The sex of the child during pregnancy can be found out using ultrasound, but the earlier the period, the less reliable the result will be. It is possible to assert something definite from the eleventh week, but only with a 50% probability. At 18 weeks and later, the answer will be more unambiguous, but errors are not excluded - in some cases, it is possible to know the gender with 100% accuracy only after childbirth.
11 week
At 11 weeks, sexual characteristics have already begun to form in the embryo: the scrotum and penis grow in boys, and the labia develop in girls. Before that, the rudiments of the genital organs look the same - like a small bulge. But at this time, an ultrasound specialist can try to find out the sex of the fetus, although the probability of an error is very high, since the embryo is small. He can also be hampered by a large amount of amniotic fluid, the thickness of the abdominal wall, poor-quality equipment, and lack of experience.
Sometimes the boys' genitals are not visible, as they are trapped between the legs, and some doctors mistake the umbilical cord loop or fingers in girls for the male genital organ. Few experts undertake to unequivocally answer the question of whether a boy or a girl will be born, but it is already possible to assume something.
18 week
At 18 weeks, in most cases, it is already possible to give a more accurate answer if the equipment is good, and the child will take a comfortable position. The specialist can already measure the approximate angle of formation of the genital tubercle: in boys, it is larger. But even now there may be mistakes: sometimes the child lies in such a way that the genitals are not visible on the screen, sometimes liquid or fatty deposits interfere with the development of the fetus in more detail. It is much more common for girls to be mistaken for boys than vice versa.
22 weeks and later
Only from 22 weeks, ultrasound specialists can say with 80-90% certainty who will be born. The probability of error decreases every week and is especially low if the study is carried out using 3D devices. As a rule, a second planned ultrasound examination is prescribed for this period, in which the sex of the fetus is most often reported. From this time on, the child's genitals are already clearly visible, and the little man moves more actively, so you can wait until he takes an advantageous position.
Starting from the third semester, the probability of an error in determining the sex on ultrasound increases, as the child grows, occupies almost the entire area of the uterus and already moves less, therefore, in an uncomfortable position, nothing definite can be said.
Invasive sex determination methods
There are invasive procedures for examining a child during pregnancy, which make it possible to accurately determine the sex from as early as 9 weeks, but their main goal is to identify severe hereditary pathologies and developmental disorders. These methods are quite dangerous, they can lead to miscarriage, so you should not resort to them without special indications.
