Frequently Asked Questions

Prenatal Peek® Uniqueness

We strive to create a personalized unique and awesome ultrasound session. Prenatal Peek® understands that this is a special moment for mom and dad as well as your guest. Prenatal Peek® sonographers have a special talent in creating a warm, educational, fun and exciting environment. Prenatal Peek® believes once you see your baby in 3D this will be a realization for some new parents and that you will become more aware of healthy pregnancy habits.

What is Four-dimensional (4D) ultrasound?

“4D” is shorthand for four-dimensional – the fourth dimension being time. As far as ultrasound is concerned, 4D is the latest ultrasound technology. 4D takes three-dimensional ultrasound images and adds the element of time to the process. This allows you to see your unborn baby in amazing real time detail.

What is the Optimal Time for a Prenatal Peek®?

This depends on how you would like to see your baby. Before 24 weeks, babies have a more skeletal appearance with 4D, but you are able to see more of the baby at once. From 28-36 weeks, babies are developing the fat layer that fills in their features so you will see more facial detail at this time. At Prenatal Peek® we think the best time to visit us is between 26-34 week into your pregnancy. 4D imaging depends upon the baby’s position, size, and movement, maternal tissue and amount of amniotic fluid, so we cannot guarantee image quality due to those factors. For Twins, the best time is before 28 weeks of pregnancy.

Parent and Physician Understanding

Prenatal Peek® informs both parents and their doctors, that services offered are not conducted for diagnostic purposes, except at Prenatal Peek in Durham, NC which performs diagnostic ultrasounds with physicians orders. Prenatal Peek® provides forms for parents and physicians/midwives for signing. Thus, providing a clear written statements of the services offered at Prenatal Peek®. Potential clients are encouraged to consult their doctors about the procedure and its assumed risk.

Helpful Links:

• www.ob-ultrasound.net
• www.ob-ultrasound.net/studies.html

Will you provide measurements of the baby or establish a due date?

NO. We are an optional service and do not replace any element of your prenatal care. You must be under the care of a physician to use our service, and we urge you to consult your health care provider if you have any concerns about your pregnancy.

Who Conducts the Ultrasound Sessions?

Prenatal Peek® employs only registered and qualified sonographers. This is an important factor when deciding to choose an imaging center. Untrained and unqualified sonographers can take 2-3 times as long as a registered and qualified sonographer to obtain images of your baby. As a rule of thumb, a highly trained sonographer will be able to capture your baby’s image in the first 2-5 minutes.

Do I need a note from my doctor?

Prenatal Peek® requires all potential clients must be under the active care of a physician or midwife and that the provider is aware of your elective ultrasound session and conformation is made.

Gender Determination

All sonographers are trained in determining gender and will give you their best opinion. All packages include gender determination; the sonographer will inform you of the baby’s gender, if you like. Please be aware sometimes the baby may not be in a position to make a gender determination.

Will I be able to leave with package materials I purchased?

Absolutely, we will supply you with a DVD or Video of the session recorded to music, all the images and video clips are stored onto a CD so that you may print copies or email to other family or friends. You will also receive color and black/white photos and a keepsake folder to cherish for a lifetime. Additional copies of media and pictures can be purchased.

What if I am not satisfied with my images?

We make no guarantees that images will be similar to those you might have seen elsewhere or even from our imaging center. Every baby scans differently, depending on its gestational age, position, amount of fluid, and mother’s condition.

Should I make an appointment in advance?

Yes, Ultrasound Appointments should be made as soon as possible!  Weekends and evenings are the most popular appointment times. Operational Days and Hours differ according to location so please call or visit the location page for site-specific information.

Is ultrasound safe?

Yes, Ultrasound has been used safely in obstetrics for over 35 years. In the 35 years of use in medicine, there has never been a harmful effect shown by the use of ultrasound. Many women have multiple ultrasounds during their pregnancy with no negative effect on the baby. Women who are having trouble with pregnancy may have as many as two or three ultrasounds per week late in the third trimester.

Multiple Pregnancy Ultrasounds Safe for Child (www.WebMD.com)

Prenatal Peek® has a business practice of  Licensing the Prenatal Peek® Trademark out to physicians, qualified sonographers or business entrepreneur that agree by contract to only have qualified sonographers perform ultrasound scans. In historical archives more data represents the safeness of ultrasound while being performed by a qualified professional.

The International Society for Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology (ISUOG), in 2002, stated: “Acoustic outputs are [generally] not high enough to produce deleterious effects. Their use therefore appears to be safe, for all stages of pregnancy.” (Abramowicz, et al. 105)

The American Pregnancy Association, “a national health organization committed to resolving reproduction, pregnancy and sexual health concerns through education, research, advocacy, and community awareness,” states the following: “[The] ultrasound is a non-invasive exam which poses no risks to the mother or developing fetus.” (Americanpregnancy.org)

Presently, ultrasound is as safe as ever, despite the false impression that 3-D/4-D technology poses greater risks than traditional 2-D. While conventional 2-D imaging requires a precise plane with which to observe the unborn baby, new techniques allow practitioners to freely rotate 3-D images of the scanned fetus within a stored volume. (Contemporary OB/GYN 4) Utilizing 3-D technology diminishes net exposure since volumetric images are rendered quickly and adjusted off-line.

Actually, 3-D/4-D “entertainment” scans that are performed by experienced, certified technicians often result in less exposure than those for diagnostic purposes. Volume acquisition, multiple 2-D images converted by computer into a detailed 3-D picture, occurs in seconds. Since the technician can manipulate images off-line (probe not in contact with skin) with no time limitations, “three-dimensional sonography reduces tremendously the time of exposure of [fetus] to the ultrasound beam.” (Kurjak 1)

“Entertainment” scans require higher intensity levels, and subject women and their unborn children to longer exposure time, especially when the technician is poorly trained or using improperly maintained equipment.

Kurjak, Asim. “3-D Ultrasound and Perinatal Medicine.” Journal of Perinatal Medicine 30 (2002): 5-8. Online.