Choosing a Private Antenatal Ultrasound Baby Scan

1. Choosing a Private Antenatal Ultrasound Baby Scan If you're opting for a private antenatal ultrasound scan it's most likely because you'll want the convenience of an appointment that fits in with your busy schedule, a longer time slot or 3D or 4D technology to check your baby's health in more detail. But you'll also want the reassurance that you're in safe, capable, medical hands too, with a professional sonographer who is suitably qualified and experienced to be able to expertly interpret antenatal scans. Whilst some companies provide cheaper so-called "vanity” scans with more emphasis on quick scans to see your baby's facial characteristics - Ultrasound Direct's Babybond diagnostic scans are carried out by trained health care professionals, with enough time allowed to thoroughly check both your health and your baby's wellbeing, as well as diagnose any problems. The company also have a second opinion process and associated care if a scan picks up an anomaly or any cause for concern. Health professionals you can trust Ultrasound Direct is a specialist in antenatal care scans and a leader in private diagnostic ultrasound in the UK and as a company is very much led by health professionals. Although there's no legal requirement for sonographers to be statutorily registered, Ultrasound Direct have a strict recruitment process which ensures all staff are medically qualified and meet appropriate standards in training. The British Medical Ultrasound Society says medical ultrasound is usually taught as a postgraduate qualification with many sonographers coming from a radiography or midwifery background. In order to practice in the UK, radiographers must be registered with the Health and Care Professions Council, and midwives have to register with the National Midwifery Council in order to practise. Qualifications in ultrasound should be accredited by the Consortium for the Accreditation of Sonographic Education (CASE) Extra time for you More time: Ultrasound Direct offer appointments of up to 40 minutes long for their Babybond ultrasound scans (depending which scan you choose), so there's plenty of time for your sonographer to assess your baby's health as well as your own and check everything corresponds with your dates and stage of pregnancy and for you to ask questions. Family can come too: You can also book an extended appointment and bring up to four guests with you including children - so other family members can share the experience - an opportunity you won't often get at a busy NHS baby scan appointment.  Every scan has a medical purpose: Lovely as it is to see your baby and some of their facial characteristics with the latest 3D ultrasound scans and 4DFREEVIEW ultrasound scans, at Ultrasound Direct the primary purpose of a scan is always to check your baby's development and diagnose any problems. Scans for every stage of your pregnancy When you choose a private ultrasound provider it makes sense to select one that can support you at everystage of your pregnancy and offer the full range of detailed scans you may need from the early

2. scans and dating scans through to nuchal fold scans, anomaly scans and presentation scans. Crucially, these choices should be backed up by specialist antenatal expertise from a trained health care professional to give you all the information, interpretation and support you may need - so always bear this in mind when choosing the company. For more information on Ultrasound Direct's Babybond Pregnancy scans click here