Reading 7 min. Views 14.9k. Published on 16.02.2019
Almost all future parents are interested in how long it is possible to determine the sex of the child. The most common questions from them are: is it possible to trust the results of ultrasound, are there any other scientific methods for determining, and is it worth trusting folk signs. We have prepared detailed answers to them in the article.
When can the gender of the baby be seen on an ultrasound?
The sex of the future baby depends on which sperm the egg was fertilized. If he "carried" the Y chromosome, then a boy will be born. If X is a girl.
The desire of young parents to know in advance the gender of the child is quite understandable. But do not hope that the first ultrasound confirming pregnancy will determine it.
Up to 13 weeks
The genitals of the unborn baby begin to form after. Up to this point, embryos of both sexes have only the so-called genital tubercle.
Subsequently, the scrotum and penis in a boy, labia, and clitoris in a girl will form from it.
This process will be completed by the end of the first trimester. But even in this case, determining the sex of the child using ultrasound will be difficult.
The first scheduled ultrasound screening is scheduled at the end of the first trimester. It should identify possible genetic abnormalities. It is rare that doctors determine whether a boy or a girl is worn by a future mother.
This is due to the fact that:
- the labia during this period are often swollen and easily confused with the scrotum;
- due to the small size of the embryo, a specialist may mistake a finger or an umbilical cord for a penis.
After 20 weeks
The answer to the burning question, which week you can find out the sex of the baby - starting from 15. But more reliable results will be from 22 to 27 weeks.
By this time, the pregnant woman is prescribed a second scheduled ultrasound examination. It should determine how harmoniously the fetus develops, whether there are any anomalies.
During an ultrasound, you can ask the doctor to determine if you are expecting a boy or a girl.
This is easier to do, since the baby is mobile, its size allows you to visualize all parts of the body well. The probability of error during this period is 10-15%.
It may be due to the inexperience of the diagnostician. As an option: the fetus can tightly close the legs and its genitals cannot be seen.
Late dates
After 37 weeks, the pregnant woman is sent for the third planned ultrasound. Its purpose is to determine the state of the placenta, the weight of the fetus.
Finding out the sex of the child at these times is harder. The reliability of the result will be 45 -65%.
This is due to the fact that the fetus becomes less mobile. It is easier for him to take a pose in which the genitals cannot be visualized. Breech presentation at this time makes it difficult to determine gender.
How else can you find out the sex of the baby
Additional studies that determine the gender of the child may be prescribed early in the event of threats of genetic abnormalities.
If ultrasound in the first trimester showed a high risk of developing Down syndrome, a chorionic biopsy is prescribed. During it, the DNA of the embryo is studied and, therefore, its gender can be found out.
But no doctor will prescribe such an examination just for the sake of finding out whether a girl or a boy is being born.
Determination of the sex of the child may be required if there is a predisposition to certain genetic diseases. For example, only boys suffer from hemophilia.
You can find out the sex of the child without an ultrasound by analyzing the mother's blood. It is not included in the mandatory examinations of a pregnant woman. But any private clinic conducts such tests.
The analysis can be carried out after. Its reliability will be 100%. In some cases, the test will have to be retaken due to the low concentration of embryonic DNA in the woman's blood.
A less accurate method to determine the gender of the fetus is the heart rate. It is believed that in girls the heart beats more often than 150-160 beats per minute. Boys have 130-140.
conception calendar
By the date of conception, you can calculate the sex of the child if you are 100% sure on which day it happened. This is easier to do for women who have planned pregnancy and specifically monitor the onset of ovulation. This can be done with the help of special tests or regular measurement of basal temperature.
The technique is associated with the mobility and "survivability" of different types of spermatozoa. So spermatozoa carrying the X chromosome are less mobile, but more resistant. And carriers of the Y chromosome are more active, but they die faster in the acidic environment of the vagina.
If fertilization occurred in the window of conception, two or three days before ovulation, then a girl will be born.
If you become pregnant on or after ovulation, you are more likely to have a boy.
Eastern wisdom
If you are close to astrology, then you can determine the sex of the child according to the Chinese conception calendar. It looks like in one of the columns, which indicates the possible age of a woman from 18 to 45 years.
Other columns indicate the month of the intended or planned conception. At the intersection of the return column and the month, the possible gender of the child is indicated.
To believe or not to such tables is a private matter for everyone. But it is always interesting to check their validity by experience.
The opinion of British scientists
In England and Wales, unusual studies have been carried out. Their results were published in the journal Nature. In their course, the influence of the difference in the age of the spouses on the sex of the firstborn was studied.
So, if in a couple a man was older by 5-10 years, then in most cases they had a boy first. If the spouse was older by 3-9 years, then in most families the firstborn was a girl.
Blood type method
Among the methods for calculating the sex of the unborn child, there is a method for the blood type and Rh factor of the parents.
But do not count on its 100% veracity. As with any near-scientific method, the probability of reliably knowing the sex of the baby is 50:50.
| Male blood group |
A woman's blood group |
|||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 1 | D | M | D | M |
| 2 | M | D | M | D |
| 3 | D | M | M | M |
| 4 | M | D | M | M |
Rh factor determination table
Folk omens
There are many signs to determine the sex of the unborn child. Sometimes with their help it is possible to guess the boy or girl you are expecting, sometimes not. You shouldn't take them seriously. Treat omens as entertainment.
In late pregnancy, most often a woman is faced with a theory about the shape of the abdomen and the sex of the child. Doctors say that it is determined by the structure of the muscles and the anatomy of the uterus.
But the notorious folk omens say:
- rounded belly when carrying a girl;
- somewhat pointed shape of the abdomen when expecting a boy.
A way to determine the sex of an unborn child by changing taste preferences. The bottom line is that if a woman is often drawn to sweets and pastries, she wears a girl. And if for meat and pickles - a boy.
The question of how to be mothers who want both of these remains open.
Signs confirming the expectation of a boy:
- increased appetite;
- the appearance of extra hairs on the body and face;
- frequent headaches;
- good condition of hair, nails, facial skin.
The probable possibility of bearing a girl is indicated by severe toxicosis at the beginning of pregnancy.
It is believed that if a woman swells a lot, the face suffers especially from this, then most likely she is expecting a girl. If the breasts have greatly increased in size (more than 9 cm), the likelihood of having a daughter is higher.
According to the first movements of the fetus, our ancestors also tried to determine the sex of the baby. You felt the first tremors on the right - you are waiting for your son. On the left is the daughter.
Conclusion
To determine whether you are expecting a boy or a girl, you can use a special analysis of the mother's blood. This is the most reliable method.
With a probability of up to 90%, an ultrasound scan made at 22-27 weeks of pregnancy will help in this matter.
Well, as entertainment, you can use folk signs.
Boy or girl? The answer to this question, future parents often want to get even before the birth of the baby. Thanks to the development of medical technology, today it is quite real. There is a reliable method - ultrasound.
Survey features
Not only expectant mothers, but also those who have undergone a health examination at least once in their lives already know what ultrasound is. However, its implementation during pregnancy has a number of features. So, the first examination is carried out transvaginally, this makes it possible to obtain maximum information. That is why ultrasound during pregnancy has become widespread throughout the world. The procedure is absolutely painless and safe for both the fetus and the mother..
To avoid the transmission of infections allows a condom worn over the sensor. However, it does not affect the quality of the received data.
With a transvaginal ultrasound, you do not need to drink water before the procedure, but in some cases, the doctor may recommend drinking about 0.5 liters of liquid before the first ultrasound in order to conduct an examination abdominally - through the abdominal wall.
The attending physician (with timely treatment for pregnancy) sends for the first ultrasound in the early stages - up to 14 weeks. For example, at a period of 10 or 13 weeks, when it is still impossible to discern the sex of the child. The fact is that the reproductive organs of the embryo begin to form at the 9th week of pregnancy. The doctor will be able to see most accurately whether the expectant mother of a child is male or female during the second study, which is carried out for a period of more than 15 weeks - at the second or third ultrasound.
In total, on the recommendation of the Ministry of Health, the expectant mother undergoes 3 ultrasound examinations - one in each trimester. The second time the procedure is carried out at 16-17, 19-21 or 22-23 weeks and abdominally, so as not to harm the child. By this time, the fetus is already of sufficient size, and the genitals, although they continue to form, are already clearly different. Therefore, the doctor can answer the question "boy or girl" with more confidence, and it becomes more difficult to confuse the sex of the child.
The third ultrasound is performed at later stages of pregnancy, as a rule, later than 27, 26 and 29 weeks - at 31.32, 33 or even 37 - it allows you to determine whether the child is developing normally, his height, weight and even some individual characteristics. For example, the shape of the face. In some cases, the doctor leading the pregnancy prescribes a third ultrasound at a slightly earlier date - 24 or 26-27 weeks. But even during this period, it is already much easier for a doctor to distinguish a boy from a girl. During the third study, it is easier to understand the sex of the child, since the baby is already almost fully formed.
How long does it take to determine gender?
Parents are concerned not only with gender, but also with the health of the child, and ultrasound allows you to determine whether the fetus is developing correctly. But when asked if they want to know the sex of the baby, the vast majority of parents answer in the affirmative. And, of course, do it as early as possible in order to decide on a name and prepare for the birth of a son or daughter. But the possibilities of modern medicine are not unlimited: the sex of the child on ultrasound can only be found out from a certain gestational age.
Parents often try to find out the sex of the baby during the first ultrasound examination, especially if for some reason it is carried out later than recommended by the Ministry of Health.
If the clinic has modern equipment and professional experience, the doctor can answer this exciting question with some degree of confidence even at the first ultrasound. But up to the 15th week, the information received will not be accurate due to the peculiarities of the formation of the reproductive system of the fetus. Therefore, next time, parents may find out that they are expecting not a boy, but a girl, or vice versa.
The sex of the child is laid at the time of conception and depends on the set of chromosomes that the embryo receives from the father:
- The X chromosome is "responsible" for the birth of a girl;
- Y-chromosome - boy.
It is impossible to change the baby's gender with the help of the future mother's diet, taking vitamins or in other ways, but it is difficult to accurately determine it before the 15th week of pregnancy. And the point is not only in the qualifications of the doctor or the capabilities of the equipment, but also in the features of the intrauterine development of the baby.
15 weeks roughly corresponds to 4 months of pregnancy. It is during this period that the sex of the child is determined with a sufficient degree of certainty. In the early stages, the probability of error is higher. The closer to childbirth, the better the child's genitals are visible on an ultrasound examination, and in a short time it is easier to confuse a boy and a girl. Even at 20, 22, 19 and 23 weeks you can make a mistake. Undoubtedly, the doctor can give the most accurate answer during an ultrasound scan in the third trimester.
Differences in the development of the genital organs
By week 11, the penis is formed from the genital tubercle in boys, and the scrotum is formed from the adjacent labioscrotal tubercles. The testicles (already formed) are still in the abdominal cavity and will descend at 7-8 months. But during this period, the size of the fetus is still very small, it reaches about 6 cm in length. And although in girls after 8 weeks large and small labia are formed, and the ovaries are visible inside the abdominal cavity, it is unlikely that the doctor performing the ultrasound will be able to confidently name the sex of the child with a 100% guarantee. The chance of error is too high.
And at a later date, it is quite difficult to determine a boy or a girl by looking at a monitor connected to an ultrasound machine.
Only a doctor with special qualifications can correctly interpret the image received from the transducer during an ultrasound examination. And with the help of a specialist and parents are able to distinguish clear differences.
At the first ultrasound in boys:
- larger and more pronounced genital tubercle;
- the angle between the body of the child and the genital tubercle is more than 30 degrees.
- quite noticeable linear folds and formations from which the penis and scrotum are formed.
At the first ultrasound in girls:
- small genital tubercle;
- the angle between it and the body is less than 30 degrees;
- several parallel folds from which large and small labia are formed.
Additional Features
In addition to visualization of the genital organs of the fetus, there are additional signs that allow you to confirm that the child belongs to the female or male sex. So, on ultrasound, the doctor measures the angle between the body and the genital tubercle. If this indicator is more than 30 degrees, then the probability of having a boy increases. If the measurements show an angle of less than 30 degrees, then most likely a girl is expected.
The second indirect sign of gender is skull shape: in future girls it is more rounded, in boys it is angular. Also, for representatives of the strong half of humanity, even at the stage of intrauterine development, a more square jaw is characteristic. The specialist also pays attention to how the umbilical cord looks, its diameter and volume of amniotic fluid. In most cases, when a boy is pregnant, the umbilical cord is denser and thicker, and there is more amniotic fluid.
There is a point of view that sex can be determined based on the location of the fetus and placenta. If the baby is to the right of the conditional midline, then the more likely the birth of a boy, to the left - a girl.
It is interesting that this sign echoes a folk sign that predicts the birth of a boy or a girl, depending on whether the “white line” is located to the left or to the right of the middle of the abdomen of the expectant mother - a strip of pigmented skin that appears during pregnancy. If the pigmented area on the skin of the abdomen (from the navel to the pubis) is slightly to the right, then a folk sign advises waiting for a son, and to the left - a daughter.
However, the reliability of this sign, as well as the location of the fetus, determined by ultrasound, when recognizing the sex of the baby, is still not backed by science. However, as a friend, the nuances regarding the shape of the abdomen, taste preferences and changes in the appearance of the expectant mother.
How often is ultrasound wrong in determining gender?
Mispredictions are not always avoidable. The statistics of ultrasound examinations show that boys are more often mistaken, and the probability of an incorrect prediction can reach 50%. A pen, knife, or umbilical cord loop is sometimes mistaken for the penis, especially if the child is moving. With girls, everything is more definite.
And, of course, the longer the period, the more accurately the gender is determined:
- first, the sex organs continue to form;
- secondly, the fetus becomes larger, and it is easier for the doctor to consider the necessary signs.
Therefore, it is more accurate to find out who will be born - a son or a daughter, parents will be able to do an ultrasound scan, which is performed in the third trimester.
The type of equipment used for testing also matters. Modern models of devices provide a clearer image, which not only reduces the likelihood of errors in sex determination, but also makes it possible to study the development of the fetus in more detail, to exclude possible pathologies.
The widely used method of 3D and 4D diagnostics is even more accurate, since a three-dimensional image of the baby is formed on the monitor and images, and in 4D it is colored. This allows you to consider not only the genitals, but (at a later date) the structure of the auricles and the oval of the face. Often parents can see who the baby looks like.
But, neither ultrasound, nor 3D and 4D diagnostics can give a 100% guarantee of determining the sex of a child. Some babies show character even before birth and stubbornly turn away from the sensor, not allowing the doctor to visualize signs of gender. In such cases, parents will have to wait until the baby is born.
To undergo an examination specifically to find out whether a boy or a girl will be born, doctors recommend only in cases where it depends the possibility of hereditary pathologies. For example, hemophilia is transmitted through the maternal line, but only men suffer from these diseases.
Ultrasound can be wrong. Sex determination is not the main purpose of the study. It is much more important to observe the development of the fetus in order to determine the possible pathology in time, and make every effort to eliminate it even before the birth of the child.
Almost all couples preparing to become parents are interested in: who will replenish their family - a son or a daughter? You can find out the sex of the unborn baby using ultrasound scanning, which is non-invasive and completely safe for the woman and her unborn child. In addition to revealing gender, the purpose of ultrasound is to recognize certain pathologies in the development of the fetus that appear due to chromosomal abnormalities.
Features of ultrasound diagnostics during pregnancy
A gynecologist writes a referral for ultrasound diagnostics to all pregnant women. Ultrasound is the most common, simple and painless way to monitor the state of the organisms of a woman and a child, to determine the existing defects in the development of a child. For the entire pregnancy, the expectant mother is expected to undergo three planned examinations: at 10-12 weeks, at 20-22 and at 30-32. Ultrasound scanning during these periods of gestation is mandatory and is performed for certain purposes.
Ultrasound for women carrying a baby is due to the following tasks:
- identify the potential threat of interruption of gestation;
- assess the likelihood of developing anomalies at the genetic level;
- identify possible birth defects;
- establish the condition and presentation of the baby in the womb.
When does the reproductive system begin to form in the fetus?
Often, women who want to become the mother of a child, namely a girl or a boy, try to plan sexual intercourse for a certain period. It is believed that for the birth of a girl, sexual intercourse must occur before ovulation occurs. On the day of ovulation, couples try to conceive a boy. But despite the desire of future parents to influence the sex of the child, beliefs and signs do not work in this case. The days of a woman's ovulation, diet, blood renewal and the age of partners do not at all affect whether a boy or a girl is born. The sex of the unborn child is completely dependent on male germ cells - spermatozoa. It is in them that the female set of chromosomes (XX) or male (XY) is laid.
The sex of the unborn baby is determined at conception. If the egg is fertilized by a sperm with the XX chromosome, the birth of a female child should be expected if the sperm contained the XY chromosome - male. A woman has no influence on gender planning at all. The chromosomes in a woman's set are always the same - XX.
After fertilization has occurred, DNA already contains information about the unborn child. Conception gives rise to cell division - this is how the embryo is formed. The formation of germ cells occurs at the fifth week of gestation, the formation of the gonads - at the seventh week.
After two weeks, the embryo has formed ovaries (in a girl) or testicles (in a boy). The place of formation of the sex glands is the abdominal cavity of the child. This happens in the eighth obstetric week. Sex differences in boys are formed a little faster than in girls. In the middle of the eighth week, the testicles begin to produce testosterone (male sex hormone). It is he who affects the active laying of the internal reproductive system.
External sexual characteristics appear in babies when the pregnancy of the expectant mother is 10-11 weeks. There are no differences in this period for girls and boys, since they have exactly the same external genital organs. These genital organs are expressed by the genital tubercle, which, under the influence of steroid hormones, becomes the penis in boys, and the clitoris in girls. Such transformations occur around the 12th week of gestation.
What week can you find out the sex of the child by ultrasound?
The exact determination of sex during the first ultrasound scan is influenced by the qualifications and experience of the doctor, the quality of the equipment for ultrasound diagnostics. The result of the first screening should not be trusted unconditionally, although an experienced gynecologist can determine the sex with an accuracy of up to 75 percent. Often, doctors for a period of 10-12 weeks refuse to even try to see the sex, suggesting that a pregnant woman wait about a month.
It is believed that the period at which the sex of the child is determined with 90 percent accuracy is 15-16 weeks of gestation.
At the second screening, it is already possible to know with certainty the gender of the unborn baby. At this time, if the fetus is conveniently located, it is possible to view the penis and scrotum of the boy, the labia of the girl on ultrasound. Errors with sex at week 20 are practically not found, but there are some exceptions.
There is a statement by ultrasound doctors that it is possible to consider the sex in children without obstacles and doubts at a gestational age of 23-25 weeks. During this period, the babies stretch, straighten in the uterus, which contributes to a better opening for viewing by an ultrasonic sensor.
The third trimester (from 32 weeks) is not so favorable for sex determination, since the child is already getting cramped, he can turn sideways or close his genitals, crossing his legs.
In the last trimester, children are usually in head presentation - head down and legs tucked in. The genitals are often covered by the umbilical cord. Determining the sex of the baby when he is head up (breech presentation) is even more difficult.
How to determine the sex of a child by ultrasound by additional signs?
To determine the sex of the child using ultrasound diagnostics, you can use additional methods:
- analyze the angle formed by the back of the fetus and the genital tubercle: at an angle of less than 30 degrees, a girl should be expected, more than 30 degrees - a boy;
- evaluate the shape of the skull: with a square type, a boy should be expected, with a rounded one, a girl;
- to study the location of the placenta: shifted to the right side of the uterus - a boy will be born, to the left - a girl.
Causes of medical errors
Many women unconditionally trust ultrasound doctors when determining the sex of their unborn child. However, to avoid disappointment, remember that there is no such thing as 100 percent accuracy. An accurate result is possible in 85-90 percent of all studies. One in ten pregnant women may get an incorrect result.
Often a diagnostician can make a mistake, not because of inexperience or lack of knowledge, but because the review of the genital organs is difficult.
Common errors during ultrasound are as follows:
- Instead of a boy, a girl was born. In this case, the loops of the umbilical cord or those swollen due to the hormones of the labia are taken for the penis. But the diagnosis later produces a different result. Sometimes it happens that it is not possible to determine the sex until the very birth. The frequency of such an error occurs in 2-3 percent of cases.
- A boy was born instead of a girl. Such errors are less common and occur in 1-1.5 percent of cases due to the fact that boys in the womb are very "modest": they move their legs tightly, thus closing their genitals. Such closeness of the entire period of gestation of boys can be mistaken for girls.
- Instead of one baby - two. This also happens, although very rarely - the probability is less than half a percent. It happens that one child is behind his brother or sister. But the second ultrasound shows the true picture. Also, with modern methods for determining the level of hCG in the blood, which is twice the norm, it is easy for a doctor to determine possible twins.
Medical errors happen due to the following reasons:
- Insufficient qualifications and experience of the ultrasound doctor.
- Examination on obsolete equipment: often women's clinics in small settlements are not technically equipped enough.
- Persistent requests of expectant mothers: Pregnant women are often asked to tell the gender of the baby. If the examination is carried out in the early stages, then any assumption of the woman's doctor is taken as an unconditional truth.
- Diagnosis in late gestation: if a boy is expected by ultrasound at 21-22 weeks, and a girl at 30-32 weeks, you should trust the result obtained earlier, since the middle of gestation allows you to more accurately determine the sex of the baby.
Conclusion
No matter how much future parents would like to have a child of a certain gender, it is impossible to plan for this. The couple must remember that the most important thing is the birth of a healthy baby, and a boy or a girl is no longer so important. The main thing is that the child, being in the womb, feels that he is loved and looked forward to.
Specially for- Elena Kichak
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