They offered me a 4D Ultrasound for $100. I'm about 29 weeks. DH and I turned it down...we didn't want to pay for it when our level 2 ultrasounds are covered by our insurance. I believe you can have them done at anytime, but you may not be able to see everything if you do it too early. Since I have to get an ultrasound every 2 weeks now, we're sticking with the one covered. HOWEVER, if it was free, I would do the 4D in a heartbeat!!! I'm not sure the difference between the 3D and 4D, but they offer the 4D in the practice I go to, you just have to pay for it out of pocket.

Congrats on your pregnancy!!!

I meant to say on your NIECE's pregnancy... :)

Before you get into this, I hope you'll do some research on potential dangers of ultrasounds, particularly the 3-D variety. There was a thread on this topic last year, but it's probably long since scrolled into oblivion.

Ultrasound causes changes in the developing fetus' brain. As I recall, neurological damage and hearing loss have been observed in children exposed to excessive ultrasound in utero. Anything not strictly necessary from a medical standpoint is excessive.

There's a lot of information on this, and it shouldn't be hard to find.

Susan

I cant remember how many weeks I was when I had mine, I'd have to look but if I recall, I had it it done in April and was due in July.

You can do them anytime but it's better to wait until around 30 weeks or so. The baby will be more physically developed and the image you see will look more human. Anything earlier, you'll see alot of movement and dancing around but the baby will look sorta alien like.

I believe mine was around $250 for a 20 minute session that gave me a ton of photos and a video of the whole 20 minutes.

The difference between the 3D is that the shots are still and the 4D is movement (like the video). Basically the 4D is a live 3D.

Susan, I think a comment like that is unfair. Many of us have what are/were considered high risk pregnancies..and ultrasounds were/are the doctors only link to make sure everything progressed as it should.

All three of mine had "excessive" ultrasounds. They have no damage.

My husband works for an Ultrasound/Sonogram company. They offer all the employees or spouses a free ultrasound at about 30-32 weeks. I have video of the ultrasounds of my last two. Mine were 3D..which were not stills, but moving video.. 4D is when they actually look like photographs..as if there is no barrier between you and your baby. And are "warmer" in coloring.

I got to know all three of my children intimately before they arrived. I wouldn't change a thing about that!

We paid 150.00 for the last 2 grandbabies.....and they would like you to be within I think it was 6-8 weeks of the due date for better pictures.

I think susan's comment was very informative. Of course if an ultrasound is ordered by a doctor, they should probably be done. But someone simply wanting to pay to have someone have a 3D one done may not be the best idea. Ultrasounds can impose risks and should be done IMHO only on a doctor's orders.

Terri, I said in my post above:

Anything not strictly necessary from a medical standpoint is excessive.

It sounds to me like you're talking about medically necessary ultrasounds. Big difference between those and a cute DVD.

Dr. Robert Mendelsohn warned about the risks of ultrasound back in the 1970s. Quite a bit of research has been done since then. I'm not going to delve into it right now, but I've done so in the past and it's pretty compelling. I remember in particular a study done at Yale a couple of years ago.

I stand by what I said.

Susan

I realized we are talking about two different things. However, given the information you've researched..My children were at the same risk as any other child that gets "excessive" ultrasounds, it was just in my/their case...it was a necessary (evil, I guess) to make sure they arrived healthy.

I don't think one "extra" 3D/4D ultrasound beyond a "normal" pregnancy amount, which can be anywhere from 1-3 depending on the doctor and the mothers risks. Will damage a baby any more than not getting it.

In my case the "special" one I got from Hubbies company was used by my doctors as well. They asked for specific things to be measured and looked at, and I took the requested stills with me for them to keep.

It just seemed a bit harsh to me, because bearcat states she'll be having them every 2 weeks from now on.
I was in her shoes...with my often U/S..it was reassuring to see the boys growing and thriving..given the concerns the doctors and specialists had. Especially after almost loosing my life and that of my first son, because my first set of doctors weren't as concerned about monitoring him from the inside? I changed doctors!

Susan is right - there is a lot of research regarding the safety of ultrasounds, the link below has the results of some medical studies if anyone cares to look.

Here is a link that might be useful: Ultrasound Safety

Hi, I doubt that there will be any medical issues involved with this and wouldn't be afraid for anyone to have it done. However, I would not pay for it, mainly because once the baby is here, the pics/movies of this will almost surely become unimportant and thrown in the pile with all the other never watched stuff.

My two cents on this is to use the amount to be spent, since it's more than a little money, open the baby a bank or stock account, and teach baby over time how to save and be responsible with money over his young life. It can be added to at birthdays and gift holidays, and by him when older, and will serve him well in the long run. Linda

Just wanted to add this link that says newer studies show that ultrasounds are safe.

I still don't think I'd have any extra ultrasounds unless it was medically neccessary. We really don't know what we might find out in another 10 or 20 years about frequent ultrasounds.

Here is a link that might be useful: Ultrasounds are safe

Just my two cents - I had regular ultrasounds with both of my kids and have them on video tape. They are sitting on a shelf but I have watched them just for the fun of it in the past 15-17 years (that's how old my kids are). The kids and I have watched them and they get a kick out of it.

They didn't have 3-D when mine were born, but I definitely would have done it. I think they are so cool

With all due respect to those that warned of the hazards of ultrasounds, I don't think that's what Lindsey was asking for and I'm sure she didn't intend for her post to turn into a debate.

Lindsey, I think that is a very thoughtful, generous thing for you to do for your niece
and I'm sure they would love seeing their little one before it is born.

I say offer it to the niece and if she likes the idea, then go for it. Whether I agree or disagree is not the issue. I have a co-worker who has had numerous miscarriages and so she is considered high risk. She's doing great and is due in May. Anyway, she brings in lots of ultrasounds and I find it totally fascinating. However, I still do not have the imagination to see a baby. Until she points it out what is what, he looks like a blob to me. I'll have to ask her if these are 3D. I'm not sure.

I think ultrasounds are a wonderful technology for detecting problems and tracking high-risk pregnancies. I also think one or at most two during a healthy pregnancy is not out of line.

I think Susan is stating something that needs to considered. There is still quite a lot of debate on both sides in the medical community.

However I am in the camp that using a medical procedure for "keepsake" purposes is not a good idea.

It saddens me that we treat pregnancy as either a medical disorder at one extreme or something to be planned out like buying a new car at the other. Even first time mothers want to know the sex of their baby so they can coordinate their colors for nursery and layette.

What going to be the next technology everyone will be wanting. Probably a camera to record the sperm traveling to meet the egg? LOL

Oh, my gosh, no - I certainly didn't intend to start a debate.

I'm a 58-year-old childless (many miscarriages) woman who worked for OB/GYNs for several years approximately 30 years ago, so although I don't have any first-hand experience, I am well aware of many pregnancy-related things, but simply did not know the present-day cost of 3D ultrasounds.

My niece, as I said, is pregnant for the first time. She will turn 31 in April. She and her husband do not want to know the baby's gender before the doctor announces it in the delivery room (or birthing suite, or wherever they may be).

I am not saying that I would want her to have an extra, unnecessary ultrasound. I was simply thinking that when it is time for an ultrasound that the doc would want, that it would be cool to have a 3D ultrasound, and since insurance doesn't cover them, I am more than happy to pay for it. The prices that have been mentioned, above, are much less than half a day's pay for me, so, to me, that's nothing. I can well afford it. But even if the money were tight for me, I would still find a way to pay for it by cutting back somewhere else.

I love my niece very much, and she has waited a long time to be a mother. She is one of the most fabulous people I know, and her husband is incredible, too. They will be great parents.

As for the comment that it would be a waste because (paraphrasing here) "once the baby is born the ultrasound photos would become unimportant and be tossed in a pile with other insignificant stuff," well, that one made me laugh out loud. If that's what you think of "stuff" like this, then why take any photographs - ever?

Sorry -- I didn't mean to sound ungrateful. I appreciate everyone having taken the time to respond, and I also appreciate that you care enough to be concerned about possible risks to my niece's baby. But please understand that if a 3D (or 4D) ultrasound is done, it won't be an extra one - it will be in place of one that the doctor feels is necessary at that time of the pregnancy.

but, I think the 3 and 4D ultrasounds carry a lot more risk than a typical 2D one. My last pregnancy was high risk and I had dobblers 2 times a week for the second half of my pregnancy, but my doctor did not want to do a 3D ultrasound due to the risk. He's the top dog high risk doctor in my city.

I believe 3 and 4D ultrasounds are generally only done for high risk pregnancies (and to check for specific things - Cleft Palate, etc.), hopefully your niece won't fall into that category.

Here is a link that might be useful: Ultrasounds