I nearly yailed the first time I saw a 3D baby ultrasound. There it was, a small face with closed eyelids that suggested the tiniest of a smile or maybe a pouting. Seeing your child before they even put their small nose into daylight is just wonderfully sci-fi. These pictures appeal to the curiosity of a parent. Forget the old black-and- white blurbs, ghostlike. These days, you find images that almost fit a newborn album straight forwardly.

Let’s clear the air: 3D ultrasounds are not only flashy technology for social media bragging rights. People enjoy showing those first fuzzy faces, of course, but the benefits go beyond mere vanity. Imagine grandparents gathered around a monitor, jaws dropped in wonder at a baby’s cheek chub already forming. Before the first diaper is ever changed, it draws families together.

The bit on science is neat. Standard scans produce narrow, cross-section views. Three-dimensional technology stacks to create a larger portrait. It is like going from a line drawing to a pop-up book. Sometimes parents can see a dimple, a chin, maybe even a little toe that resists straightening. It crafts narratives. Grinning ear to ear, someone could add, “Look at that nose, just like Uncle Eddie’s!”

Some people find that seeing so much, so soon shocks them. That makes sense. Indeed, magic is just waiting here. This glimpse offers invaluable relief, nevertheless, for nervous parents looking for two waving hands or a strong pulse. Also useful for doctors are the detailed pictures. If something seems off, an early visit can mean speedier treatment down-stream.

Time is of the essence, though. Pop in about 26 to 32 weeks; the images are clearer. Too early, and the infant seems to be a mysterious blur. Too late, and things get packed, leaving faces muzzled like marshmallows in the bottom of a mug.

Like in any gadget-filled sector, there are arguments raging around these scans. Some clinics sell them as absolutely necessary mementos. Others focus on their clinical goal. My opinion is If you are thinking about one, probe. And bring tissues. When you see a barely-there smile or a small clinched fist, you could find yourself blubbing.

A friend once likened her experience to seeing a movie teaser: everything is a fleeting glimpse with optimism but oh-so-brief. That sort of captures the essence. When your baby arrives, 3D baby ultrasounds cannot substitute the significant revelation. For those months that plod by, it does, however, offer a glimpse, twitchy anxieties and all. And, a little magic in these times is not such a horrible thing.