2D & 4D Ultrasound Questions

We recommend that between 28-29 weeks is the ideal time for a 4d Scan. At this stage your baby has begun to put on a little weight but still has room to move around and so we get the best opportunities for good pictures.

We can perform 4D scans from around 20 weeks but earlier on the baby is much smaller and has less body fat and so pictures look a little 'skeletal'

After about 32 weeks the baby has grown so much that there is much less fluid in the womb - without fluid it is difficult to get good images and so we may struggle to get the best images. We can scan up to 36 weeks but the chances of good images are greatly reduced.

Preview offer a range of packages that are described on our 2D and 4D scan pages.
2D scans start at £60 and 4D scans start at £120

There is no real waiting list for a scan appointment with Preview -
Even though Saturday appointments are more popular we can normally get you in in 3-5 weeks.
Weekday appointments are more flexible - we can normally give you an appointment within 10 days

sometimes same day appointments are available

To make an appointment that suits you please call us on 01536 790389

Preview offer scans Monday to Saturday - 9.30am - 4.30pm

Scans are strictly by appointment only - please call ahead to book an appointment

Eat and drink normally before your 4d Scan

For early reassurance scans it sometimes helps if you can have a drink before the scan - say half a pint of water - but please don't make yourself uncomfortable!

Many of our customers want to enjoy a scan but do not want to know the sex of the baby - this is not a problem at all - simply tell the Sonographer that you do not want to know before the scan starts - they will then ask you to look away from the screen for a few moments when they first put the probe on - this will allow them to identify your baby's position so they can stay away from the 'crucial area' during the scan.

The important thing here is that Preview's Sonographers have many years of experience in scanning and have scanned thousands of baby's so they are used to being able to focus on one particular area.

Payment for your scan is by credit / debit card or cash. We accept most major credit / debit cards apart from American Express or Diners. We do not accept cheques.

The simplest way to make an appointment is to call us on 01536 790389.

Our normal office hours are Monday - Saturday 9..30am - 5.30pm

The office is closed for booking appointments on Sundays.

Outside of these times there is a message service - please leave a message - It will get picked up and replied to. The message service also works at very busy times when we cannot answer your call.

If you would prefer us to contact you you can email your name and Number to enquiries@previewultrasound.co.uk

Preview's studio is located at Mawsley Medical - A modern medical centre based in the new village of Mawsley between Northampton and Kettering. The Address is :

Mawsley Medical
School Road
Mawsley
Kettering
Northamptonshire
NN14 1SN

Because the Village is so new many of the internet map sites do not have accurate maps of the village - and some GPS/ Satnav systems do not have an entry for the post code.
Simple Directions can be downloaded from here: Click to Get Directions

There has been much research done on the safety of ultrasound and it concludes that ultrasound is safe If carried out by qualified, experienced professionals on high quality, well maintained equipment.

At Preview our Director, Claire Shields, is qualified with the Diploma in Medical Ultrasound (DMU) and has over twenty years experience working in hospitals all over the world. All of the other Sonographers are similarly qualified.

The GE Voluson Equipment we use is the latest in 4D technology and is checked & serviced regularly by the manufacturer to ensure it is performing optimally.

The ultrasound pictures you have probably seen at the hospital are considered to be two dimensional - that is they look like a flat 'slice'. We term these images as 2D images.
The specialist scanners that Preview use can take many of these 'slices' and layer them together to produce a volume or 3d ultrasound picture. The 3d ultrasound has much more information in it and so provides a more detailed image that looks much more like the baby.
As well as the third dimension the GE Voluson system is powerful enough to process the images in a real time - so when the baby moves you can see it on the screen, time is considered the 4th dimension in ultrasound , so the moving 3D image we can produce is described as 4-Dimensional or 4D ultrasound.

To see some examples of the images we can produce visit our gallery page

If you want more information on ultrasound a good place to start is the 'how stuff works' website - http://health.howstuffworks.com/ultrasound.htm

Even though your Preview bonding scan is not a medical examination, on occasions we may detect a problem with your pregnancy. In this rare event we will normally try, with your permission, to contact your midwife or GP to let them know what we have found so that they can advise you on what to do. If required we will issue a report for you detailing the findings of the scan. Please note that for weekend appointments it may be difficult to get hold of your GP or midwife and we would normally contact them the next working day.

If you want to know the sex of your baby we will do our utmost to find out. Sometimes it is not possible to tell the sex immediately - (if baby has its legs crossed or is in an awkward position)- On these occasions we will ask you to take a break - have a short walk, some water and then we will try again. Usually this does the trick - however if we still cannot tell the sex we will offer you a second, free of charge, appointment a few days later in the hope that baby has moved around. In reality it is very rare for us to have to do this ( maybe once a year) since our Sonographers are all very experienced. We can take the time point out and explain what you are looking at on the screen to leave you in little doubt as to your baby's gender. We also survey our customers to find out and check how accurate our sexing is - we have had 1000 's of responses to our surveys and have so far been correct on all occasions - a 100% success rate ! Whilst we can ever 100% guarantee accuracy we feel our results speak for themselves.

We scan and charge by the womb not the occupancy !
We do not charge more for scanning twins, triplets or more!

We do however recommend that you might plan the scan a little earlier for multiple pregnancies 25-26 weeks usually giving the best results. Please call us to discuss the best time to have the scan based on your individual requirements.

Currently our only studio is at Mawsley between Northampton and Kettering.

Kettering is an less than hour from London by train or an hour by road from Birmingham, Nottingham, Derby, Peterborough, Cambridge, Stevenage, Luton, and Oxford.

Preview's studio is located in a rural village and so parking and traffic are never a problem.

16.Who can come to the scan?

At Preview we allow you to choose who you want to come to the scan with you.
We do not limit the number of people you bring along - Children are most welcome and often find that seeing the scan allows them to get used to the idea of a 'new arrival' . Grandparents always enjoy being involved in the experience as well.
The scan is projected on a large, wall mounted monitor so everyone can see.

Of course if you prefer to come alone or with your partner the that is fine too !

No Ultrasound company can guarantee good pictures every time - there are many factors that go to making a great scan - not least of which is baby's position which is out of our control !

If we can’t get good pictures due to babys position we will get  you back for a second appointment.

If we can’t get good pictures because of other factors that are not going to change in the next couple of weeks, we will reduce the scan price to the 2d package.

The Sonographers decision is final in these cases.

Factors that reduce the image quality of a scan include:

• High BMI which can make the images very grainy.
•  Scar tissue - if you have had a pelvic operation in the past this may reduce image quality
• Low Liquor Volume - the amount of fluid around the baby is diferent in every pregnancy.The fluid helps produce the 4d image so if the fluid is reduced the 4D pictures may not be achievable.

Preview follow these rules to give us the best chance of getting good images:

• Highly experienced and qualified staff
• State of the art equipment
• Extended appointment slots - we never rush to get you through.
• Repeat appointments available on the occasions that we cannot get an image.

Our packages offered on the website are all intended as bonding or reassurance scans and do not replace the normal scans that you would have at the hospital. We strongly recommend that you consult your GP/Midwife as soon as you believe you are pregnant and follow the guidance given by them.

We are able to offer a private Ultrasound service with a referral from your GP or midwife. on these occasions we will produce a report on our findings and forward it to your GP.