Perhaps one of the most exciting times between finding out you are pregnant and actually giving birth, is the great gender reveal. A boy or girl? should paint the nursery pink or blue? Will you reveal the gender? Do you even want to know the gender or keep it a surprise?
During the second trimester, around 18-22 weeks, your care provider will be able to determine your child’s gender. By using the the images produced by a sonogram or ultrasound, technicians can fairly accurately tell the gender. Many different factors can affect the accuracy however. The age of the fetus, the experience of the technician and the position of the fetus all affect the accuracy of gender determination. The older the fetus, the more pronounced the sexual structures and organs become. A female fetus will show no erect penis, and most often a 3 small lines (the labia) in the genital region. A male fetus will show a penis and scrotum very clearly in the genital region.
Female
Male
Audrey Mendenhall RT, RDMS, RDCS, RVT accurately determines a fetus’s gender from her schooling and experience. The titles at the end of her name demonstrate her credentials and education. The website accurately describes how to determine gender as well well as provides pictures to demonstrate the information given. Audrey works for the Sound Health Imaging institute that specializes in diagnostic medical ultrasonography.
Mendenhall, Audrey, RT, RDMS, RDCS, RVT. “Boy or Girl?” Sound Health Imaging in Helena and Butte Montana. Sound Health Imaging, n.d. Web. 11 May 2015. <http://helenaultrasound.com/Boy_or_Girl.php>.
Neonatal Care: what to expect 