Chorionic villus biopsy
Using this procedure, you can determine the sex of the baby as early as 8–10 weeks. The material for it is taken by piercing the amniotic sac through the mother’s belly or cervix. It sounds scary, but specialists perform the procedure under the control of an ultrasound machine, determining the safest place for the puncture. A special probe is inserted through the needle, with the help of which the material is taken without touching the fetus.
Even though the biopsy is performed under local anesthesia, it still causes discomfort. And most importantly, its consequences can be fatal - from a serious inflammatory process to miscarriage. Therefore, chorionic villus biopsy is usually resorted to in extreme cases when it comes to the risk of genetic diseases.
Medical techniques
Each person independently chooses for himself how to determine the gender of his unborn child. Traditional medicine is guided by evidence-based principles that have a clear rationale. These methods guide doctors when there are medical indications for determining the sex of a child.
What methods of sex determination are practiced:
- Cordocentesis (study of the chromosomal composition of umbilical cord blood).
- Microsort (selection of sperm of a certain type, female or male, for IVF).
- Amniocentesis (study of chromosome composition in amniotic fluid).
- Biopsy to obtain chorionic villus (genetic analysis of part of the placenta).
These methods are used if necessary. Some of them are associated with a high risk for pregnancy.
Analysis of urine
A fairly simple and safe way is to determine gender using a urine test. It is similar to a regular pregnancy test, the only difference is that it is not the amount of hCG (pregnancy hormone) that is tested, but its properties. A special reagent is added to morning urine, which colors the analysis green if it contains male hormones, and orange if it does not. The accuracy of this analysis is 90%, and it is carried out from the 8th week of pregnancy. This test can be purchased at a pharmacy or online, but its price is quite high.
Additional sources of information
As part of this analysis, when visual access to sex information is not available, fetal heart rate data can be used. In the early stages of pregnancy, there will be no difference in heart rate between the sexes. During the third trimester of pregnancy, a girl's heart rate tends to be a little faster and a boy's heart rate a little slower. However, on an individual basis, it may be that a boy may have a faster heart rate and a girl may have a slower rate.
The fact that it is considered more likely to carry a girl if the expectant mother experiences serious morning sickness has a right to exist. Women expecting a girl have higher levels of a certain hormone during pregnancy. These higher levels are associated with an increased risk of developing severe morning sickness and vomiting. Therefore, this popular assumption is partly supported by scientific data.
Blood analysis
One of the most accurate methods of determining sex in the early stages is the analysis of fetal DNA in a woman’s blood. It can be done as early as the 7th week of pregnancy, and the accuracy of the result is 95%, and increases with each subsequent week. The procedure itself is simple: the expectant mother donates blood from a vein on an empty stomach, and then the baby’s DNA is isolated in the analysis. The resulting DNA sample is checked with special markers for the presence of the Y chromosome: if it is present, then the unborn child is a boy. This test can be done in specialized clinics.
Gender of the child: diagnostic errors
The shorter the period for which the study is conducted, the greater the likelihood of receiving an erroneous answer. But even at a later date, an experienced professional will not be able to determine the gender 100%. Errors may occur for the following reasons:
- Inexperience or unqualification of the doctor.
- Low-quality or outdated equipment - blurred images and shallow penetration depth of ultrasound beams distort the reliability of the result. The high resolution of the equipment and the presence of Doppler reduce the likelihood of error.
- Conducting the study too early. All women, as a rule, are very curious, so they want to find out the gender of their unborn baby as soon as possible. But it is worth remembering that in the early stages the fetal genital organs are practically the same or not formed at all, and ultrasound in the first trimester has a different goal - identifying possible pathologies.
- Multiple pregnancy - babies can cover each other.
- A belated ultrasound in late pregnancy - the rather large size of the fetus does not allow it to move in the uterus; it sits so compactly in it that it unintentionally hides the genitals. This prevents the doctor from viewing them on the monitor.
- During intrauterine development, a girl's labia may swell. This is not a pathology, but, resembling the scrotum in appearance, it can distort the result.
Boys can “hide” their genitals and appear to be girls. Also, girls' umbilical cord or exposed finger can be assessed as a penis.
Expert ultrasound
Despite the fact that traditionally the sex of a child is determined by ultrasound at a period of 18–20 weeks, some specialists—their names are usually passed on by word of mouth—can do this as early as 11–12 weeks, when the baby’s genitals are not yet formed—there are only the genital tubercle, which will subsequently develop into a male or female organ. Based on the appearance and angle of inclination of the tubercle, an experienced professional working with modern equipment can determine the sex of the child with an accuracy of about 80–90%.
Ultrasound at 12 weeks
Today, ultrasound is considered the most effective research method. Initially, this method is aimed at identifying early anomalies. However, during the procedure, most parents seek to find out information about the gender of the unborn child. The twelfth week is the earliest time when the sex of the fetus is visible. Until 8 weeks, a certain amount of the hormone testosterone is released.
It is formed in equal quantities in girls and boys. If a woman gives birth to a boy, then, upon reaching 2 months of intrauterine development, increased hormonal production occurs. Next, the male fetus develops testicles that synthesize dehydrotestosterone. It influences the size of the penis in the future.
For your information, the sex of the unborn child is influenced by androgens; if their activity is insufficient, the birth of a female baby occurs.
Calendar method
If you kept an ovulation calendar before conception, you can use this method. The fact is that sperm with the female X chromosome are more tenacious: after sexual intercourse, they can remain in the body of the expectant mother for several days, “waiting” for ovulation. But sperm with the male Y chromosome quickly die and are able to fertilize an egg only during ovulation. This means that if conception occurs at the beginning or end of the cycle, most likely a girl will be born, and if in the middle, a boy will be born.
Many pregnant women find tables and calendars boring - it is much more interesting to try to guess the gender of the unborn baby using centuries-old folk signs. These fortune-telling do not have any scientific basis, but are very popular among expectant mothers and, of course, their environment.
Here are some of them:
- A protruding, “sharp” belly is for a boy, wide and soft - for a girl;
- If the mother blossomed during pregnancy, there will be a boy, if she turned ugly, it will be a girl;
- Constant chilliness - for a girl, sweating - for a boy;
- Severe toxicosis, nausea - for a girl, increased appetite - for a boy;
- If a pregnant woman craves meat, she is expecting a son; if she craves sweets, she is expecting a daughter;
- Abundant body hair growth is for a boy, pigmentation is for a girl;
- If a pregnant woman sleeps on her left side, there will be a boy, on the right - a girl;
- If the movements of the expectant mother are smooth, she is expecting a daughter; if they are clumsy, she is expecting a son;
- Increased tenderness, love of a pregnant woman for her husband - for a girl, deterioration of relations - for a boy;
- If the baby in the stomach pushes more on the right, he is a boy, if on the left, he is a girl.
It is important to remember that the reliability of these signs has not been proven, and they can only be used for entertainment. And of course, do not allow relatives to abuse all kinds of fortune telling when trying to “predict” the sex of your baby: this will bring you nothing but unnecessary stress.
Parental impatience
Ultrasound has various purposes during pregnancy. But the use of this technology often gains the greatest significance precisely because it is an excellent way to reveal the gender of the child. Some expectant parents are so excited and excited about pregnancy that they simply cannot wait until the birth to find out whether their family will be a boy or a girl. While others simply do not want to postpone the moment of awareness of this until birth.
Parents who want to choose a name or stock up on baby clothes before their baby arrives often look forward to an ultrasound scan. Parents may also need to know whether their baby is at increased risk for gender-specific types of genetic abnormalities. Not only will they be able to see a picture of their baby, but they will also have the opportunity to find out its gender. Doctors typically use ultrasound imaging early in pregnancy to also measure the size of the baby and check for birth defects or other problems.
In this regard, before starting the analysis, parents will need to warn the doctor about their desire or unwillingness to be informed regarding the gender of the future baby.
Traditional methods
To plan the sex of a baby, as well as to determine it, there are many pseudo-scientific methods. You shouldn’t take them seriously, but you can get acquainted.
It must be remembered that both scientific and folk methods of determining and planning the sex of a baby have an error. None of them give a hundred percent result, but perhaps this is not necessary. In any case, the baby will be unique and worthy of your boundless love, regardless of his gender.
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Determining the sex of a child using 3D and 4D ultrasound
Three-dimensional and four-dimensional ultrasound is the most reliable way to determine the sex of a child using ultrasound. This type of research allows you to examine individual parts of the child’s body and even which parent he looks like. The image of the fetus is so realistic that future parents can get an answer even without the help of a doctor. In this case, the error is practically eliminated.
The optimal period for 3D and 4D ultrasound is 25–30 weeks, when it is possible to obtain the most reliable result. The ultrasound power is the same as with two-dimensional ultrasound. It is absolutely safe and does not harm either the child or the expectant mother.
In addition, it differs from 2D ultrasound in its greater capabilities, since it provides additional information that contributes to the successful and timely diagnosis of many abnormalities.
Accuracy
Parents can sign up for an ultrasound examination in order to obtain the most accurate picture of fetal development, while patients independently choose the type - 2D, 3D or 4D with a full modeling of the baby's face. Photos can be printed upon request. If necessary, the specialist will wait until the baby turns in the womb to examine the genitals, and will tell the pregnant woman movements that can be used to try to turn the baby in the right direction.
NEARMEDIC clinics use devices with reduced impact and increased precision, which reduces the time of the procedure and increases its effectiveness. With such a diagnosis, parents can confirm or refute the predictions of signs even before the birth of the newborn.
You choose the method, the date and time convenient for you, additional procedures and studies. You are served by specialists with extended appointment times. For patients undergoing pregnancy monitoring at NEARMEDIC, all necessary studies are carried out as part of mandatory diagnostic measures: planned, at certain stages of development.
