The short version: drink water normally in the days before, wear two pieces so your bump is easy to reach, arrive with a comfortably full bladder only if you are under 12 weeks, and bring whoever you want in the room. That is genuinely most of it.
You will find a lot of elaborate advice online about prepping for a 3D ultrasound. Some of it helps. Some of it is folklore that has been copied between studio websites for a decade. We would rather tell you which is which.
What to do in the days before
Drink water, but do not go overboard
Staying well hydrated in the two or three days before your session is a reasonable thing to do. Drinking more water does measurably increase amniotic fluid, and amniotic fluid is the clear window we need to see your baby’s face through.
Here is the honest caveat: whether that translates into visibly better keepsake images has never actually been demonstrated. When researchers looked specifically at 3D face image quality, the amount of amniotic fluid was not the deciding factor. So drink normally and stay hydrated, because it is good for you regardless, but do not stress about it.
Please ignore the advice going around about drinking a gallon a day for a week beforehand. There is no evidence behind it, and drinking water in genuinely extreme quantities is not harmless.
The juice and sugar thing is a myth
You have probably read that you should drink orange juice or eat something sugary right before your appointment to wake the baby up. It is one of the most repeated pieces of advice in this industry and it does not hold up.
This has actually been studied. Cochrane reviewed randomised trials of giving mothers glucose to make babies more active for fetal monitoring, and it did not work. Antenatal maternal glucose did not reduce the rate of non-reactive tests.
So eat before you come because being hungry for 45 minutes is miserable, not because it will make your baby perform. If a snack makes you comfortable, have one.
Time of day: a small, honest maybe
Mothers do consistently report feeling more movement in the evening. In one study of third trimester pregnancies, 22 percent of women felt strong movements on waking, compared with roughly 73 percent in the evening.
That is about what mothers perceive, not a measurement of the babies themselves, and nobody has ever shown that evening appointments produce better images. But if you already know your baby is livelier at a particular time of day, book then. You know your own bump better than we do. We offer extended hours on Tuesdays and Saturday appointments for exactly this reason.
What to wear
Two pieces. A top you can lift and bottoms you can roll down. That is the whole rule.
You will be lying comfortably on your back with your belly exposed from just below the ribs to your hip bones, so a dress means undressing much more than you need to. Wear something you do not mind a little ultrasound gel on, though we do our best to get all of it off you and it wipes away easily.
Skip belly jewellery if you can, or be ready to take it out.
To be clear, clothing has nothing to do with image quality. The probe is on bare skin either way. This is purely about your comfort and how easy it is for us to reach the angles we need.
Bladder: it depends how far along you are
- Under about 12 weeks: come with a comfortably full bladder. Early on, a full bladder lifts the uterus into a better position and genuinely helps the view. Our 2D First Womb Date session starts as early as 8 weeks, so this applies there.
- After about 12 weeks: empty it. Really. By the second and third trimesters a full bladder does not help the image and it will just make 45 minutes of lying still uncomfortable.
Who to bring
Bring people. This is one of the genuine advantages of a private studio over a clinical appointment: nobody is going to tell you that only one support person is allowed.
Partners, your mum, siblings, grandparents, and yes, other children. We have a big screen so everyone can actually see. If you are planning a gender reveal, this is the room where the moment happens, so think about who you want in it.
A few practical notes. Small children get bored in a darkened room after about ten minutes, so bring something for them. If a lot of people are coming, give us a heads up when you book so we can make sure there is room.
What the session is actually like
Sessions run 15, 30 or 45 minutes depending on the package. The room is dim, warm and quiet, the bed is comfortable, and there is a large screen positioned so the whole room can watch rather than just you.
Warm gel goes on your belly, and we start with standard 2D imaging to find your baby and see how they are lying. If you are here for 3D, we switch over once we find a good angle. It is a relaxed session and you are welcome to talk, ask questions and record on your phone.
Depending on your package you leave with glossy prints, a USB with everything on it, and a full recording saved to the Momitalk app so you can share it with family who could not be there.
What we cannot do, and why that matters
This is important enough to be blunt about.
Peek-A-Bump is an elective keepsake studio. We are not a medical facility and our sessions are not medical tests. We do not screen for or diagnose anything, we do not assess your baby’s growth, anatomy, wellbeing, placental position or fluid levels, no physician reviews our images, and we do not issue any report.
What that means practically: a beautiful, healthy-looking image tells you nothing about how your pregnancy is actually going. It is not reassurance and it should never be treated as reassurance. If something is worrying you, that is a conversation with your doctor or midwife, and it should not wait for a keepsake appointment.
Our sessions are meant to sit alongside your prenatal care, never in place of it. Keep every appointment your provider gives you and have every ultrasound they order.
Set your expectations honestly
We would rather you hear this from us now than feel let down on the day.
A clear face image is never guaranteed. The biggest single factor is where your placenta sits, and if it is lying across the front of your uterus it can block the view entirely. Nothing about how much water you drank changes that. Your baby’s position is the other big one, and babies are not famous for taking direction.
If your baby is not cooperating, we will try repositioning you, having you walk around, or taking a break. And if that does not do it, every 3D/4D/HD Popular Date includes a complimentary return visit, because we would rather have you back than have you leave disappointed.
A simple checklist
- Drink water normally for a couple of days beforehand
- Eat something so you are comfortable, no need for sugar
- Wear a separate top and bottoms
- Full bladder under 12 weeks, empty bladder after
- Bring your people, and something to occupy small children
- Arrive a few minutes early so you are not rushed
- Come with realistic expectations and enjoy it
Common questions
Should I drink orange juice before my 3D ultrasound?
No need. The idea that sugar makes babies more active has been tested in randomised trials and did not hold up. Eat whatever keeps you comfortable.
Do I need a full bladder for a 3D ultrasound?
Only if you are under about 12 weeks. After that an empty bladder is more comfortable and makes no difference to the images.
What should I wear to an ultrasound appointment?
A two piece outfit, so a top you can lift and bottoms you can roll down. Clothing does not affect image quality, just your comfort.
Can I bring my kids to a 3D ultrasound?
Yes. Bring whoever you want. We have a large screen so everyone can see, and no limit on how many people come. Just bring something to keep young children occupied.
How long does a 3D ultrasound take?
Our sessions are 15, 30 or 45 minutes depending on which package you book.
Does drinking lots of water really improve 3D ultrasound images?
Drinking water does increase amniotic fluid, which is the clear space we image through. Whether that produces visibly better keepsake images has not been shown, and one study looking at exactly this found no link. Stay normally hydrated and do not go to extremes.
Book your session
We are a private studio in Bellingham at 4061 Eliza Ave, minutes off the freeway near Target and Costco, with evening and Saturday appointments.
Book online or call (360) 389-2236 if you would like to ask anything first.