The service we provide here at First Encounters Ultrasound doesn't end when we complete your baby scan. We also offer a variety of
souvenirs for you to take home, enjoy, and share with your friends and family - here are some of our most popular baby scan gifts:
DVD Recording
This is exactly what it says on the tin: the footage from your ultrasound scan, recorded onto a DVD that you can watch over and over again. DVD recordings are available for both 2D and 4D scans.
Why get this souvenir?
Not only will a DVD recording enable you to share your scan footage with friends and relatives who couldn't make it on the day, it will also allow you to show the footage to your child when they're a little older!
Heartbeat Bear
This adorable teddy bear is no ordinary cuddly toy - your baby's heartbeat (as captured during your scan) is recorded onto an audio device inside the teddy, and this very special sound will play when you give the bear a hug!
Why get this souvenir?
Heartbeat Bear makes a great gift for young children; you can give the toy to your unborn baby's sibling-in-waiting, or you could wait until baby is born and give the teddy to them!
Key Rings & Fridge Magnets
The images that we capture during your baby scan can be printed onto key fobs and fridge magnets for you to take home and keep forever!
Why get these souvenirs?
They make fantastic gifts for family and friends, especially if they weren't able to be your guests on the day of the scan itself.
Gender Reveal Cards
If your First Encounters Ultrasound package includes
gender confirmation, you can opt to purchase these fun gender reveal cards after the scan. Scratch away the silver panel to reveal the baby's sex!
Why get this souvenir?
It's a fun alternative to simply telling your friends and relatives whether you're having a boy or a girl. Instead, why not send each of them a gender reveal card and let them guess before they find out the answer?
All of these gifts can be purchased on the day of your scan, although some may be included in the price of your scan depending on which package you select.
Compare our scan options here, or visit our
Baby Scan Gifts page to see our full range of souvenirs.
We get asked a lot of
questions here at First Encounters Ultrasound, but perhaps the most common query of all concerns the safety of the scans that we provide. Many expectant parents feel slightly apprehensive about the idea of undergoing an ultrasound scan for fear that it will have a detrimental effect on the mother and/or her unborn baby.
The good news is that, in 30 years of study and research, ultrasound has not been found to cause any harm whatsoever to mother or baby. As the name suggests, ultrasound technology relies on sound waves, which are perfectly safe at the intensity used for the purposes of pregnancy scanning.
Ultrasound scans are now the norm throughout the UK; even if you don't visit the First Encounters clinic for a private scan, you will likely undergo two NHS ultrasound scans over the course of your pregnancy to check on your baby's development.
But what about 4D scans?
Most of the parents who enquire about the safety of our scans are referring specifically to our 4D scan packages; that is, the scans that capture 3D footage like this:
A lot of people assume that 4D scans must use a higher intensity than standard 2D scans, if not a different type of technology altogether. Many of the parents-to-be that we encounter have already received one ultrasound scan by the time we speak to them, and even some of these people are concerned about the side effects of our 4D scanning equipment.
If you are harbouring any such concerns yourself, allow us to put your mind at ease: 4D ultrasound scans have been shown to be completely safe for both mother and baby. Our 4D probe operates at the same intensity as our 2D scanning equipment, emitting sound waves into the body and creating an image based on the echoes it hears. The technology actually has a lot in common with radar!
Ultrasound scans do not expose you or your baby to radiation and they are generally painless. The only side effects you may experience is a small amount of discomfort as we run the probe over your skin or insert it into your body.
None of the ultrasound scans we offer have been shown to have any harmful effect on human beings, so when you and your unborn child pay us a visit, you can rest assured that our service is not putting either of you in any danger whatsoever.
Want to find out the gender of your unborn child? No problem! When it comes to gender scans, our sonographers are vastly experienced and highly skilled - we can accurately predict sex from 16 weeks gestation
However, there's a decision that you'll need to make before you visit the First Encounters clinic: which of our baby gender scan packages best suits your needs? Here's a quick guide to our gender confirmation scans:
2D wellbeing scan with gender confirmation // 16-32 weeks
Includes:
- Diagnostic ultrasound scan
- Wellbeing observation report
- Gender reveal scratch card
- photocloud™ digital download of all 2D scan imagery
Book now >
2D growth, reassurance and wellbeing scan with gender confirmation // 16-32 weeks
Includes:
- Diagnostic ultrasound scan
- growthAssure Report
- Gender reveal scratch card
- photocloud™ digital download of all 2D scan imagery
Book now >
Still not sure which of our gender scan packages will suit you best? Give us a call on 02920 732671 or contact us online to discuss your options with a member of the First Encounters team!
Read More: Should I Find Out the Sex of My Baby?
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.
If you're pregnant and you've recently booked a reassurance scan, you may well be wondering what to expect on the day. Conversely, perhaps you're still trying to decide what kind of ultrasound package is right for you, in which case you may wish to learn more about the reassurance scan and what this option has to offer. Either way, the First Encounters team are here to help!
One important thing to bear in mind is that a reassurance scan is not a substitute for the standard 20 week anomaly scan that's offered by the NHS. Instead, your reassurance scan will complement the results of the NHS appointment, giving you more information and further reassurance that your baby is developing normally without aiming to reach the same level of diagnostic detail.
The main aim of a reassurance scan is to check on the progression of your pregnancy and identify the general health, growth, and wellbeing of your unborn baby. It can be carried out at any point during your pregnancy starting from 14 weeks gestation.
Your reassurance scan will reveal the following information:
- Growth measurements (including head circumference, abdominal circumference, and femur length). This information allows us to plot your baby's growth onto our average growth chart, which will tell us if your baby is developing faster or slower than average. Our ultrasound machine can also use these measurements to calculate foetal weight.
- Fluid levels will be observed - these are crucial to the wellbeing of your baby and to the safe progression of your pregnancy, so if we notice that your levels are markedly above or below the set protocol, we will use the four-quadrant technique to collect additional data that will help your NHS doctor to carry out a diagnostic evaluation.
- An audible heartbeat trace will be carried out during your reassurance scan, allowing you to hear your baby's heartbeat and helping our sonographer to ensure that the foetus is healthy.
- We will also look to identify the baby's position and the placental site to make sure everything is in the right place.
Want to book a reassurance scan?
reAssure™ is our
standard 2D reassurance scan here at First Encounters Ultrasound. However, a reassurance scan is included in all of our ultrasound packages (with the exception of pureGender™ and
taster4D™), so the information listed above will almost always be collected as part of your First Encounters experience.
Many people aren't quite sure of the difference between a 2D scan and a 3D/4D scan. We offer both options here at First Encounters - today, we're going to explain each option in detail, helping you to select the ultrasound scan package that suits you best.
4D Scans
A 4D ultrasound scan - such as our
4DGrowth&Wellbeing™ package - allows you to see what your baby really looks like via detailed three-dimensional footage. Some clinics offer '3D scans', which give still images of your baby; here at First Encounters, we specialise in 4D ultrasound, which allows you to see your baby moving around in real time. 3D scans produce photographs; 4D scans produce video footage.
Here are some further details about our 4D scans:
- 3D/4D ultrasound technology renders an image from the surface of your baby's skin for unparalleled detail
- Scan footage is projected onto a large plasma television screen, allowing you and your guests to watch
- Our 4D scans are popular among expectant mothers who have already received their dating and anomaly scans, and who now wish to take a closer look at the baby that's growing inside them. Our 4D scans make fantastic baby bonding experiences, giving you a detailed glimpse into your baby's world and bringing you a little bit closer to the child you're about to bring into the world.
- Some of our 4D scan packages (e.g. 4DGrowth&Wellbeing™) include complimentary baby sexing; others allow you to find out the sex upon request. However, gender confirmation is always done via a 2D ultrasound scan, even if your package includes 3D/4D imaging.
- After your 4D scan, you will have the opportunity to purchase a variety of lovely souvenirs that can be shared with friends and relatives. These range from printed photographs and DVDs to key rings, fridge magnets, and our adorable Heartbeat Teddies (featuring your unborn baby's heartbeat!)
2D Scans
2D ultrasound scans don't offer the same level of detail as our 4D packages - you won't really be able to see your baby's face, for example - but they still allow our sonographers to get all the important information about your child. Options like our
Growth&Wellbeing™ package are designed to reassure you about your baby's growth and wellbeing; other 2D scan packages can even tell you whether your unborn baby is a boy or a girl!
Here's a little more information on our 2D baby scans:
- A 2D ultrasound scan produces a black-and-white image that show's your baby's skeletal make-up and allows the sonographer to identify any potential anomalies. As previously mentioned, this two-dimensional view is also ideal for gender confirmation, but please check if this is available with your chosen scan.
- While a 2D scan doesn't afford the same level of detail and bonding as a full 4D package, you and your guests will still be able to watch the scan on our plasma screen TV and purchase a variety of cute souvenirs after the appointment.
Still not sure which scan is right for you?
