How long will it take to have my 3D ultrasound?Ī 3D ultrasound tends not to take as much time to complete as a 2D. But this really depends on the individual clinic and their own practice guidelines. Some clinics claim that past 30 weeks of gestation, the baby’s head is more likely to engage in the mother’s pelvis so visualising the face can be more difficult. By this time, there is sufficient fat under the skin to see the baby’s facial appearance, rather than the supportive bony structure. Generally, the recommendation is between 26-30 weeks gestation, unless otherwise suggested by your maternity care provider. When is the best time for me to have a 3D ultrasound? If you have had a 2D ultrasound previously you will find the imagery very different. Unlike the 2D ultrasound, a 3D ultrasound requires the transducer to be held still and steady whilst the sound echoes bounce back and are then interpreted by the computer software. Taking a 3D ultrasound requires a high level of clinical skill and expertise. Specialist obstetric scanning clinics provide 3D technology and parents need to pay to have this procedure.įree public hospital and Medicare rebated scans are generally limited to 2D ultrasounds because of the additional cost of the 3D technology. Since the late 1990s, 3D ultrasound has been available and thousands of parents have elected to have this done. What’s the benefit of having a 3D ultrasound?Īlthough it’s lovely to see the baby with some a clear image, there are no real health benefits to having a 3D ultrasound when compared to a 2D one. It’s as if all the 2D images have been filled in and puffed out so the image is quite clearly a baby, rather than a grainy image on the screen. Parents need to rely less on their imagination with a 3D ultrasound. With 3D ultrasound the baby has a more realistic shape and form, with distinctly baby type features and look exactly as they would if they were already born, only smaller of course. The width, height and depth of the baby and its internal organs can be seen very clearly. Once these pictures are stored and shaded by the computer, they can be seen on the screen as clearer, 3 dimensional images. These send sound waves back at different angles, allowing for the characteristic 3D depth. Whereas a 3D ultrasound involves taking thousands of “slices” in a rapidly occurring series called a “volume of echoes”. Sound waves are sent to the baby and reflected straight back which means there is a rather flat, surface appearance to the baby. How are 2D and 3D ultrasounds different?Ī 2D ultrasound takes image “slices” which can only be viewed by looking at one image at a time. This is why a 3D ultrasound is more expensive and generally not included in standard obstetric practice. With 3D ultrasounds, both the transducer used to transmit the sound waves and the computer software are more advanced and complex. This is particularly clear when looking at the baby’s face and delicate features. Whereas, with a 3D and 4D ultrasound the baby’s skin can be seen so there is more of a realistic shape and form to the images. This is because a 2D ultrasound sees through the baby to its internal organs and tissues. There is a depth and shape to a 3D image, giving a clarity which is not as evident in a 2D ultrasound. These “still” pictures of your baby mean that you can see your baby in three dimensions, rather than two. These are then translated by computer into 3 dimensional images which are almost as clear as a real life photograph. However, although the procedures are much the same, they use very different levels of technology to provide very different images.Ī 3D ultrasound takes thousand of pictures or photos of the baby at the once time. Having a 3D ultrasound is not such a different process to having a 2D ultrasound, at least for the mother.
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