Guess the gender! 12 weeks.

[lilviking]

Hi guys this is my first post on here :)

After 14 months of TTC, I am just over 12 weeks pregnant. I Had my scan earliest this week, and just for fun I'd like u to guess the sex :) I am useless with the 'nub' theory and the skull shape.

I was also shocked to learn that the NHS in my area does not offer a nuchal scan to check for downs syndrome and I've been trying to look for signs on my scan. It's stressing me out. I'm 29.

Thanks xx

[mummytobejuly2014]

maybe a girl? mine & sil both boys have flatter foreheads in scan pics

[lilviking]

I was looking at 'skull theory' pix on Google. And I defo don't think mine looks particulary flat after seeing photos, but everyone interpret photos differently. Im sooo impatient haha

[lilviking]

I am hoping for a girl :)

[Pinkandwhite]

Congrats on your 12week scan! I wasn't offered the nuchal fold test either (which really pi**ed me off -I'm 31) so opted to pay for a prenatal blood test called panorama. Most people have the harmony test which is the same thing. Could you do that to put your mind at rest? Interestingly, along with giving you information about the health of your baby, it also tells you your baby's gender! You just have some blood taken and then 7-14days later you get the results. It isn't particularly cheap but it is worth it for the reassurance if you can do it.

I'm going to take a guess at boy from the picture!

[EmilyJane86]

I thought nuchal test was a countrywide test? Shocked and disgraced that the NHS does not provide this routinely across the country. Got my scan next week and having that check done. I'm only 27 but I would definitely be paying private if they weren't doing it on the NHS. Good luck and I think it's too hard to tell at this stage what sex it is although I feel your pain. I'm so inpatient with this baby

[EmilyJane86]

I think all pregnant mothers are offered nuchal test. Press your midwife has said you did not consent to this or never got your consent. This NHS website clearly states all pregnant women are offered said test www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/pages/screening-amniocentesis-downs-syndrome.aspx#close

[EmilyJane86]

Perhaps*

[Tea1Sugar]

I'm going with boy :)

[Booboostoo]

I have this woo-woo theory for the gender (light-hearted): if your hair stops growing during the pregnancy it's a girl, if your hair grows a lot faster than normal it's a boy! I have tested this theory on a grand total of one pregnancies and it was 100% correct!

I would be pressing your MW for the scan as well and do it asap. As far as I understand it you want to get the NS test done before 13wk and 6 days. Don't make yourself stress about trying to interpret the scan yourself, it's really not possible!

[Roshbegosh]

You can't see the nuchal properly on those images, they aren't the right sections. Too soon to say about gender via ultrasound, keep guessing if you like you have a 50:50 chance of getting it right.

[lilviking]

I'm in Northern Ireland, and I asked during my scan why I'm not offered a NT scan, and she said "its not just a straight forward procedure, and if the results showed an increase risk, would you abort"? I said no. What the ..? Ok abortions are illegal in Northern Ireland, but I'd rather not live in the uncertainty and I can't afford it private. There's only 1 clinic doing it and they charge £189.

So back to the skull... at 11w6days, I imagine the skull won't be perfectly rounded yet anyway?

[lilviking]

Also its NICE guidelines to offer all women it. Their scan machines dont even have sound so didnt hear the heartbeat. Thank god from my doppler. Im a doppler freak lol. Ive listened to the HB everyday since week 9. He or she has a HB of 162 this morning :)

[Roshbegosh]

It would not make sense to do all that testing and then not allow women a choice about what to do regarding the results. No choice in Northern Ireland so no tests. I do think it is disgraceful that women in Northern Ireland don't get the same testing and choices that women in the rest of the UK get.

[DrSeuss]

There is a fifty per cent chance that's a girl.

[Roshbegosh]

The scan will show a heart beating whether they switch the Doppler on or not. They will only use Doppler for the standard Doppler tests when required and they look at the detail of a trace for a particular vessel, not just listen to a heartbeat. Sonographers don't need to hear the sound on a machine.

[lilviking]

Yeah I saw the heart beat, guess I just got greedy and wanted to hear as well :) I like your answer DrSeuss, 50-50% hehe.

[Mumof3xx]

I guess girl

It's head looks fairly rounded to me

[Roshbegosh]

Yes a 50:50 chance. You have to wait a bit.

[Booboostoo]

lilviking that is an awful response! The NT is a straight forward procedure, with no risk, the only complication is that is has a 5% false positive rate. The NT does give information which allows you to decide whether an amnio is for you or not.

[NoMontagues]

Rosh- you're right, and also what about those women who would just prefer to know and be prepared? In the Republic of Ireland, where I live, there's no 12 week scan at all, let alone nuchal testing. Unless there's complications, you get one scan at 20 weeks and that's it. Mine will be at 22 weeks because they're so busy. I am very lucky to have been able to afford the Harmony test which I did at 12 weeks and included a scan, and was lovely experience. I got a negative for Downs and found out I'm having a boy! His head is very round in the scan picture though!

[lilviking]

So round skull is a girl or a boy? I'm finding mixed messages about it on Google :) yeah I'd rather be prepared for it, hoping I'll be lucky and it won't happen me is all I can do I guess.

[Raxacoricofallapatorius]

I've had lots of scans and never heard the heartbeat during one fwiw.

When scanning dc2 at my nuchal scan, the sonographer took a punt on the sex of the baby. She was right. Bravo for 50/50.

Are you feeling particularly anxious btw? That level of doppler use is quite excessive and I assume you've been told that hearing the heartbeat on a doppler is meaningless. You mustn't use it for reassurance. I understand why people like dopplers, they're a bit of fun but no more, no less.

[lilviking]

Yeah I am quite anxious but I know of others who uses it twice a day lol, I'm not that bad yet :) suppose its because it took 14 months just to fall pregnant. I know worrying doesn't help but sometimes you can't help it.

[Raxacoricofallapatorius]

Took me 14 months and 3 miscarriages to have my first. I know how you feel.

A home doppler is not a diagnostic tool. You must only ever use it if you accept that it doesn't tell you everything's okay, you know that it never, ever replaces any kind of professional care and you are confident enough to not go to pieces when you can't find a heartbeat. Most midwives don't use them before 16 weeks or even 24 weeks where I live now as chances of the baby being able to evade detection are high. I did have one and used it very occasionally before I felt dc1 move as I'd been through losing three and it helped me feel a bit more connected to the baby growing in there. I stopped using it at 17 weeks and with dc2 didn't use it at all.

[Roshbegosh]

lilviking a round skull means it is a boy or a girl. That's all. The roundness at this stage will depend on the particular angle of the scan image.

Home Doppler is risky, if you don't hear the heart beat what then? Rush to hospital in a panic every time? If it really has stopped then it is a tragedy you can't do anything to prevent by home dopper. If it is user error than that is a completely avoidable huge anxiety for nothing and a waste of NHS resources to check it.