Whether the baby is a boy or girl, most expecting parents just want a healthy baby. In these cases, families may want to know the gender as soon as possible.” Understanding “Gender Disappointment” “Some of these conditions are also associated with pregnancy loss. “Some genetic conditions are associated with a specific gender,” she said. Mandeville explained there could be other reasons why a family may want to learn the sex of the baby before he or she is born. In addition to hoping for one gender or another, Dr. Again, it is just important for families to remember that these are not accurate methods of gender prediction.”

For example, patients tell me that relatives predict gender by the way they carry the baby, carrying lower for boys, and higher for girls. “I’ve heard many wives’ tales about pregnancy and childbirth. “It’s fun for family and friends to guess and play these games,” she said. Mandeville added it’s still neat to have some lighthearted fun. The baby’s heart rate also changes throughout the pregnancy with higher heart rates noted at the beginning of pregnancy.”ĭr. The evidence shows there is no difference in the average of female or male fetal heart rates. Several studies have been done regarding fetal heart rate. “It’s important to remember that we should not take them as fact. “These old wives’ tales can be interesting,” said Dr. The old wives’ tale about learning the baby’s gender based on the heart rate during an ultrasound says that the baby will be a boy if the fetal heart rate is lower, and a girl if it is higher. According to Merriam-Webster the definition of old wives’ tale is often a traditional belief that is not based on facts, is usually false and is often created by superstition. There are several theories that are believed to reveal the gender, but most are just folklore. People may also turn to “Old Wives’ Tales” as a way to learn the baby’s sex. There are also times where we might not be able to determine the gender from the ultrasound based on the baby’s position or other factors.” It is important for families to know that there is not a 100% accurate method to determine gender and sometimes we have surprises. “The 20-week anatomy ultrasound is about 95% accurate in gender determination.

“NIPT testing is about 99% accurate,” she said. It is also another opportunity to determine gender, or the sex of the baby. Mandeville added that around 20 weeks, it is recommended to complete an anatomy scan to assess growth, look at the placenta and umbilical cord, and examine all parts of the fetus. This test also gives early information about gender, and results are typically back within a week.”ĭr. This is a method of determining the risk that the fetus will be born with certain genetic conditions like Down syndrome. “We can complete this testing starting at about 10 weeks. Amy Mandeville, a Family Medicine and Obstetrics Physician at ThedaCare Physicians-Waupaca. “Some families may choose to do non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) early in the pregnancy,” explained Dr. It can be very exciting to learn any new details about the growing baby so soon-to-be parents can prepare and celebrate with family and friends. Many times, now with the advancements in science, we can tell the baby’s gender as early as 10 weeks. When a woman is expecting a baby, there are several milestones throughout the pregnancy. Learn about the Clinical and Support Services at ThedaCare View All Services Proudly Serving the Wild Rose Community.Proudly Serving the New London Community.Proudly Serving the Fox Cities Community.

Normal heartbeat of fetus