Last Wednesday was one of my favorite days of the entire pregnancy. I have always been fascinated by the 3D/4D ultrasounds friends share on Facebook. It blows my mind that technology has come far enough to show us the features of a baby’s face before it’s even born. There was never a doubt in my mind that I would schedule one of those ultrasounds if I was lucky enough to get pregnant one day.

There are a couple of places in town that offer this service. Ever the Type A, over-analytical personality, I started researching all of the different options a few months back. That’s when I discovered a technology I didn’t even know existed: 5D/HD live. A local place called Angel Prints Ultrasound offered it. I scanned through dozens of pictures on their website and several videos on their Facebook page and I was absolutely stunned. The clarity and detail of their pictures and videos was unrivaled. They told me the best time to get a 5D/HD ultrasound is between 28 and 32 weeks. During this time period, babies have enough fat on their face where they no longer look like aliens but they also aren’t SO cramped yet that their faces are all squished. I was SOLD! I scheduled the appointment for 28 weeks and 4 days and started counting down the months and days until I could see my sweet baby girl’s face.

They advised me to drink between 64 and 100 ounces of water each day for at least 2 weeks prior to the appointment. This would ensure plenty of clear amniotic fluid for the best pictures possible. As the day neared I drank up and my excitement grew. I felt like a kid at Christmas time. I just couldn’t wait to unwrap my present.

When the day finally came, I found myself counting down the hours until we got to see her face. I can’t even imagine what I’ll feel like when it’s time to actually meet her.

Matt and I arrived at their office a little bit early and waited our turn. When we were called back, I couldn’t believe how nice the ultrasound room was. I got to lay on an incredibly comfortable bed with soft sheets and a wedge behind my neck. If I had one of those at home I might actually get some sleep! haha! The room was set up like a living room with a giant flat screen TV in front of us.

I hoped that my sweet angel wouldn’t have her hands in front of her face like she has during a few of our past ultrasounds. We were lucky enough to have the owner, Domannic, performing our scan. He said that while she didn’t have her hands in front of her face, she did have her face right up against the placenta which made it impossible to see her. I couldn’t blame her; I’d probably rest my head on that comfy pillow too. 🙂

I was a little worried because I’d heard horror stories from friends who went to other 3D ultrasound places and were told they couldn’t see the baby and sent on their way. Much to my surprise, that was not the case at all. Domannic spent over an hour with us moving my body into different positions until we finally got the placenta away from her face. How amazing is that? When her face finally came up on the screen, it seemed like he was just as excited as we were.

First he pulled her up in 2D and caught a few cute moments. He even caught her drinking the amniotic fluid. That was pretty cool to see!

After recording her heartbeat and positioning everything just right, he switched into HD mode. There she was! There was our beautiful angel. I have imagined her a million times and I dream about her often, but her perfect little face was so much better than any image I’ve ever had in my mind. We watched her yawn, suck on her toes and even smile! It was absolutely indescribable to finally see her face.

smiling with her toes in her face

She looks a little bit like Mommy here.

such long fingers!

pouty lips

She looks just like Daddy here.

We even got to take our first family photos:

I would HIGHLY recommend this experience to all of the mamas to be out there. If you’re like me and you feel like you just have to get a sneak peek of your beautiful baby’s face before the big day, there is no better way to do that. Even Matt, who thought it was silly when I scheduled it, remarked that it was “the best money we’ve spent in a while” when he saw her. If you live in the New Orleans, Baton Rouge or Lafayette areas, you HAVE to check out Angel Prints Ultrasound. This is not a sponsored post, I didn’t get anything free and I’m not being paid to promote them. I just feel like it’s incredibly rare to find people who take such pride and joy in their work and go above and beyond to ensure an unforgettable experience for their clients. I promise you won’t regret it. You can find their contact info on their web site at http://www.angelprintsultrasound.com. If you live elsewhere, search for a business that offers 5D/HD live in your area. You cannot even imagine the feeling that will come over you when you see your baby’s face for the first time.

I have spent the past few days staring at her pictures and imagining the moment when they place her in my arms. Now that we’ve seen her in HD, the countdown is on until we see the real life version. 🙂

With love,

Praying to be Mommy