Surprising in the doctor’s office—that is, the number of patients who describe their first “Chubby Cheeks Ultrasound Sparks” ultrasound experience as Heart pounding, you are seated there staring at the grainy black-and- white screen. Then, wha—those cheeks! Like fluffy marshmallows pressed against a glass window, they nearly seem appetizing.
Parents started giggling uncontrollably. Technicians smile. Nobody expects to see that degree of slosh. Though they seem little, ultrasonic rooms unexpectedly burst with happiness. Parents and expecting women grab their phones. Text messages, memes, and fuzzy pictures fly to Grandparents. Try showing your far-off uncle abroad “chubby cheeks before birth.” There is a conversational starter right now.
Why do certain fetuses flaunt off those perfect cheeks? As it happens, genes and fat deposits rule everything. Your baby’s appearance after birth can be first hinted at by these cheeks. Some claim that nature is preparing you for hours of cheek-pinching and infant selfies. Children’s doctors gently grin. Unless you are the one attempting to keep your hands to yourself, they know fat cheeks are not cause for concern.
Let us, however, momentarily discuss science. Ultrasound equipment bounce sound waves off the infant to operate. high frequency, safe material. Those cheeks become even more noticeable as their filling out generates more shadow and contrast. Little faces start to take shape. Some round. Several have points. But everything gets cuter as cheeks start to show.
Still, responses range from extreme to mild. Some folks start to cry. Others question whether their newborn has no nose and just all cheeks. One nurse recently told me that based just on the cheeks, new parents ask “How much does baby weigh?” Bonus: ultrasounds may present false impressions. Not usually does a heavy newborn result from those marshmallow faces. Sometimes the perspective is simply the angle. There are moments when one dreams wishfully.
Of course, the “cheek reveal” doesn’t grab all the focus. Families still slink forward, counting small toes and waiting for that yawn or stretch flash. To be honest, though, it’s contagious when faces take front stage. People recall the day cheeks first started to show even on difficult days. As he left, one father said, “Guess we have a family nickname already—Chipmunk.”
These ultrasounds put memories into your back pocket beyond the giggles. You go from the clinic mentally smiling and designing a nursery with clouds. You share with everyone your small one’s “first selfie.” You start secretly seeing cheeks all over again—at the grocery store, in baby swings, even peering out from swaddling wraps.
Should “chubby cheeks” show on your ultrasonic scan, smile broadly. Those soft tiny clouds suggest the next explosion of taste in life. And that is a spark everyone can value cheek to cheek.