The 20-week ultrasound

We had our 20-week ultrasound this morning, which was an hour-long full body scan to check the baby's development. We got to see its beating heart, kidneys, spine, both arms and legs, all ten fingers and toes, and parts of the skeletal system. Great news: he or she (we're not finding out the gender) is on track developmentally; its weight and size are exactly what they're supposed to be for 20 weeks

One of the clinics that I manage the marketing for has 3-D ultrasound, and my obstetrician practices at that clinic. I wondered if we'd get to experience the 3-D technology, but wasn't sure if they reserved it for special cases or if it's become standard procedure for all expectant mothers. Well, I got my answer today - we got to see the baby "real time" in 4-D!

It was a little weird, but also amazing. We saw the baby's movements as they happened - it opened and closed its mouth frequently, and it kept raising its arms and legs up toward its chest like a little circus performer. Our technician printed several of the 3-D stills, which I've included below - as a disclaimer, it's a little strange to see a developing baby with that level of detail, so don't feel bad if you don't think its cute! Over the next couple of weeks it will look more and more human.

Here's a black & white close-up of the baby's head and shoulders. The thick ropy thing hanging over its shoulder is the umbilical cord - it shows up in most of the images:

This is a "color" close-up of the baby

An image of the baby bringing its hands and feet up toward its face; again, the umbilical cord is the weird-looking object across its torso

And this is the baby's leg, foot, and little toes flexing - look at the bones inside the leg!