There are many different ultrasound scan packages available to pregnant women nowadays, and this variety can sometimes cause confusion. Every scan is of course different, but above all else, it’s important to understand the distinction between elective ultrasound scans and medical ultrasound scans.

 

Reasons for choosing to undergo an elective ultrasound scan vary from person to person. Here are some examples of what a keepsake scan can provide:

• High quality 3D/4D imaging. Medical scans generally result in 2D images only. Some elective ultrasound scans give the expectant parents a closer, more detailed look at their unborn child - some of our customers are even treated to the sigh of their baby-to-be smiling and waving!

• Early gender confirmation. While medical scans can provide gender confirmation (i.e. whether your baby will be a boy or a girl), many elective scan providers allow their customers to discover this information several weeks earlier. Our gender scans start at 16 weeks.
  
  
• Additional information. Attending an elective ultrasound session in addition to your NHS scans will allow you to track your baby’s growth over a longer timeframe. We may also spot problems/anomalies that develop after you’ve been to the hospital.
  
  
• Keepsakes and souvenirs. Most elective scan providers offer a wide variety of gifts and souvenirs, which can be taken home after the scan and shared with family and friends. Common examples include glossy photographs, DVD recordings, key rings, and fridge magnets; we at First Encounters also offer the ever-popular Heartbeat Bear!

If you’re due to give birth in 2016, you may be interested to know about some celebrities who are also set to grow their families with new additions this year:

The 37-year-old wife of Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood is expecting twins in 2016. Although this will be their first pregnancy together, the 68 year old has already had four children from previous relationships, which means that the pair won’t be short of older siblings to spoil them!

Oscar-winning actress Anne Hathaway (pictured above) is expecting her first child with husband Adam Shulman, who she married in 2012.

The Bridesmaids actress is also expecting her first child this year with boyfriend Bobby Cannavale. Although the pair have decided to keep the baby’s sex a secret, Rose is due to give birth in late January, so we should find out the answer to that question very soon.

The writer and YouTuber announced her pregnancy last year in an adorable video featuring her husband Tom and son Buzz, who has already become something of an internet sensation since he was born in 2014. In the video, Giovanna and Tom set up their son as ‘Player One’ on the Sega Mega Drive console, while displaying an ultrasound scan image with the caption ‘Player Two Loading’.

The wife of British tennis star Andy Murray will be having their first child this year. The pregnancy was announced back in August 2015; according to Andy, it is something the pair had been considering for a while, as they have been a couple since 2005.

Kelly Clarkson will be expecting her second child in 2016, after making the announcement on stage at a concert in Los Angeles. Having experienced several issues during her first pregnancy, including the near-loss of her singing voice, the American Idol star is presumably hoping for a less eventful experience this time around! Although there have been some reports of the signer being forced to rest by her doctor, everything seems to be fine with her unborn baby boy so far.

As you can see, 2016 is already going to be a rather busy year for celebrity births, and those are just the ones we know about already!

 

It's not hard to imagine why a mum-to-be might prefer to undergo an ultrasound scan in the comfort of her own home. After all, pregnancy can make it quite difficult to get around (particularly for those who don't drive - we can probably all agree that sitting at home and waiting for the sonographer to knock is a far more enticing proposition than standing around at a bus stop!)

 

But while we understand why people ask this question, the answer - sadly - is no, we don't recommend undergoing an ultrasound scan at home. There are a number of reasons why we at First Encounters Ultrasound don't offer home ultrasound scans, including the following:

• Our clinics are hygienic, comfortable, and fit for purpose. There's no way of ensuring that each customer's home will meet these crucial requirements.
  
  
• Our equipment is not mobile. We at First Encounters are proud to use the very best ultrasound devices currently on the market (including HD Live). While our state-of-the-art equipment is ideal for producing top-quality images, it sadly isn't very portable, meaning that we would not be able to offer the same high standard if we operated outside of our own premises.

There are a variety of gender scan options available at our Bristol clinic - here's a quick run-down:

This gender scan is available from 18 weeks, allowing you to view live 2D footage in our comfortable surroundings with up to six guests. The sonographer will also perform a visual heartbeat and movement check, and will produce two black and white photographs to serve as souvenirs the experience. 

This package allows you to discover the gender of your baby from 16 weeks, combined with the growth and wellbeing checks of the reAssure™ scan. As well as capturing 2D images of your baby, we will also endeavour to offer a 4D Glimpse™ of your baby.

This package provides you with all the services offered in the genderAssure™ scan (see above), with the addition of DVD footage and a bespoke First Encounters Heartbeat Bear. 

This scan package allows you to discover the sex of your baby from 20 weeks, and is combined with the benefits of the reAssure™ and Taster4D™ packages for the ultimate gender scan experience. 

To find out more about the range of scans on offer at our Bristol clinic, please click here. Alternatively, feel free to contact us for more information.

When reality star Kim Kardashian West was heavily pregnant, she spoke out about her experience undergoing an ECV (external cephalic version), due to the fact that her baby was breech. Only 3-4 percent of babies remain in the breech position towards the end of pregnancy, which means that having to undergo this procedure is a very rare indeed. In order to shed some light on the situation and help expectant mothers to better understand the issue, we thought we would share some information about breech babies and what this means for the pregnancy. 

In simple terms, breech simply means that your baby is positioned bottom-down as opposed to head downwards, meaning the baby would be born feet- or bottom-first if a vaginal birth were to go ahead. While this is usually a temporary position in the third trimester, in cases like that of Kim Kardashian West, the baby may remain in the position, which means that your doctor or midwife will have to advise you on the best course of action.

If your baby remains in the breech position you will likely be advised to undergo a caesarean in order to deliver the baby, although some measures may help to turn your baby, making natural birth possible if it is successfully positioned. While there are several natural methods it is possible to attempt in order to encourage your baby to turn, or you may also be offered to undergo ECV, at 36 weeks if it is your first pregnancy, or at 37 weeks if like Kim Kardashian West you have had a baby before.  This involves being given medication to relax you uterus, after which a doctor will attempt to manually turn the baby so that is facing the correct way. This is not recommended in some cases, however, particularly if you've experienced complications during your pregnancy such as vaginal bleeding. 

While the baby will either turn naturally or be manually turned with success in the majority of cases, there is no need to be concerned if your baby remains in the breech position. Your doctor will be able to advise you on the best course of action to ensure safety for yourself and your child, which in most cases will mean delivering the baby by caesarian.

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 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.