Live and in 4D! This is Not Your Mom’s Sonogram

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Preparing for a new baby is one of the most wonderful times in a family’s life. It can also be scary, confusing, and disorienting. For many expat couples, this is compounded by being away from their families and experiencing different standards of care in local hospitals.

While the medical treatment for expectant mothers is exceptional in Beijing it is not standard to receive a sonogram photo or video and in some allegorical instances, the father is not even allowed into the exam room for the sonogram itself.

This has given rise to a new niche market industry. Private 3-D and 4-D ultrasound clinics. A 3-D ultrasound is an incredibly clear and much more detailed photo of your baby while a 4-D ultrasound is an actual video of your little one in utero. Many parents report being able to make out facial expressions and even see their little one wave or touch their face.

Rebecca Fezekas is a local mom of a happy active 2 ½-year-old who was born here in China. While visiting family back home in the states they opted to get a sneak peek at their little one.

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“We wanted my parents to have a chance to see the baby. Since we live abroad there were not many opportunities for my parents to be part of our pregnancy experience.”

It’s not just the grandparents that need help feeling connected. Many dads-to-be find the pregnancy period can feel unreal. Cerebrally they understand what is happening but physically they are having a very different experience than mom is. Many couples find that the ultrasound helps bridge that gap and creates a bonding moment and a chance to connect as a new family. “Seeing the baby in 3D made the whole pregnancy more real. We could see facial features, hands, fingers. We could see the baby moving around and touching his face … If you compare the scan to our baby when he was first born the similarities are pretty uncanny. It’s amazing the technology that makes this possible these days!” Fezekas said.

Local expectant mom Nita Steenkamp is expecting her 2nd son at the end of November. She and her husband opted to get the scan done here in Beijing and brought their 4 year old along. “we wanted to take our son with us to see the pictures and videos, we are including him as much as we can in the entire process.

They went to a local franchise called The Initial Life and were thrilled with the experience.

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"It was lovely when we went for the scan, the baby was not moving much so they gave me some snacks and told us to go for a short walk. They were very patient. We tried three times and only got good pictures on the third try.” But it was worth the effort. Steenkamp says the newest edition looks just like his big brother. “The scan is sooooo close to what my son looked like as a newborn. It’s so freaky!”

3-D ultrasounds generally get the best results after 24 weeks but some people are able to get clear images as early as 22 weeks. There are multiple packages at The Initial Life facility and the cost ranges from RMB 299- RMB 600. 

You can scan the below QR code for more information, locations, and contact information.

Images: Nita Steenkamp, Rebecca Fezekas , Unsplash

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