28 Week Scan
The third trimester begins, and the 4D HD Live bonding window opens. Baby's face is fully formed, eyes can blink, and there's still plenty of room to move. The single best window for keepsake imagery.
Quick Answer
At 28 weeks, baby is roughly 38cm long and weighs around 1kg. The face is fully formed with subcutaneous fat for soft features, eyes can open and blink for the first time, the brain is developing rapidly, and lungs are practising breathing motions. This is the sweet spot of the 24–34 week 4D HD Live window: baby has filled out enough for photorealistic facial features but isn't yet so cramped that getting a clear view becomes difficult. At Numi Scan Gateshead, our 4D Baby Scan is £78 and the Luxury 4D Baby Scan is now £135 (reduced from £145).
What's Happening at 28 Weeks
Twenty-eight weeks is the official start of the third trimester and a developmental turning point. Your baby is roughly the size of an aubergine, around 38 centimetres from head to heel, weighing approximately 1 kilogram. The dramatic structural development of the first two trimesters is essentially complete. From here onwards, the work is mostly growth, lung maturation, and the deep brain development that will continue for years after birth.
This is also the week the eyes open for the first time. Until 28 weeks the eyelids have been fused shut, protecting the developing retinas. Now they're physically capable of opening and closing, and baby will spend much of the third trimester practising: blinking, focusing on the dim light that filters through your abdominal wall, even responding to bright torches held against your bump. The lungs are producing surfactant, the substance that allows the alveoli to inflate and deflate properly after birth, and baby is making practice breathing motions even though there's no actual air to breathe yet.
Externally, baby has filled out beautifully. Where 20-week babies looked thin and slightly bony, 28-week babies are soft and rounded, with enough subcutaneous fat to give the face the kind of cherubic appearance most parents hope to see. The brain is developing folds and grooves at a tremendous rate, and the hair on the head is now usually visible on a 4D scan. Most mothers can feel strong, regular movement by now: kicks, stretches, hiccups, and the unmistakable rhythm of baby's sleep-wake cycle.
Why 28 Weeks Is the 4D Sweet Spot
4D HD Live bonding scans depend on three factors lining up: subcutaneous fat (so baby's face has soft, recognisable features rather than looking gaunt), amniotic fluid volume (so we have a clear acoustic window between the probe and baby's face), and room to manoeuvre (so we can find a position where baby's face isn't pressed against the placenta or the spine). All three factors are at their best between 24 and 34 weeks, and 28 weeks sits right in the middle.
Earlier, at 22 or 23 weeks, there isn't enough fat under the skin yet, so the rendered face looks gaunt and bony. The 4D imagery technically works but doesn't deliver the soft baby-face most parents are picturing. Later, at 35 or 36 weeks, there's plenty of fat, but baby is now so big that there's less amniotic fluid and less room to find a good face-up position. Many third-trimester babies spend this period with their face pressed against the placenta or with hands and feet in front of the face.
If you can only book one 4D scan, 28 weeks is the gestation we'd recommend. If you'd like the most flexibility, booking with the understanding that you can rebook within the 24–34 week window if baby isn't cooperative is the right approach, and our policy is to never charge twice for a scan where baby's position prevented us getting clear imagery first time round. For the standard 30-minute experience choose the 4D Baby Scan; for an extended 45-minute keepsake package the Luxury 4D Baby Scan is the upgrade.
Scan Packages for Week 28
4D Baby Scan
24–34 weeks
30-minute 4D HD Live appointment. Photos, digital images, USB and written report included.
View package →Luxury 4D Baby Scan
24–34 weeks
Extended 45-minute scan with the full keepsake package: multiple prints, USB with session recording, premium photo formats.
View package →Growth & Presentation Scan
From 24 weeks
Detailed clinical scan with full growth measurements, baby's position, fluid level, placenta location: the 2D late-pregnancy reassurance option alongside (or instead of) a 4D scan.
View package →Book Your 28 Week 4D Scan
The single best window for 4D HD Live bonding imagery. CQC-regulated, experienced and registered sonographers, latest GE Voluson Expert HD Live equipment.
Frequently Asked Questions
It's the start of the optimal window. The peak window for 4D HD Live bonding scans is 24–34 weeks, and 28 weeks sits right in the middle. Earlier than 24 weeks, baby has very little subcutaneous fat and the rendered face looks bony rather than the soft baby-face most parents are hoping for. Later than 34 weeks, baby is increasingly cramped (often facing the spine or with hands in front of the face), which can make it hard to get a clear view. At 28 weeks baby has filled out beautifully and there's still plenty of amniotic fluid and room to move.
A 4D HD Live scan at 28 weeks shows photorealistic, moving footage of your baby's face: eyes closed, often with hands or fingers near the face, sometimes yawning or appearing to smile. The 'HD Live' technology renders the imagery with realistic lighting, soft pink-orange skin tones, and three-dimensional depth that looks remarkably like an actual photograph rather than the harsher older 4D imagery you might remember from a decade ago. You'll also see baby's body, hands, feet, and any movement happening in real time.
Our 4D Baby Scan is a 30-minute appointment, and our Luxury 4D Baby Scan package is a 45-minute appointment. The actual scanning time is shorter (typically 15–20 minutes once we have a good view), but we schedule longer appointments because baby may need a few minutes to move into a cooperative position. If baby is initially facing the spine or has hands in the way, we'll usually have you walk around for a few minutes, sip something cold, or wait for baby to shift.
It happens occasionally, particularly if baby is sleeping or in a stubborn position with hands or feet covering the face. We have a few proven techniques: a short walk around the clinic, a cold drink, lying on your side instead of your back, or simply waiting 10–15 minutes for baby to shift. If we still can't get a clear face shot we'll usually invite you back for a free recheck within 1–2 weeks. We never charge twice for the same scan if baby's position prevented us getting clear imagery first time round.
Numi Scan Gateshead offers two 4D options. Our 4D Baby Scan at £78 is the most popular: a 30-minute 4D HD Live appointment with photos, digital images by email and a USB. Our Luxury 4D Baby Scan is now £135 (reduced from £145): a 45-minute extended scan with multiple printed photo formats, a USB with full session recording, and additional keepsakes. Compared to the UK average for a private 4D scan (£99–£200, with London prices £180+), our pricing sits at the friendlier end. See the UK ultrasound cost guide for full context.
Absolutely, and we encourage it. The 4D scan is one of the most exciting moments of pregnancy and many families want grandparents and older siblings present. We comfortably accommodate Mum plus up to 7 guests in the room, with seating for everyone, and the screen is angled so the whole family can see. Children are particularly welcome at the 4D scan, and many older siblings find it transformative to see their little brother or sister 'for real' before birth.
Yes. 4D ultrasound uses the same low-intensity sound waves as 2D ultrasound: there is no radiation, no contrast dye, and over 50 years of safety evidence in pregnancy. We follow recognised ultrasound safety guidelines and the A.L.A.R.A. principle (As Low As Reasonably Achievable), keeping scan time and intensity to the minimum needed for the clinical or imaging goal. The 4D rendering is done by computer software interpreting the standard ultrasound signal, not by a stronger or different signal.