world news daily: You're Invited! Ultrasound Parties a Rising Trend in New Motherhood

Sunday, January 6, 2013

You're Invited! Ultrasound Parties a Rising Trend in New Motherhood

Photo Credit: Maron

First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes ultrasound parties? To add to the list of memorable events that come with building a family, new mothers are now sharing their ultrasound experience at home with guests looking on.

What would usually be an event taking place in a chilly doctor?s office with limited space is now at the forefront of pregnancy trends with moms bringing the experience to their livingrooms. With the help of new technology, 29-year-old Kimberly Enderle of Rodgers, Ark. and her husband, Jonathon, were able to invite their loved ones over to share their joy in watching and listening to their unborn baby boy in the comfort of their own home.

?Gender reveal is probably the bulk of our work,? Teena Gold, co-owner of Babyface & More said, referring to parties where parents and guests find out the gender of the unborn baby together in real time. ?It?s more of an experience and less of an in-and-out procedure,? she added, pointing out that medical ultrasound often does not allow parents to savor the wonder of the life growing inside them.

Companies like Peek a View and Miracles Imagining are helping expectant parents across the nation turn their scheduled procedure into a social gathering. However, not everyone feels the concept is a good one. OB/GYN of Bentonville, Ark., Dr. Amber Sills, points out the risk of sharing the very first ultrasound with friends and something being wrong with the baby. She recommends parents go through the procedure with a doctor first before scheduling such events.

?If the ultrasonographer at the party sees something irregular during the scan, they will likely not say anything due to the potential legal implications,? she said. ?It?s kind of a liability nightmare.?

For these reasons, doctors often prefer to perform the procedure after they have confirmed that everything is going smoothly with the pregnancy.

Read the complete article on NBC?s Today?site.

BMWK? What are your thoughts on ultrasound parties? Would you be interested in hosting one or do you think it?s doing too much?

About the author

Stacie Bailey is a student at Quinnipiac University pursuing her master?s degree in Interactive Communications. She has strong interests in relationships, health, social media and an overall love for sharing knowledge and information.