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Ultrasound FAQ

Do I need an appointment?

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Yes, appointments are necessary for all of our services.

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  • To make an appointment please call us at 701-557-0821.                

  • We do not have a receptionist, so please leave us a voicemail if we do not answer, and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

  • We do not take walk in appointments.

  • We do take same day appointments, if we have openings available that day, and the mom is hydrated.

  • Please remember days do fill up quickly, so please try and plan ahead.

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Is Gender Determination or 3D/4D ultrasound covered by insurance?

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  • No, at this point, insurance does not cover the costs of Gender Determination or 3D/4D elective ultrasounds. Since this is an elective procedure for keepsake purpose only and is not intended to be a replacement for your doctor ordered ultrasound.

  • We accept CashApp, Venmo, Cash, and all major Credit Cards and Debit, (please note that all cards have an additional 3% processing fee). 

  • Sorry, we do not accept personal checks. 

  • Also, Gift Certificates are available for purchase at our office. If you have any questions, please give us a call at 701-557-0821. For gift certificates, we do ask that you call and set up a time to come in and buy the gift certificate.

 

What is ultrasound imaging?

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  • Ultrasound uses high frequency sound waves, which reflect off of tissue and returns to the machine. Depending on the density of the surfaces the sound waves encounter, the waves come back at different frequencies. The machine then processes this data and generates it into realistic surface images.

  • Please Note: ultrasound does not use radiation to see your baby.

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Can I bring family & friends?

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  • Yes, family and friends are very welcome!!!

  • We can comfortably fit (mom) plus 4 other people in our scan room.  

  • Kids & babies are very welcome, we even have toys for kids to play with.

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What is an elective ultrasound?

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  • An elective prenatal ultrasound is an ultrasound that you are choosing to do, not a Dr. ordered ultrasound. 

  • Diagnostic Ultrasounds are very important and should be done as ordered by your doctor. 

  • Many parents today are choosing to do elective ultrasounds to find out gender or see their baby in 3D/4D. We offer elective 2D/3D/4D ultrasounds to help provide a positive bonding experience for parents and family members with their unborn baby.

  • Research shows that realistic surface images provide a connection between the parents, family and the baby. When you leave your ultrasound depending on your package, you most likely will be leaving with a keepsake video of your ultrasound, and some pictures of your beautiful baby. 

  • The ultrasound used in this exam is not performed to assess the baby for abnormalities. A routine diagnostic examination should have already been performed to assess the gestational age of the fetus, and for screening of genetic disorders and fetal anomalies. 

 

Does this take the place of an ultrasound at my Dr's office?

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  • ABSOLUTELY NOT!!! Your elective prenatal ultrasound is purely for the joy and bonding experience between parents and family of the unborn baby. At no time should any elective ultrasound be used as a substitute for a complete diagnostic ultrasound. A diagnostic ultrasound ordered by your provider to confirm due date, screen for fetal anomalies, and to look for any other pregnancy related issues should have been ordered already.

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What is the difference between 2D, 3D, & 4D Ultrasounds?

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  • 2D is the traditional black & white ultrasound you have probably seen before. The pictures just show flat, two-dimensional outlines of the baby. You may have received a 2D ultrasound when had your diagnostic ultrasound, or gender determination.

  • 3D shows a three-dimensional image of your baby. The transducer sends out sound waves from numerous directions, and as a result makes a life-like realistic image of your baby, which shows your little one’s attributes.  You can see things like the roundness of your baby’s face, the shape of the nose, and the shape and thickness of baby’s lips. The color is actually not the color of the baby, it is computer enhanced to make the pictures more appealing and realistic looking.

  • 4D ultrasound is the exact same technology as 3D with the difference that you can see your baby in motion (a live view). If we are lucky, we may get to see your baby do things like, smile, or bring the foot up the face, or just wave at us. 

 

Is ultrasound safe? Are there any risks to me or baby?

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  • Extensive studies over 30 years have found that ultrasound performed by a trained sonographer, has not been shown to cause any harm to mother or baby. Routine scanning of all pregnancies is now normal throughout the United States and around the world. 3D/4D scanning, uses exactly the same type and intensity of ultrasound waves as used with conventional 2D scanning. Our guidelines dictate the system to be used in the Obstetric Application Mode. This mode is capped by the manufacturer (GE) below the FDA limits for exposure.

  • We highly recommend that parents discuss with their doctor any safety concerns they may have about elective 2D/3D/4D ultrasound.

 

Will I always get beautiful pictures of my baby?

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  • Usually, but not always. Sometimes if the baby is persistently looking face down, i.e. towards your spine, it may be difficult to see the baby’s face. If this happens, we will do a 1 time free rescan for you, in hopes that baby will be in a better position to get images.

  • We make no promises that the images will be similar to those you might have seen elsewhere, or even from our office, or that we can always meet everyone's expectations. Every baby scans differently, depending on its gestational age, position, amount of amniotic fluid, placenta location, and mother's body type. Also, other body parts such as arms, hands, and feet may interfere with the views of the face.

  • Unfortunately, we do not always get full face pictures, a lot of the time we may only get side views, 1/2 of the face or 3/4th of the face in view, depending on baby's position. Some families do see 100% of their baby's face while others see more profile.  Your baby will determine how much of his or her face we get to see.  We promise to make every effort to obtain the best possible images.  

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How can I help get the best possible pictures of my baby?

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  • Hydration, Hydration, Hydration!!!!! Drink lots of water (1 gallon a day if possible) 7 days before your appointment. This helps increase amniotic fluid surrounding the baby. The more hydrated you are the clearer your amniotic fluid is and the clearer pictures you will get. Try and limit caffeine intake and NO POP. Pop can make the amniotic fluid cloudy making it harder to view baby clearly.

  • Book your appointment at a time when you know baby is active.

  • If you are not diabetic and want baby moving, you can have a little juice box on your way to your ultrasound, so that baby is awake and moving when you get to your appointment.

  • Eating a small snack 45 minutes before your visit is another great way to wake baby up and get them moving.

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Are you able to tell the sex of the baby?

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  • Yes, in most cases we can provide an indication of the gender of the baby. We can’t however guarantee that the baby will cooperate during your session. Certain factors such as body tissue content, developmental stage and fetal position all affect the ability to determine gender. If we are unable to determine gender because of one of the above listed factors, then we will bring you back for a (1) time free rescan. 

  • Please remember that gender determination is only up to 99% accurate, and that gender determination is only 100% when baby is born. Our sonographer is trained and will do her best to accurately determine the gender of your baby.  Please also note that we start looking for gender at 14 weeks, but the longer you wait the better your odds of getting a correct gender.

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What ultrasound machine do we use?

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  • We use the state-of-the-art GE Voluson 730 Pro to complete all ultrasound examinations.

 

I'm a plus sized woman, will I be able to get images?

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  • Yes, most of the time, we work with moms of all sizes. However, maternal tissue is an obstacle for 2D/3D images, since the sound waves must travel through the extra tissue. Please note, the 2D/3D images may be grainier than typical. We will make every effort to get you the best images of your baby. Please be sure to hydrate before coming into your ultrasound session, because being hydrated really helps for getting better quality images. If you are not sure how much water to drink a day, please talk to your doctor and find out what their recommended daily allowance for water is. Then drink that amount of water for 4-5 days prior to your ultrasound.

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I am having twins, is there any additional fee?

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  • No, we do not charge extra, because you are having twins. We do recommend that you select a 3D/4D ultrasound session that is at least 60 minutes long. So that we have time to get images of both of your beautiful babies. We recommend 22 weeks-28 weeks for the best chance of capturing images of both babies. After 28 weeks, the babies become bigger with much less room, and it may become more difficult to capture their images together.

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What if I need to cancel my appointment?

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  • Should you need to cancel or reschedule your appointment for any reason, we ask that you please call as soon as possible, to let us know you cannot make your appointment. 

  • At minimum, we ask for a two-hour notice.

  • If you are more than 10 minutes late, we may have to reschedule or cancel your appointment in order to stay on schedule for everyone else and ensure minimal wait times for our other clients. 

  • In case of no-show at your scheduled appointment, you will be required to pay a full nonrefundable pre-payment should you elect to re-schedule again.

  •  If you are over 10 minutes late or do not show to your re-scan appointment, under Free-Come-Back Policy, your free rescan will be forfeited.

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SneakPeek Blood Draw FAQ

 

I’ve previously had a boy. Will that skew my results?

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  • Clinical studies have shown that fetal DNA clears from mom’s bloodstream between a few hours to 2 days after birth.

 

I’m having twins. Can SneakPeek determine fetal sex for each one?

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  • In the case of identical twins, if male DNA is found, then both babies are boys. If no male DNA is found, then both babies are girls. For fraternal twins (or more!), finding male DNA will confirm at least one baby is a boy, but cannot distinguish if the second is a boy or girl.

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Do hormone disorders such as PCOS affect my results?

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  • SneakPeek is a DNA-based test, so hormones do not impact results.

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Do blood thinners affect my results?

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  • SneakPeek looks only for the presence of Y chromosomes and is extremely sensitive and accurate. No blood thinners or other drugs are known to impact SneakPeek gender results.

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Is this test safe?

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  • SneakPeek Clinical is a non-invasive prenatal test (NIPT), and it’s safe for both mom and baby.

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How quickly can I get my results?

  • Your sample is mailed to SneakPeek Labs in San Diego, CA via FedEx overnight mail.

  • FastTrack customers: Expect your result email between 4-8pm Pacific Time the same day your sample is received by SneakPeek. 

  • Standard customers: Expect your result email between 1-5pm Pacific Time the day after your sample is received by SneakPeek.  

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Are results guaranteed?

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  • SneakPeek Clinical is the most accurate early gender test on the market. If your test result does not match the gender of your newborn, you’ll receive a full refund.

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How is my privacy protected?

 

We know your DNA information is personal. To protect your privacy:

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  • 1. SneakPeek tests only for baby’s gender. No data is gathered about disease states or other health-related information.

  • 2. After the test is run, your DNA sample is disposed of by a professional chemical management company in compliance with federal standards.

  • 3. SneakPeek never shares your results with anyone other than the email address you provide. Where can I learn more? Visit www.sneakpeektest.com.

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Where can I learn more?

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