Please come to your appointment with a full bladder if you are under 11 weeks gestation. You can also begin increasing your water intake for 3 to 5 days before the ultrasound. This means drinking 4 to 6 bottles of water per day. Good hydration help us have clear images on the day of the appointment. If you are making a last-minute appointment, don't stress! You will likely be just fine :)

It can be helpful to bring a small amount of orange juice to drink during the scan. Orange juice can sometimes make a baby move in the womb due to the sugar in the juice crossing the placenta and providing the baby with a quick burst of energy. This can stimulate the baby's movement, especially if they were previously inactive.

Major medical organizations (e.g., American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, World Health Organization) endorse ultrasound as safe for fetal monitoring when used appropriately. Studies show no consistent evidence of harm to the fetus or mother, including no link to birth defects, developmental issues, or increased miscarriage risk when used within guidelines.

2D ultrasounds yield the classic black-and-white images that provide your care provider with the anatomical details they need, especially if you are doing a 20-week anatomy scan. These are flat images that are looking more for the structural development of your baby than anything else. 3D ultrasounds offer a third dimension that can show you some of the defining characteristics of your baby, like their facial features. 4D adds another dimension by allowing you to see your baby's motions in real-time. You are able to purchase the recording of your session to have a keep-sake video of your baby moving around, sucking on their fingers, and interacting with your voice as you speak to them in the womb. All ultrasounds use sound-wave technology that bounce off of the body of your growing baby and convert that data into the images you see. Because of this, there is no difference between the types of ultrasounds and the "frequencies" emitted toward your baby. The different images produced are due to the software of the technology's ability to translate those frequencies into the 2D, 3D, and 4D images you'll see on the screen. We do also offer technology upgrades that allow you to see your baby in high definition, sometimes referred to as 5D or 6D ultrasounds.

GE HealthCare (formerly GE’s healthcare division) is a leader in ultrasound technology, particularly for women’s health and obstetrics via their Voluson series. However, terms like “5D” and “6D” ultrasounds aren’t official medical standards—they’re marketing labels used by ultrasound studios and some resellers to describe enhanced 3D/4D imaging features. True ultrasound dimensions are limited to: •  2D: Flat grayscale slices. •  3D: Static depth-rendered images. •  4D: Real-time 3D motion (video-like). “5D” and “6D” refer to software upgrades that add realism, such as high-definition (HD) skin rendering, automated lighting/shadows, AI-driven measurements, and speckle reduction for “lifelike” fetal images. GE doesn’t brand their machines as “5D” or “6D” in official documentation, but their systems support these capabilities through proprietary tech like HDlive™ (often marketed as 5D) and advanced AI rendering (sometimes called 6D by third parties). We do offer these high-definition services at Belly vision, but have chosen not to market them as 5D / 6D ultrasounds as the terminology can be misleading. You can upgrade your session to this by adding on "high definition" to your appointment at checkout or when you are in the office with me.

Yes! Your children and support people (husband, friends, family members) are all welcome! My office is equipped with plenty of seating and some toys for young children to play with.