When Can I Know the Sex Of My Baby?

An ultrasound scan to determine the fetal sex is usually done mid- pregnancy, i.e. between 16 and 20 weeks of gestation. But, the screening result is not always guaranteed, as the doctor fails sometimes to distinguish between a baby boy and a baby girl, in the absence of a clear view of the genitals.

It’s true that baby’s genitals start forming at early stages of pregnancy, around week 6 to be exact, but distinguishing between a penis and a vulva remains difficult until 14 weeks.

During the 18^th week of gestation, the doctor will likely be able to tell the sex of the baby in the womb, unless the latter’s position doesn’t allow him to do so. In this case, the expectant mother will have to wait for the next screening session, hoping her luck will change!

The ultrasound procedure or sonogram may be the most common exam used to find out a baby’s gender. But, it’s not the only one; other exams include: the “Noninvasive Prenatal Testing” (NIPT), the “Amniocentesis” and the “Chorionic Villus Sampling” (CVS), often used for medical purposes.

The Noninvasive Prenatal Testing is usually performed at week 10 of gestation, while the Chorionic Villus Sampling is done between 10 and 13 weeks of pregnancy. As for the Amniocentesis procedure, it can be done at around 16 to 20 weeks.

So if you’re still at the beginning of your pregnancy, yet eager about your odds of having a boy or a girl, you only have to wait for the right moment. Till you get there, have fun guessing your baby’s sex with the most amusing traditional tricks and prediction methods around!

Read More: Can Heartbeat Predict A Baby’s Gender?