"she?"

[EmpireBiscuit]

Sooo, the sonographer referred to baby as "she" once at my 12 week scan. I was 12+5 at the time.

What do you lot reckon the chances are that she has slipped up? I've had a look on google and it talks about nub theories?

Both my babies were referred to as 'she'. I have one of each! I did mention to my consultant as we didn't want to know the sex on the first pregnancy as was a bit miffed to be told she all the time. Consultant laughed and said she called all babies 'she' so she never made a slip up for the parents that didn't want to know.

Very very hard to tell on 12 week scan I imagine they just didn't want to call your baby 'it'

I doubt it is a 'slip up', probably the sonographer always says she. Still, 50% chance it is a girl .

Thanks guys - don't get me wrong, I'm not fussed what the bean turns out to be but was enjoying the anticipation!

I'll go back to blissful ignorance :)

My sonographer said 'she' and I had a boy. I think at that stage they just stick to one sex regardless of what it actually is.

They'd have to really look hard and even then make something of a guess to know the sex at a scan that early. :)

We were told the sex at the 12 week scan (actually I was 11w4d ish). We were totally surprised, but the sonographer did it formally - asked us if we wanted to know (which we weren't prepared for at all) and then when we said yes told us it was "almost certainly" a boy. My friend who's a paediatrician said they can sometimes tell at these early scans these days if the machine is very up-to-date and the sonographer very experienced. My scan was at a big London teaching hospital so perhaps both those things were true. It wasn't just a slip of the tongue thing anyway. Maybe little boys can have erections even at 12 weeks?!? That was my suspicion but was too shy to ask!

20 week scan on Monday so we'll find out then whether she was right!

At a 12 week scan it's sometimes possible to definitely tell if it's a boy but I think pretty much impossible to be sure it's a girl - the reason being that if you see a tackle then it's a boy, but if you don't then it might just be that you didn't get the right angle.

So really unlikely that sonographer could tell it was a girl.

My sonographer said "she" at my 20 week scan. I asked her afterwards if that was just her habit or whether I should read more into it. She vehemently denied saying "she" whereas I heard it plain as day. She got quite defensive so I didn't pursue it but I thought the reaction said more than the slip-up but am still convinced I'm having a boy.

I love speculating on gender. You'd think I'd have just found out at 20 weeks instead of spending 40 weeks reading into old wives tales and asking people whether they think my bump is a boy bump or a girl bump but I love the suspense .

Kalidasa, good luck with your scan and come back and let us know the outcome!

kalidasa I actually think it's quite unprofessional for them to do that at 12 weeks, for the reason I mentioned before - if at 12 weeks, they ask you if you want to know the sex, and you say no, then you still know it's a boy because they would never be able to be sure it's a girl that early!

Mine said she at the 12 week scan too, but I just assumed as Strawberrypenguin says that it's instead of saying it. A couple of the pregnancy books I'm reading just say she as well so it might be quite common terminology?

Good point RJ. If we'd said no and then gone away and thought about it I'm sure we'd have realised as well that it must be a boy. I'm glad we found out actually as I've had such an horrendous pregnancy (apparently never-ending hyperemesis, lots of time in hospital etc) that it gave us something to cling to a bit at that still-grim early stage. To be honest I am more excited about being half way through then the scan itself. Just want this pregnancy to be over so I can stop throwing up!

I've also noticed books using 'she' btw.

Pay no heed to what the sonographer said.

Two women I know had their baby referred to as 'he' during their 20 wk scans - even though they had said they didn't want to know. As it turned out both had girls.

At my recent 20 wk scan the sonographer said 'she' then corrected herself and said 'oops only said that because of your two girls waiting outside'. I am paying no attention to what she said, a slip of the tongue is easy and I enjoy the suspense too much to allow it to affect me. In fact til I saw your post I'd forgotten she'd even said it, I expect I'll have forgotten again by the end of the day!

I thought all babies had a protrusion at 12 weeks. It turns into labia and clitoris on a girl or, if testosterone production started at about 7 weeks of pregnancy, it begins to form a penis and scrotum, and then testicles descend in the third trimester. Boys can't get an erection at 12 weeks of pregnancy, their penis is not yet formed, just like a girl's clitoris isn't.

So all twelve week babies have 'tackle'. The accuracy rate I read was 46% correct at 12 weeks. Which is worse than random allocation I'd have thought.

Oh well in that case we may be in for a surprise on Monday and have to rethink our names list! I'll try to remember to come back and let you know.