'Ultrasound Parties': Are Pregnant Moms Oversharing or Simply Overjoyed?

You may soon be getting an invite to a new kind of event

Social media have allowed active Internet users to perfect, and maybe even abuse, the art of oversharing. So it seems inevitable that, with this new trend, offering "TMI" has headed offline straight into our homes.

Just as the recently married can exercise the right to show  "morning-after" photos to their (likely frightened) wedding parties, pregnant couples can now invite family and friends to see their baby in utero at an "Ultrasound Party."

With the assistance of companies that provide the ultrasound machine and a licensed technician, expectant parents and their guests can learn the gender of the baby-to-be from the comfort of a living room. 

[Are Obese Pregnant Women Getting the Right Advice?]

If it sounds intrusive, Teena Gold and Christy Foster assure it's better than being impersonal. The founders of Baby Face and More offer the viewing of an in-home 30-minute scan session for $300. “It’s more of an experience and less of an in-and-out procedure," they told TODAY. "This way gets you out of that clinic setting." (Indeed, we've learned OB/GYN exams can be a hurried five to 15 minutes).

The duo may be on to something. From November 2011 to April 2012, nearly 2,000 videos of gender reveal parties were posted to YouTube, according to the New Yorker.

Still, Deena Blumenfeld, a lamaze-certified childbirth educator and prenatal yoga instructor, says an ultrasound can harm the baby.

"When used properly, an ultrasound will give you a biophysical profile of baby and can diagnose visible defects," she said.  "Although it may seem to be a benign peek into the womb, it has some risks."

Blumenfeld pointed out that ultrasounds produce heat and vibration, which raise concerns about its overuse on a baby's brain and the potential impact on the development of other organs. Because the long-term side effects are unknown, she said their use should be limited.