Before Ava was born we went to get a 4D ultrasound done and I was
really excited to see not only my at-the-time future daughter but also
the tech aspect of how we were going to be seeing her. 4D ultrasound
is one of the neatest of what I would call "layman technologies" that
the general population has access (in which of course you pay for, but
at least can schedule almost any time) to from the fairly sophisticated devices most cities have, but that you generally need a Doc to 'ask' you to get examined by.
If you have ever seen a 4D movie or played with an image, it really is
just absolutely jaw dropping the amount of detail that you can see.
When we went to get a 4D taken of Ava we were very lucky to have a good
technical op in the room with us. The appointments can cost anywhere
from $300+ and 'generally' when you schedule one, you are paying no
matter how the pictures come out. With Ava her placenta was actually
at the front of Lindz's stomach which did not allow the 4D device a
good view. The tech noted this very quickly and gave us the option to
back out (saving our $300) because she felt like we were not going to
get a good view of Ava. Regardless, while we sat there I remember
thinking to myself, "I wonder if any of the Doctors (male or female)
ever get a wild streak and get their significant other into this room
to 'make a movie'. I don't mean that in the erotic sense, but just for the purposes of seeing what it looks like
from the 'outside in', for both the sake of curiosity and to see if the tech would actually record it. The device was a little handheld device that
looked just like a normal ultrasound device, so I figured it wouldn't
be too complicated if not just a little weird and cold (both device and
people), but still it would be pretty cool to see it in 4D.
Low
and behold Mary Roach had the same idea, and I am sure there is
probably a chapter or two dedicated to it in her new book Bonk: The
Curious Coupling of Science and Sex. As soon as I finish Love and Sex with
Robots, this is on my reading list and I am sure will spawn multiple blog posts.
Books @ MaryRoach.net
