Everything you are wondering

Diagnostic ultrasound has been used in pregnancy for more than fifty years and there is no evidence of harm at the output levels we use. What matters is who is holding the probe and how carefully.

I scan to the ALARA principle — as low as reasonably achievable. The thermal and mechanical indices stay visible on my screen the whole time, thermal index stays under 0.7, and I use Doppler sparingly and never over the brain or heart in the first trimester. I limit how long I linger over any one area, and I log total exposure time on every visit. I would always rather stop early than press for one more picture.

Twenty-seven to thirty weeks is the loveliest window, and thirty-two weeks is about the outer edge.

Before twenty-four weeks there is not quite enough softness under her skin yet, so the render can look a little stark. After thirty-three she is running out of room and there is less fluid in front of her face to see through. If you call me at twenty-two weeks hoping to book, I will gently tell you to wait — even though it means you come to me later.

From sixteen weeks we are confident, and our Pink or Blue? package starts there for exactly that reason. Earlier than that the anatomy is genuinely ambiguous, and I would rather tell you nothing than tell you something you paint a nursery over.

If she is curled up and I cannot see clearly, I will simply say so, and bring you back free of charge. That happens perhaps once in every thirty sessions. It has never once been a problem.

She will not, at least at first. Almost nobody does. She will have a hand over her face, or her back to us, or her head tucked so far down that all we can see is an ear.

So we take our time. You roll onto your side, we walk you down the hall, we get you something cold and sweet, and we try again. If she still will not turn, we bring you back at no charge — as many times as it takes. In fourteen years I have never once sent a mother home for good.

Please do. That is rather the entire point.

The room seats sixteen comfortably and there is no charge for guests, ever. Little ones are truly welcome — there are toys, there is a rug, and if your toddler would like to hold a probe with the power off and “scan” a teddy bear on the table, we will photograph the whole thing for you at no cost.

No referral is needed. We do ask that you are under the care of a licensed prenatal provider, and we will ask you their name when you arrive — because this is a keepsake session, not a substitute for the care they are giving you.

It is not, and I want to be very clear about that. Everything here is elective and non-diagnostic. We do not perform anatomy surveys, we do not measure fluid for a clinical purpose, we do not assess placental position for your delivery, and we do not give medical advice.

That said — every session is quietly over-read by a board-certified Maternal-Fetal Medicine physician within seventy-two hours, and if something ought to be seen by your own provider, I will tell you calmly and privately and help you get in front of them that same week. It has happened a small handful of times in fourteen years, and it matters more to me than everything else on this website put together.

Drink plenty of water in the two days beforehand — more than you think, and starting earlier than you think. Clear fluid around your baby is the single biggest thing between a soft picture and a beautiful one, and it is the one part you can help with.

Wear something two-piece so we can reach your belly without you having to undress. Have a small snack about an hour before — something sweet often wakes her up. And please do not put lotion or oil on your belly that morning; it scatters the sound.

All of it. Every image at full resolution, with no watermark, in a private gallery that lands on your phone before you reach the car. Prints are already included in your package, cut and sleeved at the counter.

There is no per-print menu here, no “packages” conversation at the end, and nobody who works here earns commission on anything. And your gallery link never expires — if you lose it in nine years, write to me and I will find it and send it again.

We record about twenty seconds of her heartbeat straight from the machine while you listen, then sew the little recorder into a plush animal you choose from the shop floor — a bear, lion, elephant, giraffe, hippo, fox, monkey or unicorn. Squeeze the paw and there she is.

The module lifts out through a seam so the toy is washable, and we keep a copy of the audio on our side forever. Mothers do come back to us years later after a washing machine accident, and we can always make another.

Yes. Please come. As often as you need to.

Our Reassurance Peek exists for precisely this, and there is no limit and no judgment about how many times you book it. I will put the sound on the speakers and leave it running, and you may sit with it for as long as you like. Nobody will hurry you and nobody will ask you to explain yourself. I do understand.

He can, and I will move the whole studio to make it happen.

The Homecoming session gives him a private video link with a second camera pointed at the display, so he sees her properly rather than a phone waved at a monitor. We schedule around his clock — if the only window in his day is half past four in the morning, that is when I will open the door. There is a low-bandwidth mode that holds up on a satellite connection, and if comms drop, we simply try again. No fee. Ever.

Fifteen percent off everything, always. Active duty, guard, reserve, retired, veteran, and every spouse. No code, no paperwork, no proving anything to anybody — just mention it when you book.

And if orders move your date, your date moves with them at no cost. If the last day you have before you go is a Sunday, we will open on a Sunday. I have been an Air Force wife through seven duty stations. I know that week.

Move your appointment up to twenty-four hours ahead and your $25 deposit simply follows you to the new time. If you are unwell, or something has happened, or you are already in labour — just call. We will sort it out kindly, and we will not take your deposit.

Gift certificates are for any amount, they never expire, and they are far and away the loveliest thing to carry into a baby shower. We can post one to you or email it the same day — just tell us which.

Always. Come in and browse, whether or not you are expecting anything at all. The shop is open during all studio hours, everything is in-store only, and you are very welcome simply to look. Most people leave with a blanket.