In what month do they find out the gender. At what week you can find out the sex of the child by ultrasound: the optimal time for accurate determination

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Pregnancy is a happy and exciting period in the life of every woman. Expecting a baby, she constantly worries about his health and development. Before giving birth, future parents purchase a crib, stroller, clothes for the baby and choose a name, which explains the desire to know as early as possible whether they will have a son or daughter. In this regard, families expecting a baby are often interested in how long it takes to determine the sex of a child; at the same time, the choice of methods is great - a blood test, examination using an ultrasound machine, sampling of the contents of the uterus, etc.

What determines the sex of the child

During sexual intercourse, about 300-500 million sperm enter the body of a woman. Since the vagina is acidic, most of them die immediately. Only the strongest sperm cells continue to move, passing into the cervical mucus, which has a slightly alkaline environment, after which they continue their journey through the fallopian tube to fertilize the egg at the end of the journey. Scientists believe that already at this stage it is determined whether a boy or a girl will be born.

Spermatozoa carrying X chromosomes move at a slower speed than those carrying Y chromosomes. It is believed that during fertilization on the day of ovulation or the next day (as a rule, this is the 14-15th day of the menstrual cycle), faster spermatozoa with the male chromosome enter the egg first, so a boy is likely to be born. However, since eggs with female chromosomes are more viable, when a child conceives a couple of days before ovulation, their chance of fertilizing an egg is much higher. In this case, the birth of a girl should be expected.

There are other factors that can affect the gender of a child. Their reliability has not been proven and is questioned by doctors. These factors include:

  1. Diet of a pregnant woman. If a woman wants a boy, then her diet should contain more meat products, cereals, potatoes, dried fruits. It is also recommended to drink tea and alkaline water. To become a mother of a daughter, it is better to give preference to non-starchy vegetables, nuts, sweets.
  2. Abstinence. There is an opinion that if you refuse intimacy for 2-3 months before conceiving a child, a girl will appear. If a married couple practices frequent sexual intercourse, a boy is more likely to be born.
  3. Heredity. There is a pattern that a man in whose family boys were born more often will have a son rather than a daughter, and vice versa.

When does the reproductive system form in the fetus?

The genitals of the fetus are not formed immediately, but the sex of the baby is established immediately after the fertilization of the egg, depending on the set of chromosomes. Sex cells develop at the fifth week of the term, and around the end of the first trimester they begin active development, while the sex of the child at this stage cannot be determined by any means. The genital organs of the baby are formed at about 7 weeks, before that the genitals of the embryo look almost the same.

At the eighth week, the baby's scrotum begins to secrete the sex hormone and Müllerian duct inhibitor. If the latter are absent, female genital organs are formed. Sexual characteristics become distinguishable by the end of the ninth week. In boys, the penis and scrotum are formed after 11 weeks, while the testicles remain hidden in the tummy until the start of the third trimester of pregnancy.

What week can you find out the gender of the baby

You can determine the gender of the unborn baby using ultrasound at the beginning of the second trimester, but at this time there are often erroneous assumptions. When can you find out the sex of the child with a high accuracy of the result? The doctor will be able to determine this reliably not earlier than 4-4.5 months. At the same time, you need to know that the male sex is found out more easily than the female. This is due to the fact that in girls in the early stages of development there is swelling of the genital organs, so they can be confused with men.

Methods of determination

There are several medical methods for diagnosing the sex of a child, each of which helps parents to find out with a high degree of certainty who to expect in the world - a daughter or a son. However, not all of the procedures are safe for the fetus, which is why some mothers-to-be prefer folk omens as a way to determine the sex of the baby before it is born. The disadvantage of the latter is inaccuracy.

Sex determination by ultrasound

Ultrasound is one of the most reliable and informative diagnostic methods that allows you to determine the sex of the child. Carrying out planned ultrasound is completely safe and does not cause any harm to the fetus. As a rule, ultrasound diagnostics shows the sex of the child at 11-12 weeks of gestation. However, at this time, the process of formation of the reproductive organs of the embryo is still going on, so the reliability of the information received is 100 percent.

An experienced specialist, despite the relative accuracy of the determination, will be able to establish the sex of the child on an ultrasound scan. The doctor carefully examines the genital tubercle and may notice the presence of the developing testicles in the abdomen of the male embryo. By the 14th week of the term, the errors in the results of ultrasound are minimized. To determine the gender of the crumbs at this stage, not only an external assessment of organs using ultrasound can be carried out, but also other studies.

Invasive techniques

Using such methods for determining the gender of a baby is allowed only due to certain circumstances. For example, if the gender of the child determines whether he inherits a genetic disease from his mother or father. Doctors use the following invasive techniques to determine who will be born:

  1. Chorionic biopsy. The essence of the technique for determining the sex of a child is to take the contents of the uterus with a needle through a special probe, which is inserted through the vagina. This method implies a 100% result and is carried out for a period of 10-12 weeks if there are indications (the risk of having a child with Down syndrome or with the manifestation of hereditary pathologies).
  2. Analysis of amniotic fluid. The procedure for determining the sex of the child is carried out no earlier than 4 months of pregnancy. In this case, the doctor punctures the placenta and uses a syringe to collect a small amount of amniotic fluid for analysis. Like a chorionic biopsy, amniocentesis excludes error in the result.

By blood test

At what month can you find out the sex of a child using a DNA test? This method is able to establish the gender of the baby at the earliest stages of pregnancy (starting from 6 weeks). Manipulation is carried out by taking blood from a vein, after which laboratory assistants examine the mother's blood for DNA fragments of the embryo. The accuracy of the technique is 99.999%, but for the analysis you will have to pay a round sum, since this test is an expensive medical procedure. How long will the result have to wait? The answer is provided to parents within 24 hours.

Table for determining the sex of the child

According to the Chinese method, the sex of the embryo depends on the month of conception and the age of the expectant mother. So, in order to find out whether you will have a daughter or a son, you need to select from the table the cell of the intersection of the month in which the child was conceived and the number of full years of the woman. The baby sex table helps to plan the birth of a girl or a boy, depending on the wishes of the parents.

Folk omens

To determine the sex of the child, some parents listen to folk signs. They cannot give an exact answer to the question of who will be born in the family, but they often predict the birth of a girl or a boy correctly. The most common signs that help determine the sex of the baby in a short time include the following:

  • the appearance of pigmentation and pimples on the face of the expectant mother indicates the bearing of a girl;
  • with the improvement of the skin and the flowering of female beauty, the more likely the birth of a son;
  • if a woman is drawn to sweets, a daughter will be born, if you want to eat more salty, meat, you should wait for a son;
  • toxicosis in the early stages helps to determine the bearing of a girl;
  • with a more rounded shape of the abdomen, a daughter will be born, and a sharp, slightly elongated shape indicates the birth of a son.

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The information presented in the article is for informational purposes only. The materials of the article do not call for self-treatment. Only a qualified doctor can make a diagnosis and give recommendations for treatment based on the individual characteristics of a particular patient.

Most parents expecting a baby would like to understand what gender the child will be. Many couples want to find out all the nuances around this aspect. What week is suitable for revealing the sex of a baby?

How many months can you determine the sex of a child? It is necessary to figure out at what month of pregnancy on ultrasound you can find out the sex of the child, as well as how accurate the readings of the ultrasound examination will be. And most importantly, how will the mother of the child be able to figure out who to expect - a girl or a boy, without ultrasound diagnostics.

In contact with

One of the safe and reliable way to get information about who to expect, a girl or a boy, is ultrasound diagnostics. It is she who will help to find out at how many months you can find out the sex of the child.

But the baby can take such a position in the uterus, in which it will be extremely difficult to make a correct diagnosis. You will probably need more than one ultrasound examination. So, at what month of pregnancy can you determine the sex of the child?

Such an opportunity will come only in a couple of months. The expectant mother has nothing to do but be patient and wait. In addition, not all antenatal clinics have modern equipment that allows you to clearly establish the sex of the baby on ultrasound. An additional source of information is a fetal biopsy. But it is advisable to carry out such a procedure if there is a predisposition to genetic diseases.

How accurate is an ultrasound?

Ultrasound can show the sex of the unborn baby with a high degree of probability. The question remains, at how many months can you find out the sex of the child on an ultrasound? For an accurate determination, it is necessary that the baby takes the correct position in the uterus, is mobile and lies on its back. In the case when the baby is large, inactive and turns at the wrong angle, it becomes difficult to establish the sex of the baby on ultrasound.

The qualification of the specialist is extremely important. If the doctor was inexperienced, the probability of error increases. If it is possible to undergo ultrasound diagnostics in 3D format, do not neglect this type of study. 3D diagnostics will help answer the question at what month of pregnancy you can find out the sex of the baby by ultrasound. And also to identify deviations in the state of health of the child.

The main criterion for parents when undergoing examinations is not to determine the sex of the child, but to understand that the baby is healthy.

Asking how many months you can find out whether to expect a boy or a girl, the answer must be sought in the regulatory documentation governing the management of pregnant women. In Russia, it is recommended to undergo ultrasound diagnostics in several stages:

  • up to 12 weeks;
  • further up to 22 weeks;
  • the final stage up to 34 weeks.

This examination is necessary not so much in order to identify the sex of the child, but in order to determine the gestational age, the position of the baby in the uterus, the condition of the fetus and amniotic fluid. And also with a high degree of probability to exclude any malformations of the unborn baby. So, in what month can you find out the sex of the child? According to medical statistics, at any time indicated above.

It looks like a girl on ultrasound at 13 weeks

It remains to understand the important point, at how many months they will find out the gender of the unborn child. An extremely impatient mother and father are wondering if it is possible to find out the sex of a child at 3 months or not?

At a gestational age of up to 10-12 weeks, it is not always possible to establish the sex of a child, for a number of reasons described above. Along with this, under favorable circumstances, it is possible to determine who exactly will be: a boy or a girl.

After 10-11 weeks, sexual characteristics begin to form in the fetus. In the future, after passing 2 additional ultrasound examinations, parents will be able to determine the sex of the baby with indications in 99%.

To determine at what month the sex of the child is known, it is important to understand that after 10 weeks, the baby's genitals are just beginning to form. It is during this period that it is possible to make the first attempts to identify the sex of the child. To the main question of pregnant women: “After how many months can you find out the sex of the fetus?” - not only ultrasound, but also other research methods will help answer.

There are several ways to help the expectant mother and father in determining the sex of the baby:

  • according to the blood type of both parents;
  • according to the baby's heart rate;
  • by ovulation.

At what month can you determine the sex of the child with these methods? Similar methods can be used from the moment pregnancy is determined.

The first calculation method is based on the fact that the renewal of the blood group in the female body occurs every 3 years, in the male - every 4 years. If you calculate which of the parents has the most updated blood, the future baby should be expected of that gender.

The second way is to listen to the baby's heartbeat. With this technique, at what month of pregnancy can you find out the sex of the child? Experts believe that by the 10th week. Digital indicators for determining the female body are up to 150 beats / min, and the male is up to 130 beats / min.

Ovulation is an important criterion for determining the sex of an infant. If ovulation occurs immediately after or during conception, parents should prepare for the birth of a boy, and if ovulation occurs after conception a few days later, a girl should appear.

Useful video

Of course, all future parents want to find out early who will be born to them: a boy or a girl. But is it worth it to rush into this, and how reliable will the doctor’s assumption be in the early stages:

Conclusion

  1. At what month can you find out the sex of the child? After 3 months of pregnancy, the baby shows all the distinctive sexual characteristics by which it is possible to establish the sex of the baby.
  2. With existing modern methods, it is sometimes difficult to determine the gender of a baby, and for more reliable results, you will need to go for more than one ultrasound diagnosis.
  3. We looked at how many months you can find out the sex of the baby during pregnancy. Not only ultrasound can help, but also quite ordinary methods of self-diagnosis. Such methods are more entertaining than can reliably determine the sex of the baby.

At what time it is possible to determine the sex of the child, perhaps, absolutely all parents care. Modern couples do not want to believe in omens and dubious calculations, and therefore they are trying to find more progressive and reliable methods. These today include invasive techniques and ultrasound. Let us make a reservation right away that invasive techniques are not used to determine the sex, but if a child is suspected of having a genetic pathology or hereditary disease, because there are serious diseases that are transmitted only through the female and only through the male line. The material is taken by puncturing the abdominal wall. In the first trimester, a piece of the placenta is taken for analysis, and in the second, amniotic fluid. It is not difficult to guess that these procedures can provoke a miscarriage. And therefore, it is not worth using them for the purpose of curiosity, and doctors, of course, will not take such a risk either.

Let's talk about a safer way - about ultrasound. It is reliably known that until the 9th week of pregnancy, the genitals of boys and girls are no different. Further, at about 13 weeks, thanks to dihydrotestosterone, which is produced by the boy's gonads, his intimate organs begin to grow, the penis stretches a little. With a greater degree of probability, the sex of the unborn child can be determined for a period of more than 14-15 weeks, with the condition that the procedure will be carried out by an experienced doctor using good equipment, and the baby himself will take a position convenient for “examination”. The doctor measures the angle at which the genital tubercle is located: in boys, this angle is more than 30 degrees. But at such early dates, mistakes occur, which can be facilitated by a large amount of amniotic fluid and fatty deposits on the mother's abdominal wall. Usually women find out the sex of the child at the second planned ultrasound - at 20-22 weeks. More accurate results are obtained with 3D ultrasound - this service is paid and is usually carried out in private medical centers. That's how long you can determine the sex of the child by ultrasound exactly.

However, if you're unlucky and your doctor can't tell if you're having a boy or a girl, don't get discouraged and repeat the procedure multiple times. After all, even our mothers did not have the opportunity to look inside themselves, and they calmly managed without information about the gender of their children. You can buy clothes, bedding, a stroller in neutral colors, and also come up with 2 names - female and male. And you will not lose anything, but on the contrary, you will look forward to the secret clue.

Pregnancy planning is an important stage in family development. Many future parents try to follow all stages of growth and formation of the fetus. Often the doctor is asked how long it takes to find out the sex of the child by ultrasound. To understand when this can be done, it is necessary to understand how the formation of the reproductive system occurs in a boy and a girl.

Fertilization occurs when the sex cells of the parents fuse. In the first two weeks, the formation of a zygote occurs. It appears during active division of the blastocyst. From the third week, an embryo begins to form from the zygote. It does not have clear outlines. Future limbs and genitals are laid in the form of small tubercles. The genital tubercle remains unchanged.

At week 9, certain changes appear. From this moment on, the doctor observes the appearance of the following parts of the reproductive system on the monitor of the device: urethral recess, labioscrotal folds, genital tubercle, urogenital folds. At this time, the system does not allow you to determine the gender of the child. Even an experienced specialist is unable to accurately determine the gender.

You can see the first signs of changes at week 11. From this moment, the formation of organs begins.

boy shaping

At week 11, boys show additional signs. They depend on the start of the work of hormones. The dihydrosterone substance is responsible for the male sex.

It is produced in the pituitary gland. The beginning of brain activity leads to the construction of the hormonal system. Dihydrosterone affects testicular function. Until the eighth month, they are located in the abdominal area. Before childbirth, the testicles descend into the scrotum.

The male external genitalia consist of the scrotum and penis. The penis consists of the glans, body and foreskin. The head is formed from the genital tubercle. It does not change its structure. The genital folds fuse and form the body of the penis. The distance between them is preserved. In the resulting cavity, the urethra is laid. The labioscrotal tubercles gradually shift to the lower part. The scrotum is formed from the tubercles. The tubercles fusion line is maintained on the scrotal sac throughout life.

When the scrotum appears, the testicles begin to produce a small amount of testosterone. He is responsible for the further development of the boy. By the end of the first trimester, the fetus has a scrotal groove, through which the doctor can determine the gender.

Formation of a girl

Girls undergo less obvious transformations. The sexual tubercle gradually deepens into the labioscrotal folds. It also persists until the end of life and forms the clitoris. Growth of the clitoris continues up to one year. The labioscrotal folds gradually increase and form the outer labia. Small lips are formed from the remaining folds. The splicing of bumps and folds does not occur.

The process of retraction of the genital tubercle is accompanied by a change in the angle formed between it and the body of the fetus. In girls, the tubercle gradually descends. An angle of less than 35 degrees is formed. By the angle, you can accurately determine the sex at the end of the second month of pregnancy. But not all doctors use this method. A small number of specialists can accurately choose the angle to establish the angle. The correct determination is carried out in the fourth month. For a period of three months, doctors can make an assumption about gender. But parents are warned about the 50% chance.

Reasons for the erroneous identification of the fetus

Many parents mistakenly believe that gender can be determined early. Getting the opposite result on repeated screening, they get upset. Errors during ultrasound depend on the following factors:

  • the position of the fetus;
  • child's mobility
  • equipment quality.

An important factor in determining sex is the position of the fetus. For the best examination, the child should be positioned sideways. But it is impossible to force the fetus to take the desired position. Often the child may turn his back or hold his legs tightly. This position does not allow the doctor to see the characteristics of the tubercle and folds. For some parents, the baby does not allow sex to be established before delivery.

Also, difficulties arise with increased activity of the fetus. If the child is actively moving in the bladder, the doctor will not be able to correctly place the sensor. Due to this feature, sex can only be determined at the second screening.

Modern equipment allows you to examine the child in detail. Such equipment gives a three-dimensional image. With the help of such an ultrasound, you can determine not only the sex of the child, but carefully examine the entire body. For many women, this procedure is available only in paid clinics.

Not all medical centers have the funds for such an ultrasound machine. Most perinatal centers have conventional equipment. To establish the sex of the baby, the doctor examines the angle of the genital tubercle and the external features of the labio-genital folds. A more accurate result can be obtained by taking snapshots.

Additional detection methods

An ultrasound machine does not always give an accurate picture of pregnancy. You can determine the gender with the help of additional research. If the floor cannot be seen, the following methods should be used:

  • counting the heartbeat;
  • taking a chorionic sample;
  • umbilical puncture.

Many doctors use the first method. Heartbeats are also counted on an ultrasound machine. It is believed that the number of strokes depends on the hormonal system. In a female child, the heart beats more slowly. Up to 4 months, 140-150 beats per minute are determined. In boys, the heart beats faster. This is due to the peculiarity of the activity of dihydrosterone. It enhances blood circulation. The heart beats faster. A boy can be identified by 150–170 strokes.

A more complex study, which allows you to get a 100% result, is carried out by chorion puncture. The chorion is formed at the site of attachment of the zygote. It performs the function of the placenta. In the first month, the chorion contains the genetic code. The code is carried by male sex cells. Spermatozoa have two types of chromosomes - X and Y. When a boy is conceived, the XY type chromosome code is formed. The girl appears at XX chromosomes. The study of a sample from the chorion allows you to correctly establish the belonging of the fetus.

A rare way to determine the sex is a puncture from the umbilical cord. This procedure is carried out only if there are certain reasons. It can harm the baby or disrupt the normal course of the pregnancy.

Reasons for early identification of the fetus

The sex of a child is determined not only because of parental interest. There are other factors that influence these procedures. The reason is the presence of such reasons as:

  • genetic diseases;
  • chromosomal pathologies.

Some families have hereditary diseases that are transmitted to a certain sex. Such a child may acquire a severe pathology or have an anomaly that does not allow a long life. In the presence of this reason, it is necessary to determine the sex before the end of the third month of pregnancy. At this time, it is possible to carry out the interruption procedure in a timely manner. In order not to get errors, the study is carried out on the chorionic tissue. One ultrasound is not enough. The procedure can be carried out at 4-5 weeks.

Chromosomal abnormalities also cause danger. They are detected when the genetic code carried by spermatozoa is violated. Such diseases are determined by the presence and development of previous pregnancies. If the couple had problems during gestation, then an additional examination of both partners is prescribed. Spermogram helps specialists determine the cause of the disease. If a certain chromosomal code is the culprit, the conception of a child of a certain gender is carried out using the in vitro fertilization procedure. With IVF, the doctor determines the gender of the unborn child before replanting into the female body. This treatment avoids possible complications in 95% of cases.

home methods

If a woman does not receive results before 14 weeks, she can take advantage of folk advice. It is believed that these methods allow you to determine the sex at any time. You should pay attention to the following features:

  • location of the abdomen;
  • food preferences;
  • the condition of the skin of a woman;
  • calendar method;
  • sexual activity.

Many patients try to determine the sex of the child by the shape and location of the abdomen. A woman carrying a boy has a denser belly. For many mothers, the stomach is not visible from the back during the entire gestation. In the presence of a girl, the figure of a woman changes more strongly. The abdomen is not large, but the waist quickly disappears. In most patients, this technique is effective.

Some women are guided by food preferences. They are associated with the hormonal characteristics of the child. The development of the boy entails an increase in testosterone levels. Such patients consume more animal products. It is noted that mothers of boys during pregnancy have uncharacteristic nutritional needs. They combine unnatural products. With the development of a girl, a woman experiences a craving for sweet dishes. This feature occurs due to the increased protein intake of the child. An increase in blood glucose levels allows the child to receive the necessary substances.

It is also believed that the girl takes away her mother's beauty. A woman has rashes on her skin. The oiliness of the skin increases. These phenomena are associated with an increase in female hormones. After childbirth, the skin condition stabilizes. The boy carries dihydrosterone. A woman's skin can become dry during pregnancy. In many patients who are pregnant with boys, external skin changes are not observed.

More accurate results can be obtained by the calendar method. Gender is calculated from the date of conception, the age of the mother. But not all patients can use this method. The exact date of conception is not always known. You can use this technique when planning a pregnancy.

Sexual activity during conception is also considered an important aspect. If a man was more active during sexual contact, the chances of having a girl increase. If the woman was more active, then a boy may be born.

You can determine the sex using ultrasound at 12-14 weeks. If at these times the affiliation is not established, it is recommended to wait for the second screening. In most patients, the second examination gives a result.

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.



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