baby and back again. The image then displayed is the result of this reflection. Whilst we at First Encounters Ultrasound use the latest, most advanced ultrasound technology (effectively enabling an element of image manipulation), image quality and resolution can unfortunately be impaired if the sound waves have more distance to travel, thus creating a weaker reflection and a lower-resolution image.
In some cases, a high BMI can lead to a less than perfect result; however, our own experience has also identified that, in cases of a high BMI, clearer images can be achieved when the scan is performed slightly later (between 29 and 30 weeks gestation). This is because the baby sometimes moves closer to the stomach wall, thus creating a shorter distance for the reflected sound waves to cover, resulting in a better image resolution.
The key points to remember when planning your 4D experience are as follows:
- Your baby will require room for movement.
- Your baby will need to be surrounded by plenty of fluid to assist the projection of imagery
In order to achieve the best possible results, we always recommend between 25 and 29 weeks as the optimum time for a 3D/4D scan. However, in the event that your baby is uncooperative on the day, a complimentary rescan will be offered on an alternative day (where appropriate, and subject to terms and conditions).
All of this being said, we'd like to say once again that unsatisfactory scans are very few and far between. The vast majority of women who come to us leave absolutely thrilled with the results of their 4D scan - if you'd like to book a scan of your own, please
click here to compare the packages we offer. Alternatively, if you have any other questions to ask, feel free to give us a call on
02920 732671.
Our 3D/4D pregnancy scans are a popular choice among expectant parents because our 3D imaging technology gives them an extremely detailed idea of what their baby will look like when he or she arrives. This creates a bonding effect, helping mummy and daddy to feel that much closer to the little one that they'll soon be looking after.
We already offer a variety of
souvenirs to enhance this bonding experience - our customers can take home photographic prints and DVD footage of their scans, as well as photo key rings and fridge magnets if they so choose. However, we will soon be offer another 3D scan souvenir that's streets ahead of everything else: 3D facial models!
We are working in partnership with Wolfprint 3D to offer our customers detailed 3D models of their unborn baby's faces. We feel that this is very much the 'next generation' of ultrasound souvenir - not only do these facial models deliver a more detailed impression than ever before, they also make great keepsakes that parents can show their children once they're a bit older.
These amazing models are created by 3D printing the multi-layered image that's captured by our Voluson ultrasound machine. If you request a 3D facial model, we will send the volume file from your scan to Wolfprint 3D, who will then convert that file into a 3D printable format, print it out, and ship the resulting model to you from their headquarters in Europe.
Our 3D baby models will cost
£149 for a small model and
£159 for a large model. They will be available to any customer undergoing a 3D/4D ultrasound scan -
click here to compare our scan packages, or give us a call on
02920 732671 to discuss the available options with a member of the First Encounters Ultrasound team.
