Popular ways to find out the sex of a child in early pregnancy using a table

When young parents learn about their “interesting situation,” they quickly want to find out the gender of their unborn baby. Often in the first week of pregnancy, they are driven by simple curiosity or the desire to plan in advance the necessary purchases for the arrival of a new family member. Ultrasound diagnostics allows you to determine the sex of the fetus, as well as identify possible deviations in its development. It is important to know at what stage of pregnancy this examination can be performed and whether it can have a harmful effect on the embryo, as well as whether an ultrasound can be mistaken about the sex of the baby.

Positive aspects of ultrasound

• When it comes to pregnancy ultrasounds, the very first requirement is safety. Every mother and father is concerned that the child’s fragile body is not exposed to harmful waves and radiation. Ultrasound is an absolutely safe method for diagnosis. This can be confirmed by various laboratory and clinical tests, during which no effect on the body of the fetus or mother was revealed. Over the entire period of use of ultrasound, there has not been a single case where the cause of the disease was the ultrasonic waves emitted by the ultrasound machine for diagnostic purposes.
• Ultrasound examination does not require any puncture incisions, etc., that is, it is non-invasive. This is also a very important factor that can affect a pregnant woman. The following follows from it: ultrasound is an absolutely painless examination.
• Another important point is the price. Ultrasound methods are one of the most accessible instrumental types of research, which allows you to carry out all the necessary diagnostic measures without a “hit on your wallet.”
• In addition to all the positive aspects described above, ultrasound also allows you to view the fetus in various projections and study it well, which makes it the best method for examining a pregnant woman.

About errors

The quality of an ultrasound examination also depends on who performs the examination, his competence and experience, but no one is immune from errors. Modern equipment helps doctors reduce the risk of error to a minimum, but in determining gender, much depends on the timing of diagnosis.

• Before figuring out how to understand who will be on an ultrasound, it’s worth talking about the timing of the diagnosis. When the fact of pregnancy is established, the woman will have to undergo 3 stages of screening. The first is carried out at 10-14 weeks of pregnancy. It is quite difficult to determine on an ultrasound whether it is a girl or a boy, since at this stage the genital organs of both sexes are very similar to each other.
• The next examination is carried out at 20-24 weeks. It allows us to more accurately predict what gender the child will be. An accurate determination of gender can only be determined by detecting the boy’s genital organs on an ultrasound scan, that is, the penis and scrotum. The gender of a girl, like the gender of a boy, is determined by ultrasound when the genital organs are detected. The girl's genitals on ultrasound are represented by the labia.
• Further examination is carried out at 30-34 weeks of pregnancy, but determining sex at this stage is surprisingly more difficult than at earlier stages. This is due to the massiveness of the fetus.

Thus, when determining a boy and a girl by ultrasound, the differences lie only in the structure of the genital organs, however, there is a more accurate method for determining the sex of the child - chorionic villus biopsy. It is used exclusively for medical reasons, for example, in case of risk of having sex-linked genetic pathologies in the fetus.

Toxicosis

Very often they try to determine the sex of a child by toxicosis, but no one can say how effective this method is. Some people's predictions match, some don't. Previously, it was believed that if there is a lot of nausea at the beginning of pregnancy, then there will be a girl, and if there is practically no toxicosis, there will be a boy. In the 20th century, scientists even conducted observations, and it was found that those women whose pregnancy proceeded with increased toxicosis eventually gave birth to a girl. They claim that morning vomiting is a consequence of increased levels of the hormone.

When can twins be detected by ultrasound?

You can find out that a woman will have not one child, but two and, in rare cases, even more, quite soon. Already at 5 weeks it can be established that there will be more than 1 fetus. This is very important, since the management of a pregnant woman will be different. But such an examination is not ordered out of nowhere. Before this, an obstetrician-gynecologist notices a rapidly enlarging uterus during an examination and prescribes an examination accordingly.

However, if the question arises about when identical twins can be seen on an ultrasound, then you will have to wait longer. The presence or absence of identical twins can only be determined from the 12th week of pregnancy.

MYTHS

Scientists believe that there are several myths in folk signs that can effectively indicate the sex of a child:

1. Fetal heartbeat. There were even studies conducted on this matter that refuted this theory of sex determination, since this cannot be done by beating. The baby's heartbeat may be increased or decreased, and this will be due to some pathological condition or other factor.
2. Belly shape. It is considered a common sign, but not believable.
3. Morning toxicosis. Causes controversy among obstetricians and gynecologists. Even with severe toxicosis, you can give birth to a boy. Toxicosis also depends on the mother’s body.
4. Baby activity. You cannot trust her, since each pregnant woman has her own sensitivity and a different perception system.
5. Food preferences. There is no evidence to support this theory. A pregnant woman’s taste may constantly change and therefore, assuming that if she eats sweets, there will be a girl, since in two days she may want meat or a cutlet with jam, will not mean that she has become pregnant with a boy.
6. Wedding ring vibrations. This method is similar to spiritualistic fortune telling and is considered absurd.
7. Chinese calendar. Was compiled in the 13th century, but is popular in China, but this does not mean that it will help you accurately conceive a child of the gender you want. This calendar, of course, can take into account the lunar phases, but not the individual characteristics of a woman.

Currently, in addition to the proposed methods of determining gender using folk remedies, there is still a large number that is growing every day with each pregnancy. But you shouldn’t trust and check everyone, because with such a complex process that takes place in the female body, which is still being studied by scientists, it is impossible to say exactly who you will have.

Is it possible to confuse a girl with a boy on an ultrasound?

• As mentioned above, yes. It is quite possible to get confused, especially if you conduct an ultrasound examination for up to 15 weeks. Often mothers point out that the ultrasound said it was a girl, but a boy was born, when the fetus is in a position in which all its sexual characteristics are hidden or distorted on the monitor of the ultrasound machine. That is, the ultrasound error, whether there will be a boy or a girl, depends on a number of factors and the gender can be correctly indicated only if they are successfully combined.
• Also, previously there were more problems such as “a girl was confused with a boy on an ultrasound.” This is due to the then less modern equipment and less professionalism and experience of specialists, due to the short service life of these devices. Improvements in ultrasound diagnostics occur regularly, and this reduces the chances of such a situation when a woman who has become a mother says that she was told that there would be a girl, but the ultrasound was mistaken, and she had a boy, and all the things have already been purchased for a girl.

However, when gender is determined for medical purposes, or more precisely, when there is a risk of dangerous pathologies linked to gender, then it cannot be allowed for an ultrasound to be mistaken with a boy or a girl. Then you will have to resort to more serious methods, such as the already mentioned chorionic villus biopsy.

Ultrasound diagnostics as an accurate way to determine the sex of a child

Today, the most accurate and well-known way to determine the sex of an unborn child is ultrasound diagnostics. This study is aimed at determining the course of pregnancy and the absence of fetal developmental anomalies. Many parents also want to find out the gender of their baby. The formation of the genital organs occurs under the influence of the hormone testosterone, which is produced in both girls and boys. This process begins to take effect from 8–9 weeks of pregnancy.

When a woman has a boy, a large production of the hormone occurs. After the 8th week of intrauterine development of the fetus, the formation of testes in a male infant occurs, which synthesize dehydrotestosterone. It is this that influences the size of the penis.

In addition, the baby is exposed to substances that are responsible for secondary sexual characteristics, androgens. If they are not active enough, a girl is born. That is, in the seventh or eighth week of pregnancy in female infants, the folding of the external genitalia occurs.

Interesting! Each embryo contains both female and male hormones; the formation of the baby’s sex will depend on which hormone is synthesized more.

More details about ultrasound of twins and twins

The presence of two or more fetuses is not only important news for parents, but also for doctors. When a woman has multiple births, the risk of various complications increases, and the management of childbirth itself also differs. Possible postpartum complications that may occur in babies are also important. But if ultrasound of twins and other diagnostic measures are carried out in a timely manner, doctors will be prepared for a greater number of possible complications.

An ultrasound of twins is a very important event and a pregnant woman should understand all the risks, but not worry. In the reliable hands of modern medicine and loving parents, babies will pass all the tests that may come their way.

What is 3D ultrasound?

3D ultrasound is an ultrasound test that can produce an image or even a video of an unborn baby. But as for the conduct of this survey, there are several aspects, both ethical and from a safety point of view.

It’s worth starting with ethical ones, since representatives of some religions and social movements are against conducting three-dimensional ultrasound examinations without medical indications. However, the vast majority have nothing against performing this diagnostic measure if indicated.

But regarding security, everything is somewhat more complicated. The frequency of ultrasound waves used in 3D ultrasound is higher than in conventional diagnostics. However, there are reliably no harmful consequences of using this type of ultrasound examination.

This is especially true for the most modern devices with a minimized frequency of ultrasonic waves. As a result of this mixed response on whether 3D ultrasound is harmful to the fetus, doctors were divided into two groups. Some believe that there is no harm from 3D ultrasound and it can be performed even if parents wish, while others prescribe it exclusively for medical reasons.

Psychologists also say that 3D ultrasound is useful for expectant parents. It allows you to “get to know” the baby earlier, which will have a positive impact on the relationship between parents and child in the future.

Determining gender using 3D ultrasound is to some extent easier, but not always. Here everything depends much more on the position of the child than with a regular ultrasound, but if the doctor can still detect the genitals, he will probably say a boy or a girl will be born.

After the examination, you can get ultrasound pictures of a boy or girl and these will be their very first photos. But with 4D ultrasound you can even get the first video recording. However, conventional ultrasound machines also have a similar function, but not all.

By blood type

The most popular method of determining the sex of a baby among pregnant women is determining the sex by the blood type of the parents. To do this, you need to know the blood type of mom and dad. The table below shows the comparability of blood groups and the likelihood of a girl and a boy depending on the father and mother.

Fear of ultrasound

Since the expectant mother worries not only about her health, but also about the unborn baby, she often has concerns about performing an ultrasound of the fetus.

The impact on the further development of the child’s body or on its DNA has already been partially mentioned above. According to clinical trials and studies, no relationship was found between pathologies and ultrasound diagnosis. But about the effect on DNA, we can safely say that this is stupidity and there is absolutely no evidence for this.

During an ultrasound, the fetus may begin to move and turn away; some believe that the child is thus “hiding” from the ultrasound waves. And here there are also no arguments. The child does not have organs that can detect ultrasound waves.

Some opponents of ultrasound examination say that a child’s hearing aid, which is not fully formed, can perceive ultrasonic waves, but this has no basis. How can an organ that has difficulty perceiving ordinary sounds be able to pick up those that are much higher in frequency and which only some animals (bats, dolphins, some birds) can pick up?

But as for this reaction of the fetus, it is most likely due to a number of factors: cold gel, which is applied to the abdomen for ultrasound, the excitement of the pregnant woman, the touch of the sensor to the skin and its movement. That is, there is no direct effect on the fetus.

In contrast to all the arguments, one and the most important one can be cited - the health of the child. Today there is no more harmless and effective method than ultrasound. It can identify both serious defects that may be incompatible with life, as well as smaller ones. Malformations of the organs of the digestive, nervous, and cardiovascular systems - all this can be identified as early as possible and the birth can be carried out correctly, as well as a team of surgeons can be prepared who will carry out surgical intervention in the shortest possible time, for example, for a heart defect.

Ultrasound diagnostics will also help determine fetal circulatory disorders using Doppler sonography. Any disruption of blood flow leads to fetal hypoxia, and this primarily causes damage to the nervous system, which can result in cerebral palsy.

Ultrasound is an integral part of modern obstetrics and gynecology. In order not to put your child and yourself at unnecessary risk, it is better to trust the specialists.

How to tell if it's a boy or a girl without an ultrasound?

Although ultrasound is the most accurate non-invasive method of determining gender, there are other, non-traditional methods. Their accuracy is lower and has not been scientifically confirmed, but some women make their assumptions based on such signs.

• Of those that have minimal scientific validity, we can distinguish mood changes, in which more nervousness indicates a boy, and less nervousness indicates a girl; dreams in which it is believed that if you dream of a boy, then there will be a girl and vice versa; the appearance of interest in the belly in 2-3 year old boys if a woman is pregnant with a girl and its absence if she is pregnant with a boy, and other similar signs. All of them are based on signs and to trust or not, everyone decides for himself.
• An obstetrician can also tell the approximate sex of a child based on characteristic tests or signs during an examination, but even these cannot be called reliable.

Ultrasound diagnostics has become one of the main methods for determining the pathologies of a child even before his birth, since it is harmless, painless, non-invasive and quite informative. You should not pay much attention to ardent opponents of ultrasound and their very vague arguments against this kind of examination.

The best option would be: after establishing the fact of pregnancy, register with the antenatal clinic and undergo all the necessary tests and examinations in order to be confident in the health of your unborn child, because a timely ultrasound can not only help preserve the health of the child, but also his life.

Calculation methods

- blood renewal method

The blood theory states that male blood is renewed every 4 years, and female blood every 3. Based on this fact, you can subtract whose blood is “newer” and conclude who will appear in the family. For example, father is 26 years old, mother is 23 years old. Divide 26 by 4, we get 6.5, divide 23 by 3, we get 7.3. The father has more balance, therefore the couple will have a son.

— calculations based on the ancient Chinese table

There is a table that was invented in Ancient China. According to the table, the sex of the child could be determined by knowing the month of conception and the mother's date of birth. Currently, the method has been turned into a calculation method and a special formula is used for calculation:

(X+Y+M+3): 2, where X is the age of the mother, Y is the month of birth of the mother, M is the month of conception. An odd number means that a boy will be born, an even number means a girl.