Recently, my wife and I have been discussing 3D ultrasounds. We never got one with our daughter, but we have been giving it more serious consideration this time around, partly because this may be our last child, so we really want to capture the moments.

We have already had three regular ultrasounds (and if her pregnancy with our daughter is any indication, several more before all is said and done) and have images from each. The thing is, we have a few images from my daughter’s ultrasounds, and we rarely look at them anymore.

Our friends who have gotten the 3D ultasounds swear by them, and say that they are totally worth the investment. (In Canada, a 3D ultrasound can run upwards of $500, depending on duration, number of DVDs, prints, etc.) However, I wonder how many of them watch the DVD or look at the images now that they have the child.

Logically, some people would argue that they are akin to baby pictures, and while parents of a one year old are unlikely to look at baby pictures, they will definitely look at them when that baby is a ten year old. However, I would suspect that part of our attachment to the baby photos comes from our experiences that are captured in the images. We look back and remember that time, whereas when we see a 3D ultrasound, we don’t have memories of seeing the baby like that regularly.

For those readers with children: did you get a 3D ultrasound done? Was it worth the investment? Do you watch it often? And for those expecting: are you considering a 3D ultrasound? What factors will impact your decision?

You can read more SciFi Dad at Tales From The Dad Side.