Meet The Baby

Yes we are! There are no steps and all our doors are wheelchair friendly. We also have plenty of room in our studio to make wheel chair users feel comfortable

An ultrasound scan, sometimes called a sonogram, is a procedure that uses high-frequency sound waves to create an image of part of the inside of the body.

A small device called an ultrasound probe is used, which gives off high-frequency sound waves.

You can't hear these sound waves, but when they bounce off different parts of the body, they create "echoes" that are picked up by the probe and turned into a moving image.

This image is displayed on a monitor while the scan is carried out.

Ultrasound uses no radiation

Are they safe?

There’s no evidence that scans are harmful if used according to the guidelines. Ultrasound scans have been used in pregnancy for decades.

The person carrying out the scans (sonographer) will follow all the right guidelines to ensure that you and your baby are safe.

Every scan machine has a thermal index displayed on the screen. This gives a rough guide to the amount of heat that might be produced after long exposure.

Most ultrasound machines have a very low thermal index. The machines also have different settings for different stages of pregnancy, with the early pregnancy setting having the lowest thermal index.

So ultrasound scans pose very little risk. Nonetheless, sonographers will try to minimise the length of each session where possible, as an extra safety precaution.

The majority of ultrasound examinations in pregnancy should be completed within about 30 minutes, which is considered to be safe, we however only scan for 20 minutes or less.

There is lots of information on line regarding the safety of ultrasounds and Meet The Baby encourage you to research yourself if you would like too.

We are now allowing four people to visit with the expectant mum - this includes children

Its really important yourself keep hydrated throughout your pregnancy. If you’re having an ultrasound scan before you are 20 weeks then having a full bladder helps us see the baby a little more clearly. After 20 weeks your baby is surrounded by lots of amniotic fluid so a full bladder is not needed. Drinking something fizzy, sweet and cold about 20 minutes before your scan may help your baby wake up and move around a little so we can catch a better look

No, we do not allow photos or recordings in the scan room. However we will accommodate you if you would like to purchase videos or extra prints.

Yes! Meet The Baby provide non-diagnostic scans for keep sake purposes only. We do not check for any abnormalities. It is important you attend all your NHS checks

We recognise that peoples plans change at the last minute and it’s best to let us know as soon as possible. However we are happy to reschedule your appointment free of charge if you want to move your appointment to a later date - provided you give us notice within 48 hours of your appointment. If you cancel on the day you will lose all of the monies you have paid to cover the cost of the lost appointment slot

Our scans are strictly for women who are 18 years old and over

We are Non-diagnostic which means that we don’t look for abnormalities. These scans are for healthy pregnant women who have no concerns about their pregnancies. The scans are for keep sake purposes only and all NHS scan appointments must be kept. We will conduct a limited checks as part of your scan. These checks are completed in less than 5 minutes and are not as detailed as your NHS 20 week anomaly scan (FASP) which will take 25-30 minutes.

You must be attending your NHS antenatal ultrasound scans to ensure you are screened for a much more extensive list of conditions.

If you are experiencing any vaginal bleeding or abdominal pain we can not scan you and you must seek help at your local early pregnancy unit. If your sonographer identifies anything out of the normal this will be explained to you along with guidance and support in obtaining ongoing care through an NHS pathway.

Wear loose fitting clothes around your tummy and try and avoid wearing button up jeans.

If you are under 20 weeks make sure you have a full bladder and don’t go to the toilet before your scan

If you are over 20 weeks, drink something cold sweet and fizzy to wake baby up so we can get a better look

There are several factors that can make it difficult to see your babies face. High BMI, placenta, umbilical cord or baby facing the wrong way.

For our 3/4HD scans we recommend that you drink something cold, sweet and fizzy about 30 minutes before you come to wake baby up.

If we are really struggling to get an image of your babies face you may be invited to come back for a free rescan at the sonographers discretion

Yes!

Meet The Baby aims to provide high quality services which meet your needs. We believe we achieve this most of the time but if we are not getting it right please let us know.

In order to ensure our services remain at a high and improving standard, we have a procedure through which you can let us know for any reason you are not satisfied with our services.

If you are not happy with our services please speak to the relevant staff, manager or Director.

Often we will be give you a response straight away. When the matter is more complicated we will give you at least an initial response within five working days.

Making a written complaint

If you are not satisfied with our response or wish to raise the matter more formally, please email us at meetthebabyinfo@gmail.com

All written complaints will be logged. you will receive a written acknowledgment with in three working days.

The aim is to investigate your complaint properly and give you a reply within ten working days, setting out how the problem will be dealt with. If this is not possible, an interim response will be made informing you of the action taken to date or being considered

You can also contact outside organisations to raise your matter, this includes:

Citizens Advice Bureu

Service Users Association

Local Government and Social Care Omsbudsman

The Care Quality Commission (CQC)

Some people will want to visit us once during their pregnancy, and others will want to visit us multiple times. We recommend spacing all ultrasound appointments 4-8 weeks apart where possible to keep the amount of time that your baby is exposed to ultrasound to a minimum. Though there is no clinical evidence that ultrasound can cause any harm to your development baby, this is precautionary. You should consider that your NHS appointments will be fairly fixed points during your pregnancy, with your NHS Dating Scan around 10-14 weeks, and your NHS Abnormality Scan 18-21 weeks.

Whilst you can come sooner than 4-8 weeks, you should let your sonographer (private or NHS) know if you have had a scan less than 2 weeks ago so that this can be taken into consideration when taking measurements.

Sometimes baby maybe be hiding, don’t worry we can try again on another day!

If we are unable to obtain clear 4d images we may offer you one free rescan. A rescan may not last the full scan time as they are ‘designed to fill in the blanks’ to achieve the primary object from the original scan

Rescans will not be offered after 32 weeks. Therefore it is recommended that you plan your 4d scan before 30 weeks so we can accommodate a rescan if required.

Free rescans are a goodwill gesture and you do not have to attend. Rescans have no monetary value. Money cannot be claimed back on a missed rescan. If a rescan is missed we can not reschedule you. If you cannot attend a rescan no refund will be offered

Rescans cannot be taken on a Saturday and are to be taken when we have available free time slots.

A rescan will only be offered if we can not fulfil our primary objective on scans after 15 weeks

Early Pregnancy rescans -

If you are presenting to early the sonographer will be following national guidelines and recommend a rescan to access the viability of the pregnancy. Its important that you follow this advice. You may wish to access your EPU or visit another clinic. If you choose to come back to us it is a fee paying scan