NEW YORK, Feb 11 — Maarja is getting yet another ultrasound. She says pregnancy has felt like one long doctor’s visit.

 “I didn’t want to remember my pregnancy as just doctors’ visits and tests and weighing and measuring. I wanted to turn it into something emotional to be remembered by my family and me.”

With that goal in mind she turned to technology and ordered up a 3D printed sculpture of her unborn baby.

Already popular in Japan and the United States, 3D printed foetuses are now proving popular with expectant mothers in Estonia—where Timmu Toke of Wolfprint 3D has set up shop.

 “And what we’re trying to do, we’re trying to create a very positive emotion for them, as a memory of this magical time.”

Wolfprint use ultrasound scans to generate a replica of the baby and then 3D print it using plaster.

Gynaecologist Marek Sois says that in some cases, these sculptures aren’t just a new type of novelty. They could help surgeons plan out procedures for babies born with physical deformities.

 “It is possible to see face malformations, such as a cleft lip. It would be good to show colleagues that it is this kind of a defect or for surgeons when the child goes into surgery, the surgeon can look at the sculpture and see exactly what kind of a defect it is.”

Maarja says that if a 3D printed sculpture can give her so much joy - she can hardly imagine what it will be like to hold her real baby in the months to come. — Reuters

Already popular in Japan and the United States, 3D printed fetuses are now proving popular with expectant mothers in Estonia. — Reuters pic