Most expectant parents are anxious to know the sex of their baby. In addition to being able to prepare emotionally and mentally, telling the sex of your baby ahead of time will be beneficial in everything from how you register for your baby shower to how you decorate your baby’s room. Still, it can be difficult to tell the sex of your baby if you aren’t looking at the right way of knowing.
There are a variety of myths that purport to tell the sex of your baby. There is no scientific evidence that a fast heart rate, for example, indicates a girl more than a boy. There is nothing that proves that mixing Drano with your urine and watching the results will be able to tell the sex of your baby, either. In fact, there are really only a couple of truly reliable methods for telling the sex of your baby.
One reliable way to tell the sex of your baby is through genetic testing. This may take the form of CVS (chorionic villus sampling) or an amniocentesis. CVS si typically done between weeks 10 and 13 of pregnancy, while amniocentesis is done between weeks 14 and 20. Generally speaking, however, these genetic tests are not done solely for the purpose of telling the sex of your baby. Usually, these sorts of genetic tests are done to see if there is a problem with your baby, or in rare cases, to establish paternity. Being able to tell the sex of your baby is an added benefit to these tests.
The most common way to tell the sex of your baby is with an ultrasound. An ultrasound technician can help to recognize and locate either the penis or the labia, as the case may be, on the ultrasound. Generally speaking, an ultrasound is around 90% accurate at telling the sex of your baby. Having said that, there are a variety of factors, such as the ultrasound technician’s skill and experience that can impact the accuracy of an ultrasound in telling the sex of your baby.