Terms and Conditions
Balance payments can be made by card or cash on the day. A Deposit request will come to your mobile via SumUp, our payment provider, about a week before the scan.
We do not do internal scans, so if you are under 8 weeks it may not be possible to confirm viability on the day. This could be due to having a Retroflexed or Retroverted Uterus, so the Uterus tips back and we cant see it clearly enough, if BMI is high and reduces the quality of image or being too early in the pregnancy.
Risks and Benefits
4D scans use ultrasound to collect measurements (it is not like x-ray and does not produce radiation). The measurements are sent to the computer that then constructs the image. Ultrasound has been used to perform scans for nearly 40 years and the software for 3D scans was written in 1996. 4D scans (real time, as time is the 4th dimension) came about in 2004 the year before we opened. From 2015 we have the latest technology, HD Live. We have had the pleasure of scanning thousands of expectant parents, some more than once! We know that a lot of families feel more bonded with the baby after their scan and feel that there are a lot of benefits to having a 4D scan. All the staff who perform the scans are qualified sonographers, who are working within the NHS and we, as a company, are members of BMUS. Because your scan is conducted by a fully qualified health care professional you can be secure in the knowledge that your scan will be conducted in line with national guidelines. The guidelines are very long, about 100 pages, so in brief we operate the machines using ALARA "As low as is reasonably possible" this is the guideline all sonographers, and regulated ultrasound companies use, when conducting an ultrasound scan. What does it mean? Well it means that the machine is pre-set to low output levels and the sonographer has the training and ability to lower those levels during the scan in this way we can ensure that we are operating in a safe way. If you have any other questions about safety in ultrasound please contact me and I will do my best to help or you can look on the Society of Radiographers website for the Guidelines for Professional Ultrasound or BMUS (British Medical Ultrasound Society).
We will do our best to achieve good pictures for you at your initial appointment but we cannot guarantee that you will get good pictures on the day of your scan within the time frame of the scan you have chosen, due to babies position and other factors.
We do regularly do longer scans for our clients, as some babies start to pose right near the end of the scan, so we do (at our discretion) add extra time to the end of the scan (if necessary) at no extra charge. Some babies take a while to move into a good position so we may suggest you go for a walk, or two and sometimes we need to see our clients on a different day as baby doesn't want to co-operate at all.
It is very rare that we need to do re-scans as our staff are very experienced at obtaining good images of even the most shy/sleepy babies.
Our scans are Non-Diagnostic, scans between 8-14 weeks are for keepsake pictures only and cannot be relied on for sexing, it is also too early for most anomalies to be significant enough to be noticeable. Our sonographers are not following the medical protocols used during the anomaly scans, they are looking to get good images of the face and will spend time ensuring we get the correct gender and so therefore are not looking for anomalies, neither are they in a position to diagnose any anomalies they might see. We ask you to bring your notes in case we need to refer you to your medical provider. Our machines are not set up for doing medical/anomaly scans which is why we will refer you to your medical provider. We will do our best to get you seen as soon as possible but we have no power or influence to govern when your medical provider will see you. Please do not press the sonographer for an opinion as to a diagnosis as they cannot comment, it would be the same in the hospital in that it is the consultants who do any diagnosis. Any measurements that are taken during the course of the scan are rough estimates/guides only and should not be taken as fact.
We have a 99.99% accuracy with the gender from 14 weeks 4 days.
We reserve the right to refuse give an opinion on the sex of the baby to anybody who comes for a 2D sexing scan whose baby measures under 14 weeks. HD and 4D Scans are available from 24 weeks for single babies, best time for images is usually 26-28 weeks. We will not offer a free re-scan if you choose to come for a 4D scan under 24 weeks. Twins are best 23-25 weeks, its important to know that we cannot always get good pictures of both babies
The way the scan works is that the soundwaves send thousands of measurements backwards and forwards through the probe to the computer that then reconstructs the face. So the face is literally mapped by the soundwaves. If the soundwaves are blocked by a hand or by the placenta it will get in the way of the picture.
A 4D Scan and the HD Live scans are a mixture of 2D, 3D and 4D images, as we need to "set up" the picture in 2D prior to going into 3D/4D/HD It may take most of the scan time in order to get a good picture of the babies face, due to the babies position. We cannot guarantee that your entire scan will consist of good images, babies are always moving and covering their faces with their hands or feet. The majority of scans will have only a small section where the baby will stay in a good position for capturing images. Not everyone will get a "perfect" picture especially for the entire scan. Most pictures will have hands in the face, or feet, or umbilical cord. In order to try and get as best picture as possible we recommend you book your scan between 26-28 weeks and you consume something about an hour before the scan, as the babies drink the amniotic fluid and are more likely to be active, therefore giving a better chance of a better picture Please bear in mind every scan is different just as every pregnancy is different and every child is different therefore you might have a friend or relative who also had a scan and whose pictures you feel were better than yours or maybe whose baby yawned and did different things to yours. If we could make every scan perfect then we would but because there are so many outside influences we can only do our best.
If you do not want to know the sex of the baby we will do our best that you don't however we cannot guarantee that you will not see the sex of the baby during the course of the scan. The pictures we use for advertising purposes are taken from the best results of scans we have done. Not all pictures will be so clear. The following have an effect on the quality of the picture:
Size of the Mother - The more layers the soundwaves have to travel through the weaker and less efficient they become therefore the picture quality will suffer in that the picture will not be as sharp if the mother has a high BMI. This can also happen if the placenta is anterior and very thick, as the sound waves have to pass through the placenta.
Anterior Placenta - If the placenta is anterior it will always be in the picture. Depending how close the babies face is to the placenta will determine how clear the picture will be. Therefore it is incredibly difficult to get a perfect picture when the placenta is anterior. It is best to book your scan between 24-27 weeks if you have an anterior placenta.
Obstructions - If the baby has its hands, feet or cord in front of the face or if it is close to the womb wall this will obstruct the face and we will not be able to get a clear picture until the baby moves, it may only move briefly.
Position of Baby - The baby needs to be facing upwards towards the top of the tummy. If it is facing down towards the back we will only see the back of the head. Or if it is very curled up we will not be able to see the face. If the baby is lying very deep the image clarity may not be sharp, due to the distance the sound waves are travelling
Activity of Baby - Your baby may be very active and do things like yawn or suck its thumb, however it might want to spend the entire scan in one position.
We do not offer refunds for services provided, however should you cancel your appointment with up to 24 hours notice we will refund the deposit. We do not accept responsibility for lost items on the premises.
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We would love to receive your feedback, you can email alison@a4dbaby.com or you can leave feedback on our Facebook page
We want you to leave our studio happy. Should you have any problem with our services please tell us at the time or write to us at our Martlesham studio. Letters to be addressed to:- Mrs A Hines. Any comments you may have will be dealt with quickly and fairly, if really necessary we will take advice and direction from a third party.