Has anyone ever had the ultrasona 4D Ultrasound done before? If so how much did it cost? I know insurance doesn't cover it, mine doesn't anyways, so I'll have to pay cash. I am thinking of having it done just because it looks so awesome.
I just found a place in San Fransisco that does them from 100 - 300 depending on how long of a video and what type of and how many pictures you want in the package. Not bad considering I just had to pay 1035.00 for a regular ultrasound at the hospital.
Mary
Mary, I just learned from your other post that we are due the same day 8/8/05. I haven't yet had my ultrasound done, it will be done on the 10th just to make sure that is the correct due date. Just out of curosity was the 1st day of your LMP 11/01/04? Mine was.
I havent had one But I found out the office I go to does an 3d one for everyone at 32 weeks just for fun. Maybe you could do an online search to find one in your area.
i haven't had one, but my MIL is paying, or at least she says she is, to have one done at 7 months, that was when they recommended it. It ranges anywhere from 175.00 to like 1,000. We are doing the cheap one!
I found a place a hour south of me in Manhatten. They do them for 147.50
If I make a appointment by the 31st they will take 50%off that, but someone told me to wait till im at least 28 weeks to get a better one. So Im going to wait and if they have no specials I will just pay the full price. I think it would be very cool to have for my baby boys scrap book and the video too for memories. Also to show my familt and freinds... If anyone gets one before me post and let us know how it is!!
Chris, I had one done when I was about 21 weeks. It came out beautifully. Little Xavier wsa missing the baby fat but you could destinctly see facial features, arms, legs...everything minus the fat. The tech that did it suggested when I made the appointment to wait until 28-34 weeks. During this time the baby has baby fat the it lacks early on but also has enough amnio fluid to see the features without smooshing the face which happens after the 34th week. I am scheduling another one for the begin of feb. I will be about 32weeks. My first one was done in Raleigh, NC and costed $167, which included about 20 2d and 3d pictures and a 35 min dvd of the whole session (which 4d just means movement). Now that I am in Ohio I have found it for about $200 with less (4 pictures and a dvd).
I hope this helps a little bit. I strongly encourage getting one done if finances allow. It is a great way to see your baby ahead of time (If you're like me I am very impatient)
Sarah
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DS-11/12/95 Derrick Alexander
Married-11/28/03
DS-4/29/05 Xavier Reece
Sarah - How was your experience in Raliegh? I have seen the website of the place that does the 3D and 4D ultrasounds there. If I have one done then I would be choosing between Reliegh and near DC.
I throughly enjoyed it. You get to lay down in this nice reclining chair and you have a monitor on your left side. Your dh or anyone else you want to bring can sit on this really comfy looking couch and look at their own tv of the session. My little one refused to give us a good look at his face but was happy to spread his legs :-) I suggest eating before you go and drinking a little bit of caffeine. I didn't do it and the tech kept rubbing my belly a little bit to get him to move (he was trying to sleep) - I'm sure he will get me back when he's born. She gave me a ton of pictures on paper and on cd. I also got the dvd option - they give military discount if it pertains to you.
The tech was extremely nice and pointed out the specific body parts (heart, kidney, legs, arms, etc.)
I would drive the 8 hours to go back if I could.... Hope this helps....
PS It was prenatal peeks, right?
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DS-11/12/95 Derrick Alexander
Married-11/28/03
DS-4/29/05 Xavier Reece
The 3D-4D ultrasound it the best thing in the world to have done. My husband isn't really one of the touchy feely guys. We did ours on the day before fathers day last year. When we got done he said that was the best fathers day gift he could of gotten. Anyways the place i went was in Carmel,IN. I did the big package. I got a 25 min video and DVD set to music, 4 4 by 4 thermal pictures, 4 5 by 7 colored pictures, CD with all my images on it, got to take 5 guest with me to enjoy the moment with. With the package i choose i got to go back for a second visit and have all the samethings again. My package was $295. So i went at like 25 weeks and then again at 32 weeks. You know insurance doesn't cover this. My doctors office billed my insurance company $350 for the 2D ultrasound and that was only one ultrasound.It is defintely worth the money. It was the greatest i cryed when i saw here. When i saw her littel nose i said oh she has her daddys nose. It's the best. Have it done. I plan on doing it again with the next baby. I highly recommend this.
I know the package you choose effects the price...however, they want you to be 32+ weeks before you do it. Simply because it is easier to read and such. It is only about $200 here in SC. We planned on doing that for our second (sex determination) Utlrasound (first one was at 7 weeks---so not much showed up) but since I had to have a 2nd one at 22 weeks and saw the sex, we just saved our $. I would love to do it now! (35+ weeks) and see his little face but husband says wait...
The place i went to in Carmel,IN said anytime for 25 weeks or later. We went the first time at 26 weeks we saw alot and then again at 32 weeks and got to see how much she had grown. She looked the same just with more weight on her. The package does affect the price. Plus each area is going to be different. Where i went is wealthy area,so i thought for the area the $295 was a good price for 2 3D-4D ultrasounds.
If you are talking about going to one of those places like fetal fotos or whatever it is called, i wouldnt do it. I mean....seriously. That is big money you would be putting out. But not only that, I saw a thing on one of those shows at night (dateline or 60 minutes or something) and there were women on there who had gone to these places, and then their kids ended up with problems. They claim that they wont do it without a note from your doc, but then turns out most of them do it anyway, and the people that do it are not medically trained and likely got the training from the users manual of the equipment - AND they said that 9 times out of 10, the equipment they use is not hospital or dr office certified. Personally, as much fun as it would be to see EVERYTHING on your baby, I wouldnt do it. I would talk to your doc and see if maybe he or she can get you a referrral to the hospital radiology and they will usually be able to do a pretty good one - usually quite a bit better and more visible than the one in your docs office.
Actually, the place where I went they WERE medically trained radiologist techs from the University of North Carolina, Chaple Hill. They have to have their certification and license out in the open. You are right that they are NOT radiologist doctors but they also can not give you medical advice or tell you if something looks wrong. They can point out the body parts but if asked if they look normal, technically they are not supposed to say yes/no, just like the techs in a normal radiology department. Only a radiologist or doctor can point things out and make medical comments.
I asked my doctor before hand and she said that it was perfectly safe, she even wanted me to bring in the photos. The hospital I used to go to was an Army hospital and they also do 4d u/s by the radiology department, not to the extent as paying for one though. The hospital I go to now is the top high risk women's hospital in this area and my ob also says she has no problem with me getting one.
I saw the thing on dateline and read up on it following the show. Some of the things said after the show pertained to the infants already had something wrong that wasn't picked up by the doctors. Therefor couldn't be proved that the u/s did it.
I will rely on what my doctors have all advised me and that there is nothing proven that these u/s are the cause of birth defects and if I want to spend my money then at least bring in the pictures so they could see them.
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DS-11/12/95 Derrick Alexander
Married-11/28/03
DS-4/29/05 Xavier Reece
I too read up on the dateline show through an article they had online. It seems to me that they were mostly saying that some children already had some deformities (like a cleft lip or something) that could be seen durin gthe 3D/4D ultrasound. The techs doing it cannot point things out like that but sometimes they are already visible. So then it makes parents upset to see that something is wrong with their child.
One clinic that does the ultrasounds says if something like that happens then they turn off the machine and tell the woman to go see her doctor immediately. The conern is that the people that work in the ultrasound clinics are not able to give medical advice or point any of these abnormalities out and they also are not trained to counsel parents in a situation if they see something wrong.
You could all probably do some of your own research on this topic through dateline nbc's website and others and decide for yourself. I would be informed be for making the decision. I would love to do the ultrasounds and will be sure to research them before I make my final decision.
Here is the FAQ on the site of the place that I would be going to in Tucson, Az to get the 3D/4D ultrasound done. Hope this helps all of you!!
I really want to get this done but I just dont know. The package I wanna get is $225 and thats the 2nd most expensive one! I think its a great price as I thought they would be much more than this. I just know that I could put that towards baby stuff that I am going to need.
Ok here is the info I got.........
What is an elective prenatal ultrasound?
We offer elective 2D, 3D & 4D prenatal ultrasounds to provide a positive bonding experience for the mother, father and family members with the unborn baby. We feel that realistic surface images provide a connection between the parents and baby that can be beneficial to the whole family. We make no claims that 3-D as used in this examination is performed to better assess the baby for abnormalities. A routine ultrasound examination should have already been performed to assess the gestational age of the fetus and to evaluate for fetal anomalies as well as the basic components of fetal anatomy recommended for screening.
Does this take the place of an ultrasound at my doctor’s office?
ABSOLUTELY NOT! Women seeking an elective prenatal ultrasound with Alreay Adorable must already be receiving treatment with a healthcare provider for prenatal care and have undergone a medical, diagnostic ultrasound ordered by their provider to confirm their due date, screen for fetal anomalies, and to look for any other pregnancy related issues. The issues that we are evaluating in the elective prenatal ultrasound session include a limited diagnostic scan to confirm heartbeat, the number of babies in the pregnancy, the position of the baby, and the placental location. Please note, at no time is this exam to be used in place of a complete diagnostic ultrasound.
Is it safe? Are there any risks to me, or my baby?
Extensive studies over 30 years have found that ultrasound has not been shown to cause any harm to mother or baby. Routine scanning of all pregnancies is now normal throughout the United States. In 3D/4D scanning exactly the same type and intensity of ultrasound is used as with conventional 2D scanning. 3D and 4D Ultrasound both utilize sound waves to look inside the body. The technology is similar to radar. A probe placed on the body emits sound waves into the body, listens for the return echo and generates an image. 4D ultrasound will be similar to a conventional scan in terms of exposure.
How long does the 4D ultrasound take?
Depending on the package you choose, the 4D ultrasound session will last between 15 and 30 minutes. If you have purchased the Gold or Platinum package, plan on spending an hour with us as the second half hour will be used to chose the pictures of your baby you would like to print.
How far along should I be before I have a 4D ultrasound?
If you plan on having only one 4D ultrasound examination, we would recommend having the examination performed between the 26th and 34th week of the pregnancy. However, excellent images of your baby can be obtained anytime after about 22 weeks of pregnancy. Many mothers obtain more than one 4D ultrasound and have images to enjoy from their second and third trimesters.
Will I always get a beautiful image of my baby?
Usually, but not always. Sometimes if the baby is persistently looking face down, i.e. towards your spine it may be difficult to see the baby's face. If this happens, a repeat scan in one hour will usually succeed because the baby has turned to a favorable position. We make no promises that the images will be similar to those you might have seen elsewhere or even from our clinic, or that we can always meet everyone's expectations. Every baby scans differently, depending on its gestational age, position, amount of fluid, and mother's condition. We promise to make every effort to obtain the best possible images of whatever parts of the baby that can be seen.
Can I bring my family and friends?
Yes. In fact, we encourage our clients to invite family and friends to attend the elective 4D ultrasound session. This is a joyous and wonderful experience, one that can be shared with your family and loved ones. (Limit of 5 guests please)
Are you able to tell the sex of the baby?
Yes, in most cases we can provide an indication of the sex of the baby. We can't however guarantee that the baby will cooperate during your session. Certain factors such as body tissue content, developmental stage and fetal position all affect the ability to determine sex.
Is the 4D ultrasound covered by Insurance?
At this point, insurance does not cover the costs of our ultrasounds. Since this is an elective procedure and is not intended to be a replacement for your doctor ordered ultrasound, you will need to pay the cost of this ultrasound as an out of pocket expense. We accept cash, checks, Visa, MasterCard, and debit cards.
What kind of ultrasound equipment do you use to perform the 4D ultrasounds?
We use the state of the art GE Voluson 730 PRO to complete all ultrasound examinations. The GE Voluson 730 PRO has been seen in GE television commercials and many printed articles from around the world. This machine is the best 2D, 3D and 4D ultrasound machine available. Please note, many organizations claim to use "state-of-the-art" equipment, when in fact they use older or inferior technology.
4D ultrasounds? 
Re: 4D ultrasounds? 
