Blind Mom 'Sees' Unborn Baby For First Time Thanks to 3D Ultrasound

For many parents, seeing the ultrasound of their child can be an important part of the pregnancy experience. But what if one (or both) of the parents are blind? Now, thanks to 3D ultrasound technology, blind parents, too, can “see” their baby in utero.

This video, created by Huggies, shows what it’s like for one mother, Tatiana Guerra, to feel her unborn child’s face for the first time. In the promo, Guerra, who lost her vision at 17, comes in for an ultrasound and goes from hearing a description of what the baby looks like to actually feeling its face after a 3D printer finishes creating a touchable likeness of the baby’s head.

Is this video emotionally manipulative? Absolutely. But it’s also difficult not to be happy for Guerra and to think of how this technology can continue to be used to give other blind moms and dads the ability to take part in their unborn child’s progress. And you can’t help but feel happy for Guerra when she touches her baby’s face for the first time because—even though I’m not in the market for Huggies— it’s also impossible to begrudge Guerra this moment.

CBS reports that the 3D ultrasound machines are becoming more popular in hospitals and while they’re excellent for creating keepsakes like the one Guerra has of her future baby Murillo, experts warn that they shouldn’t be used for non-medical purposes. That means no 3D print of what you just had for lunch. (Sad.)