Depending on the position the baby is in you may see your baby sucking its thumb, moving around, changing position, wriggling its fingers and toes and occasionally kicking and stretching.
During a 4D/5D live scan, facial expressions such as blinking, yawning and smiling can often be seen. You will also be able to see its hands and feet and depending on its age, whether it takes after mummy or daddy.
Extensive studies over 35 years have found that ultrasound has not been shown to cause any harm to mother or baby.
Ultrasound scanning of all pregnancies is now normal throughout Australia. 3D/4D and 5D live scanning use exactly the same type and intensity of ultrasound as the more familiar conventional 2D scan. 3D/4D ultrasound utilises low-frequency sound waves to look inside the body. The technology is similar to radar. A probe placed on the body emits sounds waves into the body, listens for the return echo, and generates an image.
No adverse health impacts have been found. There is no radiation. Ultrasound scans do not raise body temperature/amniotic temperature any higher than if Mum was to take a walk in a park, or if she were outside in hot weather.
There is no limit as to the number of scans that can be performed during a pregnancy. Most women in Australia will have 2 scans one at 12 weeks the other at around 20 weeks.
Unfortunately no. Every baby scans differently, depending on its gestational age, position, amount of fluid, and mother’s condition.
If the baby is persistently looking down towards your spine or is lying up against the placenta wall it may be difficult to see the baby’s face. Occasionally, the baby may lie in a difficult position or there may not be a pocket of fluid in the correct place to outline the areas of interest of your baby.
When this happens a satisfactory scan may not be achievable. In these cases, we will send Mum off for a walk, give her a drink and/or put an ice bag on her tummy and this may cause the baby to move to a more favourable position. Should this not occur then we will reschedule the scan for another day at no extra charge. Your 5D Live Superscan must be paid for, in full, whether or not you decide to come back for a second scan.
We promise to make every effort to obtain the best possible images of whatever parts of the baby that can be seen.
We make no promises that the images will be similar to those you might have seen elsewhere, or that we can always meet everyone’s expectations.
No! Any mum-to-be wishing to undergo a 3D/4D or 5D live Early Image scan must already be receiving treatment by a doctor and have already undergone at least one medical, diagnostic ultrasound ordered by their doctor to confirm their due date, screen for fetal anomalies, and to look for any other pregnancy related issues.
A 4D/5D ultrasound represents the difference between still photography (3D) and video. Through this revolutionary technology, your baby’s 3D image is continuously updated providing you with live-action. In reality, this means that, for the first time, you can watch your baby smiling, sucking its thumb, yawning and stretching as it happens and in colour. 5D live scans add another level of clarity and detail for exceptional images.
If you plan on having only one 4D/5D live Ultrasound, we would recommend having a scan performed between the 25th and 38th week of the pregnancy. However, excellent images of your baby can be obtained anytime during your pregnancy but, we recommend as close to 25 weeks as possible.
Many mothers have more than one 4D/5D live Ultrasound throughout their pregnancy and have a range of images to enjoy from their second and third trimesters as well.
Up to 15 minutes depending on where the baby is and how good the images are. Our aim is to get the best 3D/4D/5D live scan of your baby possible. We appreciate the fact that not all babies will be lying in the ideal position on arrival, so if we need to get the baby to move we may well run over, time-wise. We find that this is preferable to rescheduling for another day.
We appreciate that this is a very exciting occasion for you and your family, and being flexible with our appointments not only allows us to show different aspects and features of your baby but gives you more time to relax in our non-clinical atmosphere, and for you to fully appreciate your Early Image experience.
Absolutely! We are a family-friendly environment. This is truly a family affair and we can comfortably handle eight to ten adults.
Our beautifully designed ultrasound viewing rooms have sofas and wall-mounted plasma screens to enhance the viewing experience of the baby and a playroom full of toys for younger siblings and family members.
No. While you should be well hydrated, unlike a traditional hospital ultrasound scan there is no need to have a full bladder before you attend. You can relax and enjoy the experience without any discomfort.
No, just yourself!
Gender determination can be made anytime after the 14th week. We specialise in early gender scanning, however, due to the position of the umbilical cord, placenta or fetus, it can sometimes be difficult to get a clear view of the genital area.
If this happens we will send you for a walk to move the baby so we can see clearly. If we still can’t see we will bring you back and re-scan you at the next available day, at our cost.
All early gender determination scans (before 20 weeks) carry a small margin for error and we suggest that you confirm our determination at your 20 weeks scan. Should they tell you anything different call us straight away and we will schedule you in for a re-scan on our next available day.
Absolutely. The only difference is that the scan will take longer. Please note, it is not usually possible to see both babies in the same image area.
Please refer to our Services section.
Simply ring Early Image Melbourne on 03 9529 7433 to make an appointment for a scan or book online. Alternatively, drop into our studio at Suite 5, 456 High Street, Prahran Victoria 3181.
Due to the huge demand for scans, a $50.00, non-refundable booking fee, will be taken at the time of booking which will be deducted from your scan fee on the day of your scan. A booking fee will only be refunded if you are unable to attend due to an issue with the baby or if the appointment is canceled with more than 5 days notice.
We do offer discounted scans from time to time which can be found on our “Special Offers” page and we are open Saturdays and Sundays as well as Public holidays at no extra charge. We offer 24/7 access to our machine but scans carried out between 5:30 PM and 07:00 AM will incur a 50% surcharge.
Medicare and private health insurance in Australia do not currently view the huge benefits of parental and sibling bonding as valid reasons for covering the costs of ultrasounds. Since this is an elective procedure and is not intended to be a replacement for your doctor ordered an ultrasound, you will need to pay the cost of this ultrasound as an out of pocket expense.
We accept Visa, MasterCard and American Express, debit cards and cash.
No. Often the baby is not in the right position and we have to stop the scans while you go for a walk or have an ice bag on your tummy. When this happens the music and the recording of the baby don’t stop at exactly the same time which means that when the DVD is watched at home the music sounds as if it is jumping.
No, no one has DVD players anymore. During your scan, we will take movie clips and still images of your baby and our new machine with built-in WiFi allows us to transfer those moving clips and images directly to your phone.
Printing from an Ultrasound machine is never fantastic and often the quality of the photos disappoint. Our brand new machine has built-in WiFi which means we can transfer images and movie clips straight to your phone at the med of the scan (generally between 25-60 images and clips depending on how quickly we get to the baby’s face). High-quality images can then be sent by email, SMS or to WhatsApp or can be immediately uploaded to FaceBook, Instagram etc… or printed out at home, or at an Office Works etc..
Whilst we only employ the most highly skilled operators and take the utmost care in making gender determinations we can never guarantee the determination 100%. Our operators are trained not to make a determination until they have seen clearly from at least two different angles. If they are not able to see the gender clearly you will be sent for a walk or have an ice pack on the tummy. If, after all that, we are still unable to see the gender we will bring you back and rescan you for free at the first opportunity.
Highly recommended!! From feeling hopeless and unsure on a Sunday afternoon David opened his practice and my husband and I left amazed. e felt comfortable, safe and very welcome. This service that is provided for expected parents is truly 1 in a million. Thank you
