You can't wait to hold your baby in your arms, but especially to know if it's a girl or a boy. Know that it is possible to know the sex of the baby from the first ultrasound, as long as the baby doesn't just do it to her head!
That's it, you will soon become a mom! Girl or boy, you are probably the happiest in the world. By the time you know the sex of your child, you probably spend your days reading theories about pregnancy. According to some rumors, having a very round belly means that you are expecting a girl. But there you go, these are not facts and only the eye of a sonographer can give you an exact answer.
During pregnancy and the various ultrasounds which mark this great adventure, it is possible to know the sex of the child at the time of the 2nd ultrasound, which generally takes place after 22 weeks, that is to say – say five months of pregnancy. Even from the 1st echo, we explain.
How is an ultrasound performed?
This 30-minute exam is safe for the health of the fetus and mother, ultrasounds are also painless. However, there are a few methods to know: “Not to have a full bladder and not to put cream on his stomach within 2 days, as this could interfere with the transmission of ultrasound”, specifies Doctor Brice Njomgang, gynecologist-obstetrician at the Chartres hospital center.
The examination should be performed either by an obstetrician-gynecologist, a radiologist or a midwife who has passed a diploma in ultrasound. "Usually it is done through the abdominal route. We place gelled water on the mother's stomach to improve the quality of the image, then move the probe to the stomach", explains the specialist.
Are ultrasounds compulsory?
Throughout pregnancy, a pregnant woman will have several medical consultations and exams to pass. Blood tests, urine tests, ultrasound, vaccines … Their purpose is to check that the pregnancy is going under optimal conditions, and to detect any risks or complications. Among these examinations, three ultrasounds are recommended by the High Authority of Health (HAS):
- The 1st trimester ultrasound, called dating ultrasound, which should be performed between 11 and 13 weeks of amenorrhea and 6 days.
- That of the 2nd trimester, which is called morphological ultrasound and should be done between 22 and 24 weeks.
- Finally, the 3rd trimester ultrasound, the last before childbirth, usually done between 31 and 33 weeks of growth.
"If ultrasounds are not compulsory, they must be offered to the patient and are reimbursed at 100% for a normal pregnancy", explains the doctor. Nevertheless, the HAS recommends that expectant mothers perform each of these ultrasounds, which make it possible to check the good progress of the pregnancy and to anticipate possible complications.
Can Dating Ultrasound Give Clues About Sex?
But before this examination, you must do the first dating ultrasound with your sonographer, which takes place around 12 or 13 WA. "The pregnant woman is 1 month pregnant, we see the embryo that looks like a small shrimp, thanks to this ultrasound, we can determine whether it is an intrauterine or ectopic pregnancy", says Dr. Benattar, medical and obstetrical gynecologist and author of Plaisir feminine.
After this examination, it is possible to know the sex of the baby. “We can know the sex of the baby quite early in the pregnancy, especially thanks to ultrasound by vaginal probe. Thus, after 13 weeks AS or one month of pregnancy, the sex is normally already visible on the ultrasound, especially if it is a boy ", she emphasizes.
But this first compulsory assessment also makes it possible to check the baby's health: fetal morphology, the spine, the femur and the neck, for screening for Down's syndrome. "A diagnosis (by analysis of the chromosomes of the fetus following a sample through the belly) can thus be offered only to women in whom this probability is very high", indicates the HAS.
How is the 22 WA ultrasound?
The second ultrasound, also called a "morphological examination", is performed during the fifth month of pregnancy or between the 22nd and 24th week of amenorrhea. At this stage of pregnancy, your baby measures an average of 20 cm for 500 to 700 grams. During this meeting, the sex of the baby can quickly be determined, provided your baby is cooperative. Indeed, the genital tubercle or genital bud of a fetus has taken the time to take the form of the final sex of your child. But sometimes depending on the position or the angle, you can't see the sex. To see it, the fetus must be in profile.
Be careful, you do not have to know the sex of the baby before birth. If you want to keep the surprise, tell your specialist at the start of the ultrasound so that he does not make any mistakes.
However, do not worry, the examination lasts half an hour, which leaves time for the fetus to show itself from all angles. So, after completing this reliable exam, you will know whether you are expecting a girl or a boy.
Third trimester ultrasound, the last step before childbirth
Finally, it is during the 8th month of pregnancy, that is to say between the 31st and 33rd weeks of pregnancy, that the third and last ultrasound takes place. This test is used to check the child's proper development, including his heart and organs, as well as the amount of amniotic fluid. In order for the delivery to go better, this third trimester exam allows you to see the baby's position in the mother's womb.
I don't like the response of the ultrasound, what should I do?
Many parents prefer to know him when buying clothes for the child, to protect themselves even more easily to find a first name. Others do not want to know the sex of the baby, to keep the surprise until delivery. Indeed, it is possible to be disappointed by discovering the sex of the future baby, which is not very serious, but it is important to prepare psychologically to welcome the baby as well as possible.
"Depending on the wishes of future parents, the ultrasound can be lived happily or painfully: if they already have two daughters, they will probably hope to have a boy and will be disappointed if it is a third baby girl. ", indicates Media. Indeed, during pregnancy, parents spend a lot of time imagining their baby. Unfortunately, reality does not necessarily match our idea of a baby. If you were expecting a girl and have a boy, you can always try to have a girl later.
Above all, do not let the child feel your disappointment. Girl or boy, having a healthy baby is important.