Babies & Bellies and sweet baby girl, OH MY!

As we all know I’m excited about the pending arrival of my second sweet lady… so excited that I wanted to see her again! When I was pregnant with Addie I had a few ultrasounds, but never got a 3D. I never regretted it, but I was intrigued this time around, so I went for it: An elective ultrasound!

I’ve been asked if I would get the blood tests, amnio, CVS and the like and the answers are all no. Putting Millie at any risk (amnio and CVS present a miscarriage risk) and blood work alone isn’t going to give us all the information it seems so many people surrounding us want. BUT what I want, to see my lady wiggle and dance, can be achieved quite easily and without peril. So- I made an appointment!

Within two rings, a sweet voice answered the phone at Babies & Bellies, and shared in my excitement about baby number 2 (They’re all exciting, she beamed through the phone)! I wanted to get a gender confirmation- the tech at our level 2 said she could not be sure- and I wanted to know what a 3D image looked like for myself. I booked for the next available appointment, which was 2 days later, with a bounce in my step!

When Addie and I strolled into the small, well lit office (which happens to be upstairs from my OB), we were welcomed with warmth by Lynn- who handed me some short paperwork and took my payment… followed by Addie jumping up from her stroller and running to a basket full of toys! Lynn and I talked about Addie and ultrasounds and how excited Dave and I are to have a little gaggle of warrior girls. A few minutes of play went by for Miss Addie, but I wanted to see what her baby sister was doing! After a rest stop (every 20 minutes- I swear!), we headed into a warm room- It was cozy with beautiful chairs (that I want for the house)- perfect if you bring guests to see your baby, but they sat empty for me… this was a moment I would share with Addie. Just a mama and her girls.

Starting with a traditional ultrasound image, my bouncing Millie was dancing around. After a quick glance at her heart and a listen for good measure, Lynn turned  on the 3D images. I was blown away. I could see her face, her hands, her legs all crumpled up in my belly. Seeing her face… I was, somehow, more in love with her than just moments before.

With a girl confirmation, I knew more planning could begin, but more than that, all the sister-joy thoughts came into my head. The giggles and secrets they would share. Late nights and early mornings swapping makeup, bras, style secrets, drama, complaints about mom and dad. Gossip about boys and the best new bands. Watching sports with mama and playing music with daddy.

Sisters.

Lynn and I talked about what I’ve seen as shortcomings in my own sister-relationship and she sympathized with my hopes that, by being closer in age, Addie and Millie would be closer. She loved the name we chose. She gave Addie a few prompts to look at the large screen ahead of her to see her baby sister. And pressing print a few times, she captured my sweet soon-to-be in pictures we’d cherish always.

After a time, Lynn helped me wipe down my belly and sit up. She made me a disc with my images and placed it in an envelope with my printed ones, and led us towards the door. I passed by all the stuffed animals that we could have with a recorded heartbeat and smiled. What a sweet gift- a cherished memory for a mom or grandparent or sibling! Although we didn’t leave with one, I can just imagine how much listening time one would have in this house- so sweet!

I am not one for extra testing and doctors and appointments, but the opportunity to see Millie again, in such detail… how could I pass that up! Babies & Bellies offers so many packages and even specials based on the day, that choosing the right option for us was easy and the perfect gift for me. I want to thank Lynn for her wonderful love and attention she gave to Addie and I, and for the attention she gave to giving us the best images of Millie- perfect to share with Dave, who was surprised to see the images and overjoyed to get a sneak peek at his next lady bug.

Have you ever done an elective ultrasound or seen your unborn baby in 3D? How was your experience?

Just an FYI… I was not compensated for this post- just one satisfied mama!