The most common question we get asked at Becoming Mom is “When’s the best time to have my ultrasound?”.
Like many questions in life, the answer is “it depends”.
Here’s what it depends on:
If you are at least 16 weeks, and are primarily interested in gender determination, we suggest a 2D Ultrasound.
Our medical sonographers can almost always tell you what you are having at this stage. But they won’t guess! If they’re not sure, they’ll tell you to come back for FREE! Same is true if baby’s legs are crossed or we otherwise can’t see.
If you want to also see your baby’s features and to see whether baby looks like mom or dad you probably want a 3D Package
And we suggest you come in after 23 weeks when the baby is more developed. As far as the “best” time, that really depends on what you want to see and how many times you plan to come in.
Here are some guidelines and some examples of what you can expect:
• 23-26 weeks: Baby’s facial features are starting to be defined and you can see more of the baby at once. If you plan to come in more than once, this a good time for the first time.
• 27-32 weeks: This is a good time for your second 3D ultrasound or if you’re only going to come in for one session during your pregnancy. Baby’s facial features are more defined and he/she still has room to move around. However, because baby is getting larger, you won’t see quite as much of him/her at once as you would earlier.
• 33-36 weeks: A great time for beautiful facial shots IF baby “cooperates”. Please be aware that increased crowding in the womb does make it more challenging to get specific pictures.
If you’re having twins, keep two things in mind: one twin is usually easier to see than the other and there is even more crowding in the womb. So, we suggest coming in at the earlier part of each of the above windows. We also suggest the longer session. We don’t charge extra, but we do split the time between the babies.
Hope that helps… but, as always, if you have questions, just give us a call!
