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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

16 week appointment gender prediction by midwife?

30 replies

22honey · 06/03/2014 16:08

I had my 16 week appointment today and was delighted that the heartbeat was able to be heard as soon as the device was put on my belly :D The second midwife in the room commented that 'it sounds like a boy that' with regards to the heartbeat. Has anyone else had a midwife comment on the sex of the baby whilst hearing the HB at this point and if so, were they correct? I've heard that the heart rate can change throughout the pregnancy but me and DP presumed she must know what shes on about?

I would be delighted with either gender by the way, its just very exciting and wondering what others thought of this, whether gender can be predicted by the sound of the HB at 16 weeks?

xxx

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SantasLittleMonkeyButler · 06/03/2014 16:11

It's not something I've ever heard of TBH .

I shouldn't think it can be too reliable as all the midwives would be doing it .

SantasLittleMonkeyButler · 06/03/2014 16:12

BTW, will you be asking the sex of the baby at your 20 week scan?

If so, you'll find out in about 4 weeks if there is any truth in it .

YouHaveBeenOutbid · 06/03/2014 16:13

I've heard that - something about boys having slightly faster heartbeats. My midwife predicted and was right (well she had a 50/50 chance!).

MyNameIsKenAdams · 06/03/2014 16:14

My MW has an 80 percent success rate apparently. Sheguessed ours right, last pg, however theres a one in two chance hahah.

This one will I will find out the sex at the scan so will ask her prediction at the appointment before.

Horse or train evidently.

thatstoast · 06/03/2014 16:15

That doesn't sound too scientific but she's got a 50\50 chance of being right. Are you going to find out at 20 weeks?

CbeebiesIsMyLife · 06/03/2014 16:16

I've heard that below 145bpm is a boy and above is a girl.

I've been told my baby is a boy and he is below 145bpm (was hooked up to monitor a couple of times) but I dont remember what my girls were!

Its all old wives tales at the end of the day, like if you have a round bump your baby is a girl is you have a wide bump its a boy (but then different areas have different views!)

nc060 · 06/03/2014 16:17

Were you planning on finding out? If not that is pretty poor show of her, I hope mine doesnt do that as I would like the surprise!

I have heard theories about the heart rates being connected to gender before

WeeClype · 06/03/2014 16:17

I was expecting a girl and my friend was expecting a boy, we always compared the HB and it was always roughly the beats.

Original poster

22honey · 06/03/2014 16:19

Yes I will be finding out the sex and cannot wait! :D I had a feeling it was a girl from just before my 12 week scan and after the scan I had an even stronger feeling but now with this I am really not sure...was starting to believe more in my 'mothers instinct' lol!

I just can't wait to start baby shopping as soon as possible and (fingers crossed the 20 week scan is ok) my mother is practically foaming at the mouth to know, its her first grandchild so shes going to go pretty mad :D

I thought it was the boys HB is slower than the girls? Then I also heard it changes throughout the pregnancy.

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Highlystrungmum · 06/03/2014 16:19

I was in labour and was just hooked up to the heart rate monitor when the midwife pipes in with ' oh this is definitely a girl, id put my mortgage on it' then her shift finished. Both my husband and I were totally devastated & left a bit deflated as we didn't want to know the sex & had got this far when she ruined it for us 12 hours later I delivered a boy.
The next day she was walking down the corridor and I made my husband run after her & tell her it was a boy haha.

Kantha · 06/03/2014 16:23

At about 38 weeks my mw said it sounded like a "lazy boy". She was right. It kind of irritated me though as I had chosen not to find out the gender.

Boys are meant to be slower HB but I was told it's only obvious late in the pregnancy.

littlemrssleepy · 06/03/2014 16:26

It's an 'old midwives tale' that boys have faster heartbeats and there is nothing scientific to back it up. That said it was right both times with mine .

confuddledDOTcom · 06/03/2014 16:26

It's a bit of fun but studies found that there isn't anything in it.

littlemrssleepy · 06/03/2014 16:27

Oh maybe boys slower. Can't remember. But still an old midwives tale despite correctly predicting mine!

Original poster

22honey · 06/03/2014 16:28

'old midwives tale' LOL!

As said she has got a 50/50 chance of being right...now its just the 4 week wait and its going to drag!

OP posts:

isambardo · 06/03/2014 17:02

A midwife on Labour ward predicted it was a girl based on heartbeat. I had a boy. All good fun guessing and I enjoy the old wives tales but means nothing I think :)

Windywinston · 06/03/2014 17:07

I had a mw comment that it was a boy's heartbeat at at 32 wk check up. DD is nearly 2.

PenguinsEatSpinach · 06/03/2014 17:08

it is a bit of fun, but scientifically speaking it's bollocks.

ShadowFall · 06/03/2014 17:17

I have a friend who has twins.

They opted not to find out the gender at the scans, but they knew from the scan that the twins would be non-identical (so could be both the same gender or one of each). Anyway, whenever the heartbeats were monitored, they always had one fast heartbeat and one slow heartbeat.

The midwife told them that this meant that their twins would be a boy and a girl. Friend was very cross about this as the midwife had "spoiled the surprise" for them.

And the midwife was wrong - both twins were girls. So I don't believe that this is an accurate method of predicting a baby's gender!

SpinningFates · 06/03/2014 17:23

I wanted to keep the sex of my baby a secret until the birth. I wanted my DH to tell me. When I was hooked up to a monitor, the MW asked me if I wanted a boy or a girl. I said that I didn't mind. She then said, "Oh, you're having a boy - it's in your notes. Didn't you know"? When I said that I had wanted that information kept a secret she said "I don't know why you mothers try and keep it a secret - what's the problem - you are going to find out soon enough".

At the time I was heartbroken (baby hormones) and she just flounced out in a huff. In the bigger picture of course, it's not the end of the world to know beforehand, but my DH still thinks that the MW got a kick out of ruining our moment.

SpinningFates · 06/03/2014 17:24

BTW - the MW was correct, I did have a boy.

StarsInTheNightSky · 06/03/2014 17:30

I think it's very inaccurate tbh, our midwife apparently has about a 75% success rate and she guessed girl at 16 weeks, but we are definitely having a boy. I told her she was wrong at the time and she wasn't best pleased, harped on a bit about her "experienced ear" so I was quite happy to reiterate after our 20 week scan that we are definitely having a boy .
Our (very senior and expeienced) consultant and the consultant cardiologist told me that telling gender from heart rate was absolute nonsense.

EirikurNoromaour · 06/03/2014 17:53

Sex. Babies have a sex. Not a gender. That is all.

ChicaMomma · 06/03/2014 18:00

My baby had a fast heart rate (170) all along, which would be indicative of a girl... but no, it was confirmed at the 20 week scan that it's a boy!

My consultant said the 140 rule if horse manure- there might be SOME truth in it at 36-40 weeks, but not early on.

Felyne · 06/03/2014 18:04

I heard that girl heartbests are faster. Was true for both of mine (one of each) but I've just as often come across people saying the opposite is true. You always remember the old wives tales that were right in your own case. During my second pregnancy I had to be monitored for about 20 minutes (i forget why) but during that time the heartbeat fluctuated from 130 to 180 averaging about 160!

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