When can you find out the sex of our growing baby?

[dreamingbeauty]

Hi all,

I know there is probably a thread somewhere here on the forum, but baby brain has set in and I've gone stupid! So please forgive me if this sounds dumb! Anyway, at what stage can you find out the sex of your baby? Can you do a blood/urine test, or is it only confirmed by an US?

Thanks ladies

[Manhattan]

Hi Dreaming Beauty, and congrats on your pregnancy. Generally you can find out at your 20 week u/s, or there is a urine test called intelligender (i think) which you can do from 8 weeks. Not sure about the accuracy of it though, and think its quite pricey. So I think your best bet is to wait for the 20 week scan. How exciting for you!

[DaintreeDream]

:yeahthat: I would wait for the 18-20 weeks scan and hope that your little one co-operates. I have heard of alot of incorrect results being given on those intelligender kits, I don't think that they are worth the very expensive price tag.

[nickle730]

It is possible to determine gender by US from 14-15 weeks in most cases, but US are usually not performed until the gross morphology US at 19-20 weeks (although some OB's do them in their rooms at each consult.). Determining gender by US is reliant on bubs cooperation - he or she needs to be in a position where the bits between the legs can be seen! Gender determined by US is not always accurate, as many women will attest! The technician will usually tell you how sure they are.

Gender can be determined definitively by amniocentesis which tests bubs DNA... however, amnio would not be offered solely for the purpose of gender determination. I have heard of a lady being told after amnio that she was having a girl... turns out they tested her (mum's) DNA instead of bubs and she had a boy!

At this time, it is not possible to determine bubs gender by urine analysis or blood test. I do recall reading about a test being developed though for one or the other (can't remember which!).
ETA: maybe it's already available!

Good luck, and congrats on the pregnancy!

[dreamingbeauty]

Thanks ladies for your help. I can't wait for that 20 week U/S!!!!! YAY!!!!

[Gabrielle&Emersyn]

predictions can be made from about 14 weeks onward, but I know that over here in NZ, u/s techs very rarely say anything until the 20w anatomy/morphology scan, because by that point it is usually quite obvious, whereas earlier, the penis & clitoris look very much alike & are easily mistaken

You can also find out via CVS & Amnio (genetic testing), which are done around 10 & 16 (?) weeks, but neither of those tests will be done, solely to find out the sex of the baby.

[Tanya]

If you get an experienced sonographer who knows about early gender determination they can give you a very good chance of knowing at 12 weeks But if they aren't experienced at very early gender determination 15-16 weeks is probably better.

All babies have a genital protrusion and at 14 weeks girls can still look like boys.

[Visitor8]

I found out Ash was a boy at the 13 week scan My sonographer said it looks like I am having a boy, but to check at the 20 weeks scan to be 100% sure. Sure enough, he was a boy

[scarypinkfairy]

i wanted to add a few comments, there is a test being developed, and it has been very successful at determining the sex by a blood test from about 5 weeks. basically it looks for the presence of a Y chromosome in the blood, and if it's there you're having a boy. there is probably a lot of info about this on the web.
i know we are doing trials in the lab where i work, as for some people there is a risk of having a sex-linked genetic disorders. this test would be useful for them, and much safer than having an amnio or cvs.

i would also like to ask nickle730 if the lady who was told she was having a girl had the blood chromosomes done from her baby. it is possible to have 46,XX males (although rare). the chances of growing maternal cells in culture from an amnio is also rare, although i do know of it happening.