4D Bonding
Price: $200
- Live 4D on the big screen
- 100+ color images on a USB drive
- 12 color prints
- Boy or girl, if you’d like to know
3D and 4D ultrasound in Glendale, Los Angeles County
Watch your baby move, live, in 4D.
A yawn. A stretch. A hand tucked under a cheek. A 4D session puts your baby on the big screen in real time, with your people in the room.
- 16 to 40 weeks
- $200
Add your due date to see your own dates.
2D, 3D, 4D: what the words mean
You don’t have to choose between them. A 4D session uses all three.
2D
A flat, black-and-white slice. It’s the picture you know from the doctor’s office, and still the clearest way to check boy or girl.
3D
A still picture with depth. You see the surface: a nose, lips, fingers, the shape of a face.
4D
3D that moves. The picture updates live, so you watch your baby stretch, yawn and wriggle as it happens.
When to come
Any time from 16 weeks right up to your due date. Most studios stop at 34 or 36 weeks; we don’t. There’s no single best week, because early and late sessions show you different things, and it’s never too late.
16 to 24 weeks: the whole baby
Your baby is small enough to fit in one frame. Arms, legs, a full stretch, the occasional somersault.
28 to 34 weeks: the face
Cheeks have filled out, and the whole body no longer fits in the picture. This is the time for close-ups of the face and hands.
35 weeks to your due date: still a good time
A bigger baby, less fluid and less room, so the view depends on how your baby is lying. We work around the position and take our time, and families at 38, 39 and 40 weeks go home with faces too. Never too late.
One visit or two
Some families come twice: once early for the whole baby, once later for the face. If you want one visit and you want the face, aim for 28 to 34 weeks.
From the big screen.
Images from sessions at our studio.
What makes a good picture
Some of it is skill. Some of it is your baby’s mood.
What we can’t control
- How your baby is lying, and whether a hand, a foot or the cord is in front of the face.
- How much fluid is around the baby just then.
- Whether your baby is awake and moving, or fast asleep facing your spine.
- Your own body. Sound travels through some bodies more easily than others, and that is nobody’s fault.
What we do about it
- An experienced sonographer knows where to look and how to find a better angle.
- When a session is particularly difficult, we take extra time, and we bring you back for another try.
- We tell you straight when the picture isn’t clear.
We can’t promise a perfect face on a given day, and nobody can. Our promise is what we do when the day doesn’t go to plan.
What you take home
Want the heartbeat to keep? The heartbeat animal, our one extra, is on Sessions and prices.
Does it help you bond?
Ask Irina and she’ll tell you what happens in the room when a face comes up on the screen. The research is more careful than that, and you should know it.
Studies find that seeing your baby on a scan tends to raise feelings of attachment, but they don’t agree that 3D or 4D does more than an ordinary 2D scan. The American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine calls the evidence limited, and medical groups advise against scans done only for keepsakes.
Come for the joy of it, not for a health benefit. And keep every appointment with your doctor or midwife.
Read before you come
Five guides to 4D: the best week to book, whether it’s worth it, what is and isn’t known about safety, how 2D, 3D and 4D differ, and what the research says about bonding.
The best week for a 4D ultrasound, in weeks and months
What each stretch from 16 weeks to your due date shows, in weeks and months, and how to pick yours.
Is a 4D ultrasound worth it?
What you get, what the research says about parents, reasons to go or skip, and how to decide.
4D ultrasound side effects: what is and isn’t known
What the FDA and medical groups say, what studies of children found, and how to keep exposure low.
2D, 3D or 4D: which ultrasound do you actually need?
How each picture is made, what each one shows, which ones doctors use, and how to choose.
Does a 4D ultrasound help you bond with your baby?
What the research says about scans and bonding, what you’ll see by week, and ways to connect that need no equipment.
Questions about 4D
How long does a 4D session take?
As long as it takes to get a clear view. We don’t work to a clock: if your baby is hiding, we take extra time, and when a session is particularly difficult we bring you back for another try.
What’s the difference between 3D and 4D?
3D is a still picture with depth. 4D is that picture moving, live. Every 4D session here gives you both: you watch in 4D, and take stills home.
Who can come with me?
Family and friends are welcome: partner, parents, kids, best friend. The screens are big so the whole room can see. For a large group, tell us when you book.
Can I find out boy or girl at the same visit?
Yes. It’s included, if you want to find out. If you already know, or want to keep it a surprise, tell us before we start.
Is it too late after 36 weeks?
No. We scan right up to your due date. Late in pregnancy there’s less fluid and less room, so the view depends on how your baby is lying; we work around the position, and take our time.
Is this a medical ultrasound?
No. It’s an elective keepsake session. We don’t screen or diagnose. The one number you’ll hear from us is the heart rate at a gender scan. What it means is a question for your doctor or midwife. A 4D session doesn’t replace any scan your doctor or midwife orders.