In the past, expectant parents weren't able to meet their baby until he or she was born. But thanks to the miracles of modern ultrasound technology, mums- and dads-to-be no longer have to wait that long!
Of course, ultrasound scans have been with us for over half a century, but the images captured during 'traditional' ultrasound scans - while useful for diagnostic purposes - don't give a particularly good impression of what the baby actually
looks like. However, more recent breakthroughs have allowed us to get a good, clear look at an unborn baby's face, and thanks to the latest
HDlive technology from GE Healthcare, we at First Encounters are able to offer an truly unparalleled level of detail to parents who are keen to sneak a peek at their 'bun in the oven'.
This image was captured using a GE Voluson E6 with HDlive technology. As of July 2016, all of our 3D/4D scans are conducted using a Voluson E6.
Click here to compare our packages and book your baby scan online, or read on to find out what you can expect when you meet your baby at our clinic!
What to expect from your First Encounters scan
We have two ultrasound clinics: one in
Cardiff, and another in
Bristol. Both have ample parking available for customer use, so don't worry about finding a space!
Once you've arrived, we'll welcome you into our spacious, modern clinic and show you to one of our comfortable scanning rooms (all of which have room for up to six guests - everyone is welcome, including young children!).
One of our scanning rooms.
Our sonographer will make sure you're comfortable and feeling at ease before commencing the scan. The scan itself will take anywhere from 5 to 20 minutes depending on the
package you've selected. With any luck, we'll be able to get a great look at your baby on the first attempt, but if they're feeling camera shy we may ask you take a gentle stroll in order to get them moving.
During the scan, you'll see your baby in crisp HDlive vision - you should be able to tell which parent they most resemble, and you may even be lucky enough to see them smiling or waving back at you from the plasma screen!#
After your scan, you can collect all of the gifts and souvenirs included in your chosen scan package, as well as any others that you've decided to add on (
click here to view what we have to offer).
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!
It's a big week for us here at First Encounters Ultrasound - our brand new Voluson E6 system arrived yesterday, which means that we're now able to offer HD Live ultrasound scans at our clinic in Cardiff.
What is HD Live?
HD Live is the very latest in 4D ultrasound technology. It allows us to show you your unborn child in greater detail than ever before; HD Live images are far more clearly-rendered than those captured by other 3D/4D systems, giving you an even better idea of what your baby will look like when he or she finally arrives.
Furthermore, our new HD Live equipment offers an enhanced colour palette, enabling us to achieve an even greater level of realism in the images we capture:
Left: An image captured using HD Live ultrasound equipment.
Right: An image captured using standard 3D/4D ultrasound equipment.
Benefits of HD Live:
- Clearer, crisper images of your unborn baby
- Improved colouration of images/footage captured
- Feel even closer to the life growing inside you
How do I book an HD Live ultrasound scan?
If you would like to book an HD Live scan at our
Cardiff clinic, please give us a call on
02920 732671 or get in touch using our
online contact form. A member of our team will discuss the available options with you and recommend an HD Live scan package based on how far along your pregnancy is and what you wish to receive.
At present, HD Live scans are only available from the First Encounters Ultrasound clinic in Cardiff
. However, we plan to roll out this technology in our Bristol clinic in the near future, so please stay tuned for further announcements on that front. 
