Our 4D ultrasound session at Face2Face

Dear Baby P,

I write to you now on my 31st week of pregnancy, and we’re now in the third trimester together. My prenatal checkup with Doc Meneses had increased in frequency from monthly to bi-weekly, starting from my 28th week, where Doc had already given me a referral slip for 4D ultrasound.



Doc advised us to let at least a week or two pass before we could have our 4d, so that you could have more time to beef yourself up with some essential baby fats you would need. That meant we had to hold our excitement for a week or two before we could see your face! Good thing I was able to manage this excitement by getting me and your Papa busy in conceptualizing our maternal photoshoot that would be happening on February 11 (my 29th week).

Your Papa and I also took the time to canvas around 4d ultrasound centers but it did not take us that long to choose. We marked our calendars for my 30th week to visit Face2Face (The Baby Ultrasound Company) at SM North, The Block.

During my two weeks of waiting before our 4d ultrasound session, I tracked the schedule of your movement in my belly. Your most active hours were actually from late night ‘til past midnight, which meant the malls are actually closed during that time. You were also regularly active in my weekday waking hour, during noon, and in the afternoon (between 4 to 6 pm), but only for less than an hour. We decided then to have the 4d ultrasound session around late afternoon.

Fast forward to February 18, my 30th week, your Papa and I were quite excited but I had to eat something cold and sweet, as advised by Doc and as how I would observe your reaction through fetal movements whenever I did so. I had some chilled taho at Soya Bar, and in no time you were moving like crazy!

We walked in at Face2Face but unfortunately, there was still a couple in the session room so we had to wait for about 20 minutes. I was getting frustrated because you were already super active during our 20 minutes of waiting, and I hoped that you wouldn’t stop moving too soon. When it was our turn for the session, the 4d ultrasound screen showed that you were already asleep! But we were somehow able to see your cute face and finally confirm that you’re indeed a baby boy!


Pelikitot indeed!



Your Papa and I finally have clues on how you would look like. At first I thought you had a flat nose, but the sonographer said it was not so just because I only saw a front view of you. She showed me a side view of you and told me that your nose is pointy! I thanked God you got your Papa’s nose!


Pointy nose like Papa's!

Your eyes would be something to watch out for because I noticed you had the same deep-set eyes like your Papa, as what the sonographer also noticed. But there were some angles that although you may have deep-set eyes, maybe you got your eyes’ shape from mine. Even your face is also heart-shaped, just like your Papa!


Heart-shaped face like Papa's!



Since you were sleeping during the session, we were advised though by the sonographer that we could downgrade our package from 4d (Gold) to 3d (Silver), meaning we could just avail their package with still shots instead of that with video. It was fine by us and we preferred still shots anyway. Our session lasted for 10 minutes and we learned that our package was to come only with two prints of still shots without CD because the sonographer only took 21 shots instead of 25 to 40 as required in their Silver package for the CD.

We left the ultrasound center disappointed, because we were not able to assert our preference to a Silver package at first. After a few minutes of walking and a little sweet argument, we decided to assert ourselves and have our package upgraded to Silver. We went back to Face2Face to ask for a package upgrade so we could have the CD. Your Papa reasoned out that you are our first baby so we wanted to have more than just two shots of you. The sonographer politely agreed.

It was time again for the sonographer to probe my belly, and to our surprise, you had changed your position! Your whole body was facing my spine, which meant less chance for us to see your face. But the sonographer was patient enough to make you turn around and face us. Your Papa and I cooperated by talking to you, pleading you to turn around. I felt you having hiccups and moving a bit, but still not facing us. You were awake! It took us more than twenty minutes for you to finally turn around and show your face. I saw your mouth open several times as I felt the impact of your hiccups in my tummy. And you even opened your eyes!



"Please Baby P, let me see your face..."



Open eyes!

The Silver package actually includes only 20 minutes for the session, but ours lasted longer than that, just for us to have a few additional pictures of you. We finally had 41 still shots to take home!

It was already near mall closing time when our session ended. That was how long it took for you to turn around and face us in the screen. But it was all worth it because we saw how cute, normal and peaceful you looked inside my tummy. Despite your transverse position during that time, I’m still glad that the umbilical cord was not coiled around you, and my uterus still had enough amniotic fluid and space for you to move around. The ideal period for a 4d session, according to the sonographer, is 26 to 29 weeks. They had actually turned down a 29-week pregnant lady because her baby didn’t have enough space anymore for the 4d session to be worth it. But don’t worry, you are not an undersized baby, you’re the ideal size and I hope you’d stay so until delivery. J