The scan that lets you HOLD your baby before the birth

It may not be every pregnant woman's cup of tea (a bit too lifelike for some?) but Katie says her service is proving very popular.

"We have got a lot of bookings from people coming in just because they want the 3D model," she says. "It can be framed, or be a stand-up model, and it comes in different sizes."

The models are created from a 3D baby scan which is rendered into a 360° format and then printed off using a special 3D printer. You typically have to wait a week to get your hands on the model as private clinics tend to not own the equipment themselves.

Your model also won't come cheap – Baby:Boo charges £150 for the service.

Layla MacMillan (above), currently 6 months pregnant, was one of the first customers to use the service at the Baby:Boo clinic. “It's an amazing idea," she says. "Having images and a DVD of your baby is one thing, but having a real model to hold is so unique. It is a lovely keepsake and we will treasure it, and enjoy showing it to our family and friends.”

These 3D models-from-scans are currently only on offer at a few private clinics but we think it won't be long till they're available at many more. And the news made us remember the video campaign (see above) that Huggies Brazil recently ran, capturing the moment of sheer joy when a blind mum-to-be was surprised with a similar 3D model of her scan – when all she was expecting was to be told that her baby was healthy.

So what do you think of the whole idea? Would you pay for one or does it make you feel a bit uncomfortable?

Read more:

• 4D baby scan shows scary face
• Mum-to-be sees grans face in scan
• Kate Silverton announces pregnancy with thumbs up scan pic