Fetal Fotos

How to Prepare for your Newborn Photography Session

/in , /by

Newborn sessions are so special and capturing the first few weeks of life will be a memory you will look  back on and cherish forever. When working with our tiny photography clients, we want to keep them as  happy and comfortable as we can, so we can get the best possible pictures. Here are a few tips to help  your session go smoothly.  

Bathe baby before your session

Giving baby a bath before their session will usually wear them out and make them sleepier for their session. Avoid using oils or lotions after the bath and dress them in  something easy to change in and out of for an easier transition once you arrive at the studio. 

Feed Baby right before the session

We want baby to be fed and happy before we start the session. You  are more than welcome to come to the studio a little bit early if you want to feed them once you arrive.  If you are breastfeeding, avoid spicy foods and dairy the day before your session.  

Keep baby awake for a little while before you come in

Bath time and feeding are great ways to do this!  Keeping baby awake will tire them out and give us the best chance for a sleeping baby during pictures.  

Bring a binky or bottle

Even if your baby has not quite figured out how to keep a binky in their mouth,  having it makes a huge difference during the session. If they start to get fussy, we can use the binky for a  few minutes to help calm them down and get them back to sleep.  

Communicate with your photographer

If you have specific colors, or props that you know you want  used during your session, send us an email by the day before your session. That way, your photographer  can get everything pulled out and prepped before your session begins.  

Following these tips will help your session run as smoothly as possible. Your photographer will send you  a gallery with all your pictures, and let you choose which ones you want edited. The number of pictures  is based on the session you book, but you will have the option to add more if you would like to. She will then do the final edits and send them to you when they are complete. Typically, this process is around 2- 3 weeks depending on her current workload.  

Seeing your little babies in the studio is one of our favorite things we do! We are thrilled to have it  added to our available services. Our photographers are incredible, and your baby will do great. We hope  you have the best experience in our studio and can’t wait to see your pictures!

Fetal Fotos Photography Studio Rentals

/in , /by

Did you know we rent out our Newborn Photography Studio to local photographers?! Our state-of-the art studio is ready for you and your newborn clients. While we cater specifically to newborn clients, the studio is also able to comfortably accommodate babies and children up to one year. The studio can also be used for product photography if desired.

Read more

What is an Ultrasound? : Purpose, Procedure, Cost & Preparation

/in , /by

What is an Ultrasound?

An ultrasound scan is a medical test that uses high-frequency sound waves to capture  live images from the inside of your body. It is also known as sonography. 

At Fetal Fotos we do not perform ultrasounds for medical purposes. We can however  show you your sweet baby and point out body parts, movement, number of babies,  listen to the heartbeat, and determine the gender if desired. 

What is the purpose of an Ultrasound?

Within pregnancy the purpose of an ultrasound can provide parents a look at their  unborn baby in the womb. It can bring comfort, education, and moments to bond with  your baby. An ultrasound can help determine the gender of your baby and to hear the  heartbeat. Many mothers say they love to see what their little baby is doing in the  womb. As the baby gets bigger, it is exciting to see how the baby is positioned and the  body part of the baby you could be feeling. There are so many changes that happen throughout your pregnancy and being able to witness your baby grow and move around  through ultrasound is so special!  

What is the Procedure of the Ultrasound?

When you come to Fetal Fotos we strive to provide a relaxed stress-free environment  that is comfortable for you and your family to enjoy seeing your baby. When you come  in and are finished filling out paperwork, an ultrasound technician will take you back into  the ultrasound room. Once in the room, you can lie down on the ultrasound bed. The  Technician will ask you to pull your shirt to your ribs and to place your pants on your  hips to expose a small portion of the stomach. The technician will then use warm gel on  your belly and start the session. They will pull the baby into view and explain each part  of the baby, so you are aware of what you are looking at. The technician will point out  the heartbeat and play it for you and your loved ones to hear. Depending what session, you choose, we will take time to look for gender or show you the baby in 3D/4D. The  technician will be thorough and work with your baby so that you can receive the best  images and be confident in the ultrasound scan. The scan will be paced so you can  watch your sweet baby wiggle, yawn, and kick. Sometimes we will even catch smiles,  open eyes, hiccups, and tongues sticking out. 

Once the ultrasound scan is over, the technician will softly wipe the gel from your  stomach with a towel and offer you a paper towel to wipe off any excess gel. The  technician will then print off the desired images of your baby as a keepsake. You can  expect the session to last anywhere from 10-30 minutes.

What is the preparation?

For the best images of your baby, we recommend being well hydrated for your  ultrasound appointment. Staying well hydrated is always important, but the few days  leading up to your appointment can make a big difference in what images we are able to  get during your session. 

If you are between 8-13 weeks of pregnancy, we suggest you keep your bladder full.  The purpose of this is to help see the baby. A full bladder can help the baby be in better  view for the ultrasound technician. If you are past 14 weeks, we no longer need your  bladder full. We ask that you still stay hydrated, but you are welcome to use the  restroom before the appointment. 

Plan to arrive 5 minutes early for your appointment to fill out the needed paperwork and  give plenty of time for the ultrasound technician to scan your baby. We want you to get  the most out of your appointment and babies can often be in difficult positions. We want  to make sure we have the time needed to get the best images of your baby. 

What is the cost of an Ultrasound?

At Fetal Fotos we want you to have the best experience at an affordable price. We have  several different packages you can choose from that will best fit your needs. Our  packages range from $50 to $179. Each package is tailored to the week of pregnancy  you are currently in. Depending on the package they include printed black and white  images, digital uploads of both the video and all the images taken in the scan, colored  images, as well as various retail items that are included in some of our packages. 

The ultrasounds we offer can provide comfort for a worried mama, excitement in finding  out the anticipated gender as early as 14 weeks, and the joy in seeing your baby grow  and develop at each stage of pregnancy. 

Choosing An Ultrasound Imaging Center That Is Right For You

/in , /by

It is an exciting time to find out you are pregnant! Once you see that positive pregnancy test, you start to feel all the emotions! Being able to see the baby on an ultrasound is one of the most memorable experiences during pregnancy. You can see the baby’s heartbeat, find out the gender if you desire, watch them wiggle, yawn, smile, and even see what they are going to look like. Being able to bond with your baby, and share that with your family is something you will look back on and cherish forever. How do you choose an Ultrasound Imaging Center that will best fit your needs?

Here are a few things to consider

At Fetal Fotos we place the highest priority on you and your family during this special time in your lives.  Fetal Fotos is Utah’s Original Prenatal Imaging Center and has been serving our community since 1994. We are known for early gender determinations ultrasounds, starting at 14 weeks gestation, and have a long standing history and reputation with the community for our thorough gender checks. If we aren’t 100% certain of the gender of the baby, we will have you come back for another ultrasound free of charge on a different day. We provide a comfortable, fun environment for your family to come and see your growing baby. Our clients frequently comment on how comfortable our ultrasound bed is, and how our technicians take their time to look at the baby in a relaxed environment. It is important to remember that coming to Fetal Fotos is never an alternative to your routine prenatal care, and we do not provide any diagnostic information during your appointment. Fetal Fotos will always be committed to providing women and their families with increased awareness and a meaningful bonding experience with your baby as an addition to your prenatal care.

You may wonder if doing a blood test earlier in the pregnancy is an accurate way to determine the gender. While we don’t discourage using blood tests, we ask that you keep an open mind when you do an at home test. It is not uncommon for us to correct them when you come in for your ultrasound appointment. So while it is a super fun way to try to determine the gender earlier in the pregnancy, it is not always a sure thing until we see the gender on an ultrasound.

In the 26 years Fetal Fotos has been in business, we have helped many women and families bond with their baby and prepare for their future. Our 3D/4D HD ultrasounds are state of the art and the newest technology ultrasound has to offer.  We do everything we can to get the best pictures of your sweet baby. Similar to the recheck on the gender scan, if you come in for a 4D/HD session and your baby is being shy we let you come back again and try for better pictures on a different day. Some things are out of our control but we always take our time to get the best images possible.

As women, and the owners of Fetal Fotos in American Fork we aim to provide you with a memorable experience and a connection to a community you can be a part of even beyond your pregnancy. We believe in the power of self care and the difference that strong confident women can make on our community. In addition to our prenatal ultrasounds we also offer prenatal, postpartum, and couples massages. It takes a toll on the body and mind to carry a baby and we want you to have time to take care of yourself and feel relief from the aches and pain of pregnancy, and the stresses of life.

We are also excited to now offer Newborn Photography Sessions as part of our services. Once your baby is born, schedule a photography session with one of our amazing newborn photographers. Our in-house studio is a safe, relaxed, customizable experience that allows you to remember the early newborn stage forever.

Our boutique is stocked with gender reveal items, like cannons and balloons, and curated with all mamas in mind to include the best newborn products for your baby.

When you choose Fetal Fotos, we are confident that you will leave your experience feeling taken care of and know you have a community of women cheering you on throughout your pregnancy. We are genuinely excited for you and your family and hope to see you again and again.

xoxo

Chelsea & Kira 

Pregnancy Verification Ultrasounds

/in , /by

Let’s talk about our Pregnancy Verification Session. 🙂

The Pregnancy Verification Ultrasound starts at eight weeks gestation. Here’s why!

If you are like us, the first thing you want to see when you find out you are pregnant is your little baby and his or her heartbeat. You call your doctor and they typically want you to wait until you are between ten and twelve weeks before they have you come in for an appointment. Sometimes that wait can seem like forever! You may feel a combination of excitement, and maybe even a little nervousness wanting to see the baby and hear the heartbeat! You do some research and find out that Fetal Fotos does ultrasound sessions at eight weeks. But does it really matter if you are eight weeks, or can you come in earlier?!

It does matter. 🙂 Before eight weeks at the doctor’s office they use a vaginal probe to see the baby and the heartbeat. Here at Fetal Fotos, we only use an abdominal probe and in most cases eight weeks is the earliest we are able to see the baby and verify a heartbeat. By eight weeks the baby is measuring .63 inches long and is the size of a raspberry. In most cases by eight weeks we are able to clearly see your growing baby and their heartbeat. We want you to be able to come in as soon as you can but we also don’t want you to worry if we aren’t able to see the baby yet because you aren’t quite far enough along. There are many factors that go into being able to see the baby early on in the pregnancy, but once you hit eight weeks, you’re at a perfect time to come in and see your baby and listen to the heartbeat.

When you are ready to schedule and come in for your appointment, you will be asked to keep your bladder full. Pregnancy Verification ultrasounds are the only sessions we ask for you to do this. You don’t need to drink a whole bunch of water before your appointment, just don’t use the restroom right before you come in, and you should be fine! Keeping a full bladder gives us the best chance to see your baby during this early stage.

People are often surprised how much we are able to see during the Pregnancy Verification ultrasounds. At eight weeks, you are able to see the baby and a heartbeat. Around 10 weeks, you will start to see small movements, and by 12 weeks you can see a clear profile, fingers, toes, and usually lots of wiggling!  It’s an exciting time to be able to see your baby and the beginning stages of growth and development. We love being able to provide this early ultrasound service, and for you to start bonding with your new baby.

Xoxo

Fetal Fotos 

Our Story

/in /by

Welcome to our very first blog post! We are super excited to start this and give you a more behind the scenes look into the American Fork Fetal Fotos, answer your questions, and get to know us (Chelsea and Kira) on a more personal level.

Fetal Fotos Story

We wanted to start with some back story on how and why we became the owners of Fetal Fotos in American Fork! I (Chelsea) am actually Kira’s Aunt, but you would never know because we are only four months apart in age. I grew up in Los Angeles, California and Kira in Utah County, Utah. Because we lived so far from each other growing up we didn’t really have a close relationship. As we grew a little bit older, into our early teenage years we became pen pals and wrote each other letters, and emails. After graduating high school, Kira moved to California for a summer, where we decided we would both move back to Utah and go to beauty school together. Kira pursued Esthetics, while I did Cosmetology.  Once we finished our hours and graduated I went on to do cosmetology for the next 10 years, and Kira decided to switch career paths after finding a job at the Fetal Fotos in Murray. In the years to come she had four babies but continued to work a couple of shifts each month because she loved it too much to leave. In 2017, they were looking for a new technician, and Kira suggested that I come work part time with her. I ended up loving it, and worked part time doing hair, and part time at Fetal Fotos Utah for a couple of years.

The process of buying the business started in November of 2019. Kira called me after she had finished a shift at Fetal Fotos in Murray. She had learned that the American Fork Fetal Fotos was going up for sale and asked if I wanted to be business partners!  I was completely on board! We had no idea how we were going to accomplish this, but over the next few months we spent countless hours working on how to improve and grow the business, looking for a new location to make it what we envisioned, negotiating, learning the ropes of the business side of things, designing, ect.  After nearly five months of back and forth and lots of miracles we were able to close a deal, and became the owners of the American Fork Fetal Fotos Utah in April of 2020.

So why did we do it?! The short answer is.. Our love for Fetal Fotos, and YOU!  In our years of working at the Murray location we have been able to meet so many amazing women and hear their different experiences and stories on how they became a mom. Stories of loss, infertility, adoption, surrogacy, surprise pregnancies, IVF, multiples, baby number 6, 7, 8 ,10…., we love it all. We love to see your sweet babies move and the excitement it brings to your family. We grieve with you when there is a baby that is lost, and we share in your joy when you finally get your little boy or your little girl you have been yearning for! It makes our day when your little ones become a big brother or a big sister and they are so excited to see their new sibling. We love when you get to hear the baby’s heartbeat for the first time after weeks that feel like years of waiting! Our whole purpose is you!! You have made us better women, and you have made us better moms. As part of our mission, we hope to connect you with other women and know that you are never alone in your worries, excitements, challenges and your journey of learning and growing each day as a mom.

We knew when we started this whole process that we wanted to provide a place where women could come and feel comfortable and taken care of no matter what stage of life they were currently in. During pregnancy our Ultrasound Sessions allow you to bring your family and bond with your new baby. We love seeing your families, and for you to be able to share that special moment with them. Our massage services have expanded to include anyone, pregnant or not, to be able to come in and relax and destress. We strongly believe in the power of self care and the need to take time for yourself. We have also added our newborn photography studio, which we are really excited about! We have seen your babies in the womb for a long time, but to see them after birth has been so exciting for us. We have two local photographers who come into the studio and do an incredible job!

People say to us all the time, “You must love your job!” and each time we can honestly answer, we really do have the best job ever. We hope you feel connected, cared for, and have a personalized experience each time you come into Fetal Fotos Utah. We feel strongly that we are supposed to use this business to make a difference in our community and to also help women and children around the world. We have big dreams, and none of it would be possible without the support of the women in our community.

 

We love what we are creating together, and cannot wait to see what the future holds!

Xoxo

 

Chelsea