20 week scan and gender ?

[Violet5]

Hi, i am a mum of 5 soon to be 6 ! (last one)

Anyway i had my 20 week scan yesterday and sonographer just ran scanner over genitals quickly and said 'think i saw something, looks like a boy', so i said 'are you sure' to which she replied 'i'd be suprised if i was wrong' then proceeded with the more important part of scan and checking everything was ok.
Thankfully it was.

My husband was v excited as first 4 aren't his biological children as their from my first relationship and we only have a daughter between us. This would be the first boy in his family too so all his fam are understandably excited.

I am a little worried though that as sonographer didn't look for more than a second that she may not be right ?

Am i being silly in wondering if we should book a private gender scan just to be sure ?
I just don't want his family spending a fortune on blue stuff and us redecorating bedrooms to get a suprise girl on delivery day (not that i'd have minded either way, my eldest child is disabled so health was all that mattered to me).

Anyone been told they were probably expecting one and got the other ?

Any thoughts or experiences on the subject greatly apreciated :-)

Congratulations on your 6th!! And more fool you

I dont know how common it is, but the same thing (pretty much) happened to me yesterday. The sonographer looked very briefly and said, "You know we can get it wrong, dont you?" then said, "I think it's a boy."
I was desperate for a girl (have posted a thread along those lines), so I am almost hoping he was wrong, but I very much doubt it. I personally dont think they'd commit to telling you if they werent pretty sure.

We're getting a 4D scan anyway, as we wont be having any more kids, so this is the last chance to do that.

Best of luck!

Thankyou for replying,funny that a similar thing happened to you yesterday too !. You're probably right, they prob wouldn't commit to saying unless they were fairly sure...

4D scans are lovely, i had one with my 5th and it was great (can't afford one this time ) but it was a lovely experience.
Sure you'll love it, best of luck with everything too, take care

I think they're more likely to be accurate by 20 weeks if they say it's a boy due to presence of obvious 'bits' by that stage.

re: sonographer getting it wrong - Have read of more people being told probably girl when it's been a boy hiding than the other way round. Seems to be usually pretty accurate if they think it's a boy.

Earlier on both sexes look similar as girls bits can be a bit swollen. It's apparently all about angles at an earlier stage to recognise male/female, but by 20 weeks the difference should be much more obvious.

Hope so anyway as am due in a couple of weeks and have been referring to baby as 'he' and washed all of DS old blue baby clothes! [grin} I'm sure someone will be along soon with a story to totally contradict this.

Good luck whatever you decide.

Lol, thanks. Hope all goes well in a few weeks time

Ive been told its far more likely to be true if they say its a boy, as there must be some obvious "tail" at around 20 weeks. BUT if they say girl, sometimes that can be hiding so can be wrong.

We've been told the sex of ours but we still refer to baby as it and have no expectations for when it comes out. I've seen it predicted wrong both ways, so I didn't want to get myself into only thinking it was exactly what they had said.

If you think your hubby will struggle a bit if it turns out to be a girl and is absolutely dead set on it been a boy then I think a gender scan is absolutely worth the money. I know one lady who had 3 boys, was told she was having a girl, went bonkers for pink stuff and the baby came out another boy! she and her husband struggled to bond with him in the early days coz they were so so shocked and expecting something else!

Good luck!

at our 20 week scan we were told it was a girl. The sonographer said she "Couldn't see a winkie"

She was quiet blase about it though and sort of mentioned it in passing. She didn't say "it is definitely a girl". More like "mmm yes, it seems to be a girl"

so like you i am worried that I am buying girl things and may still have a boy!

Thanks Kity, yeah i think gender scan must be the way to go for us. My husbands parents have 4 grandaughters and obv said they'd be very happy to have a 5th,they're fab grandparents but they were very excited to hear sonographer thought it was a boy. Husbands sister is planning lots of 'blue' shopping too so i wouldn't want them all being in shock on delivery day. Also you make a good point about the bonding thing if you're def expecting one and get the other. Thankyou x

I had a gender scan at 17 weeks and they said it was a girl, then my 20 week scan where they said it was a girl, then sent me away to have a fizzy drink, then I came back and a different sonographer said it was a girl.

I'm still nervous its going to be a boy coming into a world of pink ;) I don't know if I'll ever be certain its a girl until I see with me own eyes ;p

Ha ha glad to hear i'm not the only one a bit paranoid sonographer might have got it wrong lol ,hope all goes well for you

My SIL got told at her 20 week scan she was having a boy but out popped a girl. My MIL was with her and even now is convinced she saw all the boy 'bits'. she is 6 now so things could have improved now but it's one of the reasons I haven't found out.

Sounds like i definately am justified in wanting a second opinion, that should sway my husband into agreeing i should have one, thanks.

At my 20 week scan, we were told that we are having a girl because the sonographer saw 3 visable white lines. Is this usually a valid way of determining the sex of a baby girl. I am starting to worry a little because I have gone and bought loads of pink stuff. We would be happy with either girl or boy as long as they are healthy but it would be a shock if a boy did now make an appearnce.

the three white lines IS an indicator of a girl, but its not foolproof and they can get it wrong. As a rule (and this sounds crude) when they are looking up between the legs what they either see looks like a hamburger (3 lines) or a hotdog (little sausage sticking out)
I know the vast majority of people don't care what it turns out to be but I do know people who've gone out and decorated their nurseries pink, only bought pink clothes and chosen girls names and I always think Christ that is one hell of a shock if it turns out to be the other!
I think the later the gender scan the more certain they are.
Until my baby is in my arms and I have a good look myself Im reluctant to believe what the sonographer said!

first time round - 5 yrs ago - sonographer did the same thing- whizzed over the relevant area and was very blaise (sp?) saying it was a girl - it was, this time when we went for the scan even I could tell it was a boy before she said anything,good positioning and a clear hotdog over a hamburger to use Kity's technical terms Both times we wanted healthy child as preference to anything else but his time it has helped as Dd had been insistant that she wanted a little sister - at least finding out now (she was at the scan as well) means she has time to adjust to having a little brother 9 we have said she can sometimes dress him in pink if she wants to )

Scan this time was much clearer than 5 yrs ago and it was much more obvious - last time DH and I were very sceptical until DD was born