While we often place a great deal of emphasis on the unique and moving experience our scans provide for expectant parents, our
ultrasound packages are designed to offer a unique insight into your baby’s world for all the family, including children.
If you’ve already started a family, you’ll no doubt want your child to be able to experience the excitement of your pregnancy, allowing them to form a close bond with their little brother or sister before they arrive! Luckily, our ultrasound scans give you the perfect opportunity to share this beautiful bonding memory with your child, either during or following the scan.
Here’s why First Encounters Ultrasound is the perfect choice for expectant parents and their children:
- Give your child a detailed glimpse of their unborn sibling. Your child will naturally be rather curious about their new sibling, and a 3D/4D scan gives them an incredible opportunity to see their future brother or sister for the first time, in strikingly clear imagery. If you would prefer not to have your child with you when the scan itself takes place, we offer a variety of souvenirs that will allow you to share this important memory with them in the comfort of your own home.
- Enjoy our comfortable, spacious surroundings. Our scan rooms are able to accommodate up to six guests, which means that there will be more than enough room for you and your child(ren) during the procedure. The spacious size and relaxing atmosphere of our clinics are ideal for small children, who may find themselves becoming bored or impatient in a small, stuffy space.
- Take home our child-friendly gifts. As well as having a detailed image of your little one to share with your child, you will also have the opportunity to present them with one of our adorable scan gifts! For £20 you can record your baby’s heartbeat onto one of our cute and cuddly Heartbeat Bears, providing a sentimental keepsake and a treasured companion for your child.
- Find out whether it’s a brother or a sister! Many of our scan packages offer you the opportunity to discover your unborn baby’s gender, which means that your child will also be able to find out whether they are having a little brother or sister. Again, this will give them a unique glimpse into the baby’s world, and will allow them to share in your excitement as you discover the happy news.
Click here to view our scan packages and book your ultrasound experience online!
When you book an ultrasound scan with First Encounters, you can be sure that you will receive a truly comprehensive service from our team of experienced sonographers, who will give you a unique and memorable experience to treasure for a lifetime. We realise that your scan will be a rather emotional process with lots of new information to take in, and so we provide each of our customers with a personalised pregnancy report once the scan is complete. This report can be taken home and kept forever as a souvenir of your scan.
There are three different First Encounters pregnancy reports, each one containing slightly different information. Which one you receive will depend on the
scan package you select. Here's what they look like:
Aside from making lovely keepsakes, the purpose of these pregnancy reports is to document as much information about your baby as possible, giving you a written record of your unborn child's status at the time of your scan. This will give you something to reflect on following the scan, allowing you to better retain vital details about your pregnancy that you may have missed during your visit or simply forgotten about afterwards.
The pregnancy report also provides an invaluable indication of your baby's health, allowing you to identify any potential complications or abnormalities.
Here's a quick summary of what is included in each pregnancy report:
earlyAssure™ Report
Included with the following scan packages:
This pregnancy report includes the following information:
- Essential details (heartbeat confirmation, indications of movement, number of foetuses)
- Amniotic fluid levels
- Gestation age
- Estimated date of delivery (EDD, also known as your 'due date')
- Crown-rump length
Wellbeing Observation™ Report
Included with the following scan packages:
This pregnancy report includes the following information:
- Essential details
- Position of baby (indicated via diagram)
- Amniotic fluid levels
- Placenta position
- Gestation age
- Due date
- Baby's gender (male or female)
growthAssure™ Report
Included with the following scan packages:
This pregnancy report includes the following information:
- Essential details
- Position of baby (indicated via diagram)
- Amniotic fluid levels
- Placenta position
- Gestation age
- Due date
- Growth details (including head and abdominal circumference, femur length)
- Baby's gender (if requested)
In the unlikely event that we need to provide you with a referral, these details will also be noted at the bottom of your report.
If you would like more information about our range of scan packages, you can view them in greater detail here. If you have any further questions, please get in touch with us and let us know how we can help. We are hope you find your pregnancy report helpful, don't hesitate to get in touch if we can be of any assistance following your scan.
We’re often asked how early in a pregnancy we are able to offer our 3D ultrasound packages. This comes as no surprise; after all, we realise that many expectant parents are eager to get that breathtaking first glimpse of their unborn child!
If you’re keen to receive an early glimpse of your baby, we offer our
4DGrowth&Wellbeing™ scan from 24 weeks gestation, giving you the chance to discover your baby’s gender and view live footage for the first time. As part of the package, you will first view live 2D images of your baby, before being shown some incredible 3D/4D imagery of your growing child on our plasma screen.
Not only will you be given the chance to discover your child’s gender in a relaxing and warm environment, you will also be able to chart how your baby’s health and wellness is developing, as our sonographers calculate their growth, position and other details about your child.
If you’re eager to experience this bonding and reassurance process as soon as possible, the 20 week 3D ultrasound scan is certainly your best option. However, if you’re willing to wait a little longer, you’ll be rewarded for your patience; we recommend 25-29 weeks as the optimum time to undergo a 3D scan.
The reason we recommend 25-29 weeks is due to the simple fact that this stage in the baby’s development tends to produce the best images. The foetus is not only more fully-developed at this stage, it also still has room for movement, making it far easier to get a view that will create a moving first impression. Another benefit of waiting just a little longer is that you will have access to a broader range of scan packages, which provides you with an extended range of options while allowing you to have a more personal and memorable experience.
Our ultimate goal here at First Encounters is to cater to the needs and expectations of expectant mothers and their families on a personal, non-generalised basis. Whether you wish to receive your scan early or would like to wait until further along in your pregnancy, we will try our very best to make the experience as relaxing and memorable as possible. We will also strive to produce the highest quality image, presenting you with a precious memento to treasure forever.
For more information about our range of scan packages, please click here.
There are many different ultrasound scan packages available to pregnant women nowadays, and this variety can sometimes cause confusion. Every scan is of course different, but above all else, it’s important to understand the distinction between elective ultrasound scans and medical ultrasound scans.
Why book an elective ultrasound scan?
Reasons for choosing to undergo an elective ultrasound scan vary from person to person. Here are some examples of what a keepsake scan can provide:
- High quality 3D/4D imaging. Medical scans generally result in 2D images only. Some elective ultrasound scans give the expectant parents a closer, more detailed look at their unborn child - some of our customers are even treated to the sigh of their baby-to-be smiling and waving!
- Early gender confirmation. While medical scans can provide gender confirmation (i.e. whether your baby will be a boy or a girl), many elective scan providers allow their customers to discover this information several weeks earlier. Our gender scans start at 16 weeks.
- Additional information. Attending an elective ultrasound session in addition to your NHS scans will allow you to track your baby’s growth over a longer timeframe. We may also spot problems/anomalies that develop after you’ve been to the hospital.
- Keepsakes and souvenirs. Most elective scan providers offer a wide variety of gifts and souvenirs, which can be taken home after the scan and shared with family and friends. Common examples include glossy photographs, DVD recordings, key rings, and fridge magnets; we at First Encounters also offer the ever-popular Heartbeat Bear!
An elective ultrasound scan should NEVER be used as a substitute for a medical scan. Instead, elective scans are intended to complement the scans provided by the NHS, giving you an enjoyable experience and allowing you to feel that much closer to your unborn child.
What is the difference between medical and elective scans?
Simply put, a medical ultrasound scan is one that’s ordered by a doctor/midwife, while an elective ultrasound scan is one that you choose to undergo yourself. Medical scans are generally available for free on the NHS, whereas elective (or ‘keepsake’) scans will be delivered by private companies who charge a fee for the services they provide.
Most women in the UK undergo two medical ultrasound scans as standard over the course of a pregnancy; these scans are intended to track the baby’s growth/development, calculate a due date, and identify any anomalies that may be present.
In addition to these two scans, a pregnant woman may choose to undergo one or more elective ultrasound scans over the course of her pregnancy.
