Finding out your baby’s sex

You can choose to find the sex of your baby  during your mid – pregnancy ultrasound. This is usually between 16 to 20 weeks.  The technician may not be able to tell you for sure if she can’t get a clear view of the baby’s genitals.

The baby’s penis and vulva begins to form as early as 6 weeks. However  baby girls look similar to baby boys until about 14 weeks  and it can be difficult to tell them apart for several weeks after that. By 18 weeks, the technician should be able to tell the sex if the baby is in a position  that allows the sex to be  visible. If not , you can be able to tell the sex from another ultrasound.

You can also find the sex of your baby through noninvasive prenatal testing NIPT. This blood test can detect Down’s syndrome and few other chromosomal conditions at 10 weeks of pregnancy or later. It looks out for pieces of the male sex chromosome in the expectant mother’s blood. This will be used to determine if she is carrying a girl or a boy.

Other people also find their baby’s sex through genetic tests  such as CVS or amniocentesis. These are usually used to determine if the baby has any genetic disorder or chromosomal abnormalities such as Down’s syndrome. CVS is usually done between 10 and 13 weeks.  Amniocentesis is usually done between 16 and 20 weeks.