It’s normal for parents to fret about how older siblings are going to react when the new baby arrives. You might find yourself up at night wondering how they’ll adjust to sharing your attention and whether they’ll see the new arrival as a friend or foe.
One lovely way to start your child’s relationship with their little brother or sister is to bring them along to a pre-natal scan. Many clinics allow children as guests to accompany their adults for a magical experience.
Child-friendly surroundings
It would be understandable to feel hesitation about bringing your child into a medical environment but private clinics don’t often feel like hospitals. Although there will be some technical equipment around, ultrasound clinics should be a calm, happy place for families to meet their new little one.
Have a look through the reviews or website for your chosen clinic to find out if they allow visiting children and what they provide. Look out for spacious scan rooms for wiggly little ones, toy areas in the waiting room and references to how the staff interact with visiting big brothers and sisters.
A joyful first meeting
There are lots of ways to help older siblings get excited about a new arrival, but bringing them to a scan is unique in giving them the chance to actually meet the baby! Many sonographers are wonderful at getting children involved in the scan, helping to make them really feel a part of the changes happening in their family.
Depending on how far along the pregnancy is, siblings may be able to hear the baby’s heartbeat, see different parts of the new arrival, watch them move and ask questions. If you choose a 4D scan, everyone will also get to see a crystal clear image of the new baby’s face. It can help to transform a situation that might have felt like a mysterious part of their future into something real and exciting.
Discover the gender together
Why not bring older siblings along to a gender reveal scan? The party atmosphere of these can feel more like an event and form a fun first memory for your child to make with their new sibling.
Not only will they get to see the baby but they’ll get to join in the excitement of finding out whether to expect a brother or a sister!
A chance to bond
You might have shown your little one pictures or videos taken at your previous scans, but you already know the special bonding experience of interacting with the new baby in real time.
Giving your child or children a chance to experience this too can help them to start a relationship with their new sibling before they even arrive. The baby’s birth will be a thrilling time but it’s also often a time of routine changes and big emotions for the whole family. Giving your child a chance to bond while everything still feels quite normal can help this life transition to go more smoothly later on.
Bring home a souvenir
Many clinics offer child-friendly gifts to take home with you after your appointment. A video of the scan can give you an excuse to re-live the experience once you’re home and have a more intimate family chat about the new baby.
The big brother-or-sister-to-be could also help you to choose supplies for a home gender reveal party – another great way to get them involved in the baby preparations.
Scan gifts can provide a great talking point as you discuss the new baby with older siblings in an age-friendly way. They can also help your child to bring up all the exciting changes happening in their family with friends and the other adults in their lives.
Bringing older siblings to Imaginatal
We love to welcome older siblings at Imaginatal’s bright, welcoming ultrasound clinics in Bristol and Gloucester.
We offer scans from 6-42 weeks, including in 4D, and allow up to two children as guests each time. We make a point of involving the whole family in meeting the new baby to create a memorable bonding experience.
Our cinematic screens make the experience a real event and, on request, we can turn gender reveal scans into small family parties – complete with balloons and colour-changing light effects!
We also offer a variety of gifts including cuddly teddy bears which play the baby’s heartbeat.
Find out more about the services we offer here.