Have you ever wondered what your baby gets up to all day while tucked safely inside your womb?
From the kicks and wriggles you can feel to tiny movements you may never notice, your baby is surprisingly busy! One of the most exciting things about a 4D ultrasound is getting a glimpse of some of these little moments as they happen.
You may see your baby stretching, moving their hands, opening their mouth or even appearing to smile. Of course, every baby has their own ideas about what they want to show us on scan day – and sometimes sleeping through the whole thing is apparently the plan!
Here are 10 wonderful things you might be lucky enough to spot during a 4D baby scan.
1. Yawning
Yes, babies yawn before they’re even born!
Yawning is one of the facial movements that has been observed during 4D ultrasound studies. A big yawn can be particularly adorable on a 4D scan because you may see your baby’s mouth open wide before closing again.
Whether you manage to catch one during your appointment is another matter – babies don’t exactly perform on request!
2. Sucking Their Thumb or Fingers
Your baby may already be practising sucking movements long before you meet face-to-face.
During a 4D ultrasound, you might see a hand moving towards the mouth, fingers touching the lips or even what looks like thumb or finger sucking.
Sometimes that little hand is exactly where parents don’t want it to be – directly in front of the face when everyone is hoping for a beautiful facial image!
3. Smiling… Or Something That Looks Like It!
One of the loveliest surprises during a 4D scan is seeing baby’s mouth form what looks remarkably like a little smile.
Researchers using 4D ultrasound have observed smile-like facial movements in babies before birth. That doesn’t necessarily mean your baby has just heard Dad’s terrible joke from outside the womb, though!
These movements are part of the fascinating range of facial activity developing before birth. Whatever the reason behind it, catching what looks like your baby’s first little smile can be a very special moment for parents.
4. Making Funny Faces
Smiles aren’t the only expressions you might see.
Babies can make all sorts of interesting facial movements in the womb. You may see your baby purse their lips, move their mouth, stick out their tongue or make an expression that looks suspiciously like a frown.
Sometimes a 4D scan captures an expression for just a moment, resulting in a wonderfully funny image that becomes one of the family’s favourites.
It is one of the things we love about 4D ultrasound – you never quite know what personality your little one is going to show us!
5. Putting Their Hands Over Their Face
This is an extremely popular activity among babies – particularly, it seems, when everyone desperately wants to see their face!
Babies naturally move their hands towards their head, mouth, eyes, ears and face. On a 4D scan, you may see tiny fingers resting against a cheek, a hand tucked underneath the chin or both hands covering the face.
It might make getting that perfect facial image a little more challenging, but seeing those tiny hands and fingers moving around can be just as special.
6. Stretching, Wriggling and Moving Around
Those kicks and movements you feel aren’t the only movements happening inside.
Babies move their arms and legs, turn their heads and change position throughout pregnancy. Depending on baby’s position and how much room is available, you may catch some of this activity during your scan.
It can be quite amazing to watch a movement on the screen at exactly the same moment you feel it!
7. Opening and Closing Their Eyes
As pregnancy progresses, your baby’s eyelids can open and close, and blinking is another behaviour that researchers have been able to observe using 4D ultrasound. And that’s not all – there are some fascinating things babies learn in the womb before they’re born.
If baby’s face is in a good position during your scan, you may be fortunate enough to catch some of these subtle facial movements.
It is another reminder that there is a whole little person developing in there while you go about your day.
8. Moving Their Mouth and Tongue
Babies make many different mouth movements before birth.
4D ultrasound research has captured babies opening and closing their mouths, moving their tongues, sucking, swallowing and making other small facial movements.
Some happen very quickly, which makes catching them at exactly the right moment part of the fun of watching baby in real time.
9. Snuggling Up Against the Placenta
Your placenta can sometimes become baby’s favourite pillow!
Depending on where the placenta is positioned, you may find your little one lying with their face nestled right up against it. While this can sometimes make getting a clear view of baby’s face more challenging, it can also create some very sweet images.
Baby’s position, the position of the placenta and the amount of space around the face can all influence what we’re able to see during a 4D scan.
10. Absolutely Nothing!
And then there are the babies who decide their 4D scan appointment is the ideal time for a nap.
You may have spent the morning imagining kicks, stretches, yawns and smiles, only for baby to curl up comfortably and sleep through the occasion.
That’s part of the magic – and unpredictability – of seeing your baby before birth. Every scan is different because every baby is different.
Every 4D Scan Is Different
While these are all things that can be seen during 4D ultrasound, there’s no checklist of things your baby is supposed to do during your appointment.
What you see will depend on factors such as your baby’s position and activity at the time of the scan, the position of the placenta, the amount of amniotic fluid around baby and the stage of your pregnancy.
Some babies are incredibly active. Others are sleepy. Some proudly show us their faces, while others seem determined to keep everyone guessing until birth!
That’s what makes each experience unique.
Meet Your Little One at Peek-A-Babe
At Peek-A-Babe, we’ve been giving families the opportunity to see their babies before birth since 2006.
Our 4D ultrasound scans allow you to enjoy a special glimpse into your baby’s little world – whether they’re yawning, wriggling, hiding behind their hands or simply having a peaceful nap.
Located in Goodwood, Cape Town, Peek-A-Babe offers a range of pregnancy ultrasound and 4D baby scan options for different stages of pregnancy.
Ready to see what your little one is getting up to in there?
Book your Peek-A-Babe scan and come say hello!