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Many firms do not accept them
This is the most obvious reason: in many ultrasound practices children are not accepted. All the more so if they are several and young (less than 10-12 years old). It is even sometimes specified that only one person other than the mother-to-be (usually her spouse) is admitted to the exam. The explanation is simple: obstetric ultrasound is a high-precision job, which requires high concentration on the part of the sonographer. Concentration that would risk being undermined by the presence – rarely totally silent and calm – of toddlers. With, the key, the potential danger of missing out on a malformation or any concern …
The ultrasound cabinet is not a movie theater
An ultrasound room is generally a small space of around ten square meters, mostly occupied by ultrasound equipment and the examination table. There is therefore hardly any room for one or more small visitors. What’s more, the exam is quite long (it usually lasts 20 to 30 minutes, up to 1 hour in case of doubt or problem) and very technical. So it can be very tedious for a small child. It would be a shame if the future dad quickly had no other solution than to go out with him, thereby missing the rest of the ultrasound!
They won’t see or understand anything
Dr. Michel Soulé nicknamed the ultrasound “voluntary interruption of fantasies”, so much there is a gap between the imagined baby and what we actually perceive during this examination (especially in 2D). Very often, the future parents themselves hardly “see” on the control screen except moving shadows, difficult to interpret. A fortiori, a child (especially if he is very young) will not recognize this “baby” about which he is so often talked about…. At the risk of a sometimes cruel disappointment. If you really want to have your eldest child attend an ultrasound, in this case, prefer the second (called “morphological ultrasound”, the one where the fetus can be seen better.
The exam can be a source of anxiety and stress for them
Remember that long before being a show, ultrasound is an act of medical control. If, in the vast majority of cases, all goes well, the examination may reveal an anomaly, from the most benign to the most serious. No precaution, it is therefore not desirable for a child to be present, in order to prevent him from witnessing the anguish, even the collapse of his parents. Without going that far, the very process of the exam can be anxiety-provoking for a little one and embarrassing for his parents. Remember that the first ultrasounds are sometimes performed vaginally, which equates the session to a gynecological visit. Seeing your mom lying down with a catheter in her vagina, or watching the doctor apply the gel and then the catheter on her stomach, can destabilize a toddler, and even a larger one.
Ultrasound can very well be continued at home!
Admittedly, nine months is a long time, especially on their scale, and, just like you, your elders are dying to know this new member of the family. But even before he is born, they can see his profile, distinguish his limbs, see him move even, and all without going through the ultrasound cabinet. Once back home, you can show them at your leisure the pictures you bring back from the exam, or better yet, the film you have taken from it. Some practices agree to send you a recording of the ultrasound (DVD, CD). The future dad can also, why not, film the echo with his phone. And then tell them that they only have to wait a few months or weeks before they can contemplate and stroke the new baby. In the flesh this time, and it’s so much better!