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Original poster

To think this gender prediction compay should be shut down?

69 replies

pinkorbluetoosoon · 30/05/2010 12:25

They tell you if you are having a boy or girl through blood test.

Friend was told 'boy' she was devestated and has been coming to terms with it over the lat 5 weeks.

(she has 3 boys and has wanted a girl for a long time)

She has just been for her scan and 100% a girl! she has 7 pics of the babys bits and the sonographer said she is certain there is n ps o tsiclesa ca clearly see its a girl.

Now my friend was upset but was still very much happy to be pregnant with the boy she thought she was having,

BUT other people could get that result and would still be within the legal time frame to have an abortion, the doctors wouldn't know about the gender test. AFAIK some groups of people do this, thats why my hospital operates a 'no tell' policy on scans even at 20 weeks!

What do you think?

OP posts:
LadyintheRadiator · 30/05/2010 13:52

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Sidge · 30/05/2010 13:53

How can a blood test determine the sex of the baby?

You'd need the baby's blood or shed cells to
examine the chromosomes and unless you have an amnio or a CVS that isn't going to be done.

Sounds like a right rip off to me, and if your friend was going to have a gender scan anyway she might as well have saved her money and waited for that.

StuckInTheMiddleWithYou · 30/05/2010 13:58

Urgh. The people who make a fuss over the genders of their children are probably the same ones who post in BabyNames asking for ideas for names to "go" with the names of the children they already have.

It's all a bit wierd.

TrillianAstra · 30/05/2010 14:02

It's not a rip-off or a scam Sidge. News report, not actual science, but it's a recognised test.

123andaway · 30/05/2010 16:31

I was going to say the same as sidge, you can't determine the sex of the baby from maternal blood. You would need blood, or some other DNA containing material from the baby.

TrillianAstra · 30/05/2010 16:44

Sidge and 123 - Yes you can. They're not making it up. Are you saying you think it's scam, just because it's not something you've heard of before?

Oxford Journal of Human Reproduction good enough for you? Article from 2002 saying "Reliable fetal sex determination can now be realised by using SRY gene amplification in maternal blood."

1pregheadpumpkin · 30/05/2010 16:58

ffs, if people seriously abort foetus's on account of gender preference then it's not the sonographer's fault. its bloody selfish.

also "devastated" is a bit dramatic, string of boys or not!

and anyway they never tell you it's 100 percent accurate do they? when i was told im having a girl, i'd been convinced it was a boy and wanted one very much, but now im so excited to meet my baby girl that i cant imagine ever being more excited if it had been a boy.

still, i wont rush aroud buying pink just in case.

Trafficcone · 30/05/2010 17:13

When I had my nuchal bloods done at Oxfords JR (well known research and training hospital) last year I was asked to join a study and give extra blood as the people doing the study were pretty sure they could accurately predict gender from maternal blood. Sadly it was an anonymous study so I have no idea if it was correct for me.

sayithowitis · 30/05/2010 17:56

Like others have said, i am not 100% certain that a scan is going to be 100% correct! Having been scanned regularly throughout my first 'successful' pregnancy, due to previous MCs, ten days before EDD I was told categorically that I was having a girl. Was given the scan pictures, shown the relevant bits etc etc. Ten days later beautiful healthy and big, baby boy is born! I think blood tests are more likely to be accurate, even though they still have an error rate.

FWIW, I too think devastation is too strong a word to use because you are having the 'wrong' gender. Surely you have a child because you want a child, regardless of whether it is a son or a daughter. For people who have lost children, either through MC, stillbirth or other tragic circumstances, it does come across as rather pathetic to hear that someone is devastated because the baby they are carrying does not fit their idea of the perfect family unit.

poppy34 · 30/05/2010 18:02

Shut down? Frankly it's a risk that take for that kind of Thing an in scheme of things if you find out wrongly does it matter

And I have limited sympathy although I understand people maybe have hopes for boy/girl if it's not what you would wish. Devestated is being told as we were at 20 week Scan that your baby has no chance of life.

I usually ignore these threads as they make my blood boil ..

LittleSilver · 30/05/2010 19:03

Oh for heaven's sake.

98% accurate. The clue is in that sentence.

Sidge · 30/05/2010 19:33

Crikey I stand corrected!

Now you mention it I vaguely remember reading something about the research - I didn't realise it was widely available already.

Obviously not a scam then, but maybe they need to reinforce the 'not 100% accurate' bit to customers to prevent the 'devastation' suffered by the OPs friend.

EddieIzzardismyhero · 30/05/2010 19:43

Disappointed would have perhaps been a better word to choose. Devastated? I think your 'friend' needs to get over herself.

Poor child if it had been born a boy .

TrillianAstra · 30/05/2010 19:53

I don't think the baby has been born at all yet.

Why is Eddie Izzard your hero?

Sidge - didn't mean to sound shouty, sorry.

wannaBe · 30/05/2010 19:54

"She has just been for her scan and 100% a girl!" Bullshit. Scans are only 80% accurate at best.

I hope she has a boy. Selfish cow.

EddieIzzardismyhero · 30/05/2010 19:57

Oh, maybe he still will be a boy then! Hope so .

He's my hero cos of his marathon running - amazing feat of endurance. I'm trying to emulate him!

EddieIzzardismyhero · 30/05/2010 19:58

Lol, x-posted wannabe! Great minds think alike!

TrillianAstra · 30/05/2010 20:01

WanneBe - I think the OP and her friend have at best a very shaky gasp of percentages.

Scans are more likely to be correct if they say boy (we can see a willy) than if they say girl (we can't see a willy, but it might be hidden somewhere).

The marathon thing was insane. He's kinda funny too

gramercy · 30/05/2010 20:05

One downside of the internet is that it gives justification to people's weird or unpleasant thoughts. Hey! There are others just like me!

So previously one might have harboured disappointment about getting (usually) a boy, but kept it to yourself. Now you find that you can discuss it, give your feelings a name "gender disappointment" and above all, justify it.

I'm sorry (well, no I'm not really), but it's like a lone paedophile thinking himself a vile individual, then finding others on the internet and becoming convinced he's quite normal.

EddieIzzardismyhero · 30/05/2010 20:15

Yes, Trillian, he is v funny ! We started an Eddie Izzard quotes thing on here a month or so ago, and I haven't laughed so much in ages!

gramercy, don't even get me started on 'gender disappointment' - some women even claiming they should be allowed NHS fertility treatment in order to conceive a girl . It makes me beyond furious - I think these women should be forced to spend a week sitting in the consultant's room of a fertility clinic and then come and tell me about gender disappointment . . .

jellybeans · 30/05/2010 20:17

Yep there are whole websites on 'gender dissapointment' with extreme sections for those planning to terminate if they get 'bad news.' It's weird as people go for scans and if they get this 'awful news', people say 'I am so sorry' as if the baby has died. Or 'maybe next time....' It's quite sickening really to feel that badly, some say they would not have had any kids rather than have the gender they got...

Abit like that programme '8 boys and wanting a girl', those women were so cruel to their existing boys, surely they will pick up on it while they are older?

EddieIzzardismyhero · 30/05/2010 20:20

jellybeans, yes, I'm sure they'll pick up on it - and also what a pressure for any resulting girl. Often what is wanted is a particular kind of girl - one to dress up, take to ballet classes and paint make up on.

They'd have been a bit pissed off if they'd had me - biggest tomboy out when I was a kid and still couldn't give a flying crap about fashion/make up/shopping etc!

PixieOnaLeaf · 30/05/2010 20:28

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

cazzybabs · 30/05/2010 20:32

I really want a boy - I have 3 girls...bet I am having another girl...I'll trade - its due in August - no need for scans or wasting money here

[disclaimer - I am joking]

tryingtobemarrypoppins2 · 30/05/2010 20:47

"devastated its a boy"

Poor boys! Why are boys getting such a raw deal/hard time all the time? I am sure its the attitude towards boys thats the issue!