Ultrasound Preparation

How To Prepare For Your Ultrasound Appointment

Thank you so much for choosing Hello Baby 3D!

Below is important information on how to prepare for your upcoming appointment plus some frequently asked questions that you'll find very handy!

1.) ARRIVE 5-10 MINS EARLY

If you can, please arrive 5-10 minutes prior to your appointment to check-in and also use the bathroom, which is a very short walk from our clinic.

2.) DO I NEED AN EMPTY BLADDER OR FULL BLADDER?

This depends on how far along you are...

If you are between 8-13 weeks: we would like you to empty your bladder one hour prior to your appointment time and then drink 2 glasses of water (500-600ml) of water and hold.

If you are between 14-19 weeks: we would like you to empty your bladder one hour prior to your appointment time and then drink 1 glass of water (250-300ml) of water and hold.

If you are 20-40 weeks: we would like you to completely empty your bladder 5 minutes before your appointment time.

3.) WHAT CAN I DO TO INCREASE MY CHANCES OF GETTING AMAZING 3D IMAGES?

a). Try your best to Increase your amniotic fluid (drink 3L of water each day for at least 5 days prior to your appointment)

By drinking plenty of water you can increase the amount of amniotic fluid surrounding the baby and thats whats really makes all the difference in seeing your babys full face or not. The more hydrated you are, the cleaner the fluid will be which ensures the pictures will be as clear as possible. The most interesting part about increasing your fluid is that if you can achieve this, then it wont even matter where your placenta is (even if its anterior and right in front of the baby) we can literally just delete the placenta out of the way to get to the babies face! How cool is that?! So start drinking!! And remember, not only will drinking water increase your fluid and help us with getting you those amazing images, it also helps clean your fluid which then gives your baby a nice clean pool to swim in as well!

b.) Ask your medical professional (GP, Midwife or Ostetrician) if your baby is head down

Although our technicians will always try their absolute hardest, breech/head up positions make it extremely difficult for us to achieve amazing images.

c.) Bring along a cold juice, frozen coke or some lollies/chocolate to help get the baby moving if needed

Something cold and sugary can really do the trick of waking them up! Although a sleeping baby is adorable, we would love for them to not be too sleepy for the scan because we want to experience it all if possible, we want to see their eyes opening, some facial expressionals etc etc. We would recommend for you to maybe think about your babies movements during the day and maybe choosing a particular time of day where you think the baby might be more awake.

d.) If you are 20 weeks gestation or more please arrive with an empty bladder

When getting 3D images, from 20 weeks onwards it is best to have a completely empty bladder. Your baby is now big enough where we do not need your bladder to help us anymore, in fact it will only just get in the way. YAY!

4.) DO I NEED A DOCTORS REFERRAL?

No, you do not need a referral from your doctor as our ultrasounds are performed as an elective request. It does not however replace your routine medical or diagnostic scans requested by your doctor.

5.) CAN I BRING MY FRIENDS & FAMILY?

Feel free to bring as many guests as you'd like. We have enough room to comfortably accommodate mum being scanned as well as five (5) additional adult guests. The whole scanning room is also carpeted so feel free to bring more if you are happy to have some sitting on the floor. We also have a kiddies corner with toys and a cute table & chairs.

6.) CAN I RECORD MY GENDER REVEAL?

Absolutely! If you think it might help, we have a tripod in the scanning room specifically to do this. We are also very happy for you to FaceTime anyone that you would like to.

7.) CAN I LISTEN TO MY BABIES HEARTBEAT DURING THE ULTRASOUND?

Definitely. In fact, its always the first thing that we do! The machines we use have the ability to let you listen in to your babies beating heart. Its such a great moment to hear when youre pregnant!

8.) OTHER QUESTIONS?

If you have any further questions prior to your scan, please don't hesitate to give our friendly staff a call on (07) 5444 5333.

We are so excited to see you in our beautiful clinic!

Love from the Hello Baby 3D Team xo