Is it a girl or a boy? This might be the first question that came to your mind when you found out you were expecting a baby, and it is a question you will be asked a lot throughout your pregnancy. However, while you might be curious about your baby’s gender from the moment you receive your test results, learning your baby’s gender takes a little longer. When can you expect to hear the big news and how will it be delivered?
When Can You Find Out the Gender of Your Baby?
The prenatal tests or screenings you had depended on the response. During a level 2 ultrasound or anatomical scan, women with healthy, uncomplicated pregnancies can usually find out the sex of their baby around 20 weeks.
If your clinician has advised you to do prenatal tests to look for chromosomal abnormalities, you may get results a little earlier, perhaps as early as 9 weeks.
Do you prefer to be shocked when giving birth? Even though ultrasounds and other prenatal tests can reveal the gender of your baby, you don’t have to be told the big news. Just let your doctor or ultrasound technician know so they don’t accidentally spill the grains during your exam or when sharing your results.
How Do You Know the Baby’s Gender?
An ultrasound done about halfway through your pregnancy can tell you whether you’re expecting a boy or a girl, and specific tests that look for chromosomal abnormalities can also tell you the news a little earlier.
Ultrasound Scan
Your baby’s genitals will begin to separate around the seventh week of your pregnancy. An ultrasound can show a baby’s gender at week 14. An ultrasound technician, on the other hand, might have a hard time telling if the baby is a boy or a girl at this point. Doctors generally advise waiting until weeks 19 to 20 for an anatomical ultrasound to reveal the correct gender. Be sure to tell your ultrasound technician that you want your baby’s gender revealed so they can look for some specific ultrasound signs, such as the presence or absence of a penis when you have your ultrasound.
Even at this point in your baby’s development, an ultrasound may not be sure to reveal your baby’s gender, especially if your baby is in a position that hides their genitals or if you are expecting twins. It may be necessary to have a second ultrasound in some situations.
Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing (NIPT)
Your doctor may order a blood test for a non-invasive prenatal test from the 9th week of pregnancy (NIPT). Trisomy 13, trisomy 18 and Down’s syndrome are among the chromosomal abnormalities detected by NIPT. During this test, the doctor examines the placental DNA in your blood to see if your child has a higher risk of developing a genetic condition. If your NIPT results are positive, you will need to do more testing.
Fetal sex can be identified by looking for the male Y chromosome in DNA analyzed by the doctor because your baby’s chromosomes are present in DNA. Your baby will be a girl if you are not present.
Chorionic Villus Sampling (CVS)
Chorionic villus sampling (CVS) is an invasive prenatal test in which your doctor extracts chorionic villi from your placenta and assesses them for chromosomal diseases, including sickle cell anaemia or Tay-Sachs syndrome. CVS can be performed by your doctor as early as the 10th week of your pregnancy.
CVS is only done if your prenatal tests are positive, as is amniocentesis. This test can help you determine the sex of your baby, but it also has negative consequences. As a result, it shouldn’t be done just to determine gender.
Gender Prediction Tests
Even if you’re just guessing, there’s still a lot of fun taking a variety of gender prediction tests. Some believe that a mother’s appetite during pregnancy may indicate sex with sweets, indicating that a daughter is on the way. Unfortunately, there is no scientific proof to support these claims. If you want to guess your baby’s gender while you wait for the ultimate reveal through the methods mentioned above, or if you are old-fashioned during the birth itself, you can get a blood kit from gender prediction.
Amniocentesis
If you choose to take NIPT and you get a positive result, your doctor will most likely schedule an amniocentesis (or “amnio”) test to monitor the results. Amniotic fluid is taken in this procedure to check for fetal abnormalities (such as cystic fibrosis or spina bifida). Amnion is usually done between 15 and 20 weeks of pregnancy and can accurately establish the gender of your baby. These tests, however, carry dangers and should not be used solely to establish the sex of your baby.
In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)
If you opt for in vitro fertilization (IVF), you can know the sex of your baby from the start of the process (s). There are additional charges associated with this screen, but results are guaranteed.
Learn More
Pregnancy is such a great time in your life, and determining your baby’s gender can be one of the most exciting parts of it. To make an appointment with your doctor and learn more about revealing your baby’s gender, call The Bump2Baby Scans now at +44 (116) 403-0211.
