How soon can the gender of a fetus be determined?

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Pregnancy
Taking care of yourself with baby on the way.

It seems the common answer on the net is 16-18 weeks.

Answer

You can probably see the sex of the fetus by three months. By then organs are already developed.

Sex of Your Baby

Sometimes you can tell early and sometimes you can't tell until they are born. I found out that my child was a boy at 17 weeks, but my friend didn't find out 'til when she had hers, and it was a girl. They had taken many u/s but she was so lady-like she just didn't want anyone to see.

Here is more information:

• I would agree with the last person's answer. It all depends on how modest your baby is, and how he or she likes to lay. If those legs are closed, you may be waiting until delivery! If you have a good radiologist, they may be able to coax the baby into a slightly different position. At my office (I work at an OB/GYN office), we sometimes tell moms to drink a Hi-C juice box (nothing w/ caffeine, just a little dose of sugar) to get the baby nice and active. Check with your doctor on this first, though.

• The earliest an ultrasound can possibly determine the gender of a fetus is 12 weeks. Most doctors won't attempt to determine the gender until 16-20 weeks. Unlike amniocentesis, ultrasound genderizing isn't an exact science. Depending on the way the baby lays, it can be difficult to see the genitals. Some radiologists will influence the baby to move into a different position to catch a glimpse, or you could consume something containing sugar to make the fetus more active. Amniocentesis, if you have to have one done, determines the gender through chromosomal analysis and this is fool-proof.

As the sexual organs are not differentiated until 16-17 weeks (before this boys and girls look the same) this is the earliest an u/s can tell you. chorionic villus sampling and amniocentesis will tell you before this.

Answer

I knew I was having a boy at 14 weeks.

It's all dependent on how your baby is positioned. My sister wasn't able to tell what her first kid was because she (the fetus) had her legs crossed during the ultrasound. :-)

It's also a lot easier (for obvious reasons) to tell if it's a boy than if it's a girl.

I found out that I was having a boy at 15 weeks!!!! But it just depends on how the baby cooperates with the ultrasound tech.

The earliest a doctor will have a radiologist determine gender is about 12 weeks. Most wait until week 16 through week 20. Determining gender by radiology is not an exact science. A fetus could be in a position where it is difficult to see the genitals. Your radiologist may attempt to coax the fetus into another position where it is more visible. You could also consume something containing sugar, such as juice, (no caffeine!) which will make the fetus somewhat more active. Amniocentesis, if you must have one completed, is fool-proof in determining gender of the fetus through chromosomal testing.

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