Ever since the first visit to the doctor, we’ve received an ultrasound picture of the baby. I thought I’d share the pictures with you. We’ve been to 2 different clinics, and they have slightly different ages. The new clinic shows that the age of the baby is 3 days older than the first clinic said, so there is a slight discrepancy in the ages with these pictures. Please click on the pictures for the full sized versions. I’ve blacked out a couple of things, like clinic name and my fiancee’s name for privacy concerns.
6 weeks, 5 days: Looks like a bean.
Not so much to say about this picture. The baby is very tiny, about the size of a bean, and even looks like a bean. You can’t really see any details at all. But this confirmed that we are having a baby. At this stage, there was no movement, no heart beat. It’s not developed enough. There are leg and arm buds, a heart bulge, a lower and upper jaw and an eye spot.
8 weeks, 5 days: You can see a head now.
At 8 weeks and 5 days, it now looks a bit like a baby. You can see the baby’s head, and there is movement. And best of all, a heart beat! We were anxious to hear about this news, as at this stage, it’s very important to see a heart beating. There are hands and tiny legs now, and even eyelids are developing.
10 weeks, 5 days: It's grown a lot! It looks like a tiny baby with tiny arms and legs.
At 10 weeks and 5 days, it definitely looks like a baby. There are fingernails on its hands, which you can see in the picture. This picture was very exciting, because it looked like a tiny baby. Absolutely incredible to see the baby looking like this now. At this point, we were told that the baby was very active, and very strong. The doctor said it was powerful. So far in its development, it seems very healthy, which we are very happy about.
At this point, we switched to a new clinic. The one we were going to was fine, but it was a women’s clinic, not a place for the baby to be born. We found a clinic near where we live that is very new (even smells like a new house) and has hospital rooms where new mothers can stay. The staff is very kind and the doctor is quite talkative. From the reviews on the internet, this clinic is very good. We chose a good place to have the baby. And of course, it’s nearby!
11 weeks, 2 days: New clinic, slightly revised age.
11 weeks, 2 days: On the right is the head. On the left is the body. You can see a face!
11 weeks, 2 days: 4D system, it's actually a real-time 3D model.
These three pictures are all from the same day at the new clinic. The baby’s age was revised to 11 weeks and 2 days. In the second picture, you can clearly see the face on the left-hand frame. At this stage, the bones are starting to harden and tooth buds are starting to grow. The baby’s body is only 4.73cm long from head to bottom, about the size of a lemon. But looks very much human. The legs and arms still look small, but it has all the parts. We were very excited to get so many pictures this time. Also, the 4D picture, which is actually a real-time 3D image of the baby doesn’t look so clear, in my opinion. But you can see the parts of the baby, head, arms, body. The face isn’t so clear.
15 weeks, 2 days: On the left is the body from the back. On the right is the head. Great detail!
In my previous post, I described what it was like to see the ultrasound and watch the baby moving. It was incredible being able to actually see the heart, bones, fingers, legs, stomach, head, eye sockets, jaw, hips, ribs, spine, and more! Best of all, we got to see our baby twisting and turning, kicking and even rubbing its face at one point. At this time, we learned of the baby’s gender, though it’s not certain yet. We’ll be keeping it a secret from most people until we’re more sure about the gender. At 15 weeks and 2 days, the baby can move all joints in its arms and legs. Its eyelids are fused shut, but can see light already. The baby is also breathing the amniotic fluid, which helps develop the lungs. The right-hand frame in the image on the right shows the baby’s face. Well, it’s more like the bones in the head, as ultrasound can see through the baby’s body and see organs. But the detail in the latest pictures are great!
We’re getting very excited, and I’m looking forward to our next visit to the clinic next month. We’re supposed to go every 4 weeks now, and hopefully we’ll have a more concrete answer about the baby’s gender. And maybe by then, the baby’s kicks can be felt.
