Courtesy of Face 2 Face Baby Scans based in Hinkley.

The US tradition of having a baby shower to celebrate an impending birth is now commonplace in the UK. But "foetus parties", where people gather to view 3D and 4D scan pictures are also gaining in popularity. Read more from this BBC Article on 3d/4d baby scans

There are a number of different baby scans packages available and depending on how far you are into your pregnancy will depend on what baby scan you can have done. This is a guide on pregnancy scan dates, baby scan cost and details on what you will see in your baby scan. Click baby scan cost for this article.

This is a lovely tool which enables you to see what the sonographers and doctors see and look for in your child's development from 6 weeks to birth. Click on the week number, look at the images and read the important developments notes.

What is a 4D Ultrasound Scan?

4D Ultrasound scans are a way of getting real-time moving images of your baby whilst still in your womb. They are carried out on special 4D Ultrasound Machines.

When can I have a 3d 4D baby scan done?

You can have a 4d ultrasound scan done from week 26 of your pregnancy. Most 4d scans are completed between weeks 26-32 as your baby is fully developed and is moving around freely in your womb. Usually after 32 weeks your baby's movements are more restricted due to it's size and you may not get the best images.

Where can I have a 3d/4d ultrasound baby scan done?

There are a number of clinics throughout the UK. Please click on where can I have a 3d/4d baby Ultrasound scan done? to find your nearest clinic. You will then be redirected to that clinic's website.

What you need to know before selecting a clinic ?

Choosing a clinic for your 4d ultrasound scan is an important part of the pregnancy process. Click 4d ultrasound scans faq to read more...

What is an inconclusive Scan?

What does an Inconclusive Scan result mean?
There are three main reasons you may receive an inconclusive scan result: Click inconclusive scan to read more

Births are becoming more complex. If we look at the age of mothers as an indicator of complexity, then in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, the number of births to women aged over 40 years has increased by more than 50% since the start of the century.

With more mothers giving birth later in life, these mothers bring with them greater expectations and aspirations about childbirth.

Between 2001 and 2010, the number of births to women aged 40 or over rose by 71%. Read this BBC article on older new mums

From April 2010, all health and adult social care providers are required by law to register with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) which includes health care professional such as sonographers and consultants. You must therefore ensure that the clinic you choose has obtained this regulatory requirement for each of its healthcare professionals. Click ultrasound scanning clinic requirements to read more on what to look for in an 4d scanning clinic.

Ultrasound technology has been used in prenatal care for over thirty years. High-frequency sound waves are directed at the mother’s body to produce a picture of the baby. These pictures can be either two, three, or four-dimensional. Research has found that 4D Ultrasound Scans are good for bonding but for diagnosing medical problems they, click 3d/4d baby scans to read more

Having a baby is such an important time in any parent’s life. But for some parents, having a child can be an anxious time. Is the baby developing ok? Will it be a girl or boy? Will it be fit and healthy? Will the labour go smoothly? Usually the older the parent then the more anxious they become with the added worry of Down’s syndrome, blood pressure, pregnancy diabetes or placenta problems all of which can now be monitored and managed with the help of ultrasound scans. Click Benefits of an early ultrasound scan to read this article

Nuchal translucency (NT) scans: non-invasive for both mother and baby
There are many tests women undergo during their pregnancy such as blood tests and ultrasound baby scans. Each of these tests take place at different times during the pregnancy and each will look at different factors in order to determine the health of the developing foetus. One of the many scans a woman may be asked to undergo during her pregnancy is the nuchal translucency scan (NT) also known as nuchal scan which measures the risk of the baby having Edward's syndrome, Down’s syndrome, Patau's syndrome and Turner's syndrome. Click NT Scans to read more

What is a Doppler Scan?

A Doppler scan, also referred to as just Doppler or its full name is a Uterine Artery Doppler Ultrasound Scan, is an ultrasound scan (a scan using high frequency sounds waves to create pictures) designed to measure blood flow in different parts of your body. In pregnancy, doppler scans are used to measure your baby’s blood flow in areas such as the umbilical cord, brain, liver and heart. Click Doppler Ultrasound Scan to read this article.

There are some religions where it is important to know the sex of the baby ahead of time, and there are some religions where it is important that you do not know ahead of time. Where important decisions like finding out what you are having is concerned, religion plays a big part in making them.Some religions focus on the male children, read more about gender ultrasound scans here..

We have all heard somewhere along the line ‘it’s a boy because it is all at the front’ or ‘it’s a girl because it is low down’. Are these just old wives’ tales or are they true?
Alas, I am sorry to inform you that according to Dr Christian who advising for closer magazine, these are indeed read more on baby scans here