The procedure of ultrasound is simple and painless: the sonographer places the scanner on the abdomen or in the vagina, and the image of the baby appears on the screen. Although not everyone can interpret the black and white images on the screen, even the untrained eye can see the tiny heart-beat of the developing baby, and see its movements inside the womb. Many times it's possible to see the baby yawning, breathing or sucking its thumb.

Studies have shown that ultrasound is safe for the fetus.