Thoughts on gender scans?

[Gobletoffire]

Hi all! I’m 16 weeks next week and I’m dying to know the baby’s sex. It’s first baby and we have no preference, I’m just super excited to know. DH thinks it silly to pay for a gender scan to find out at 16 weeks when we should find out at 20 weeks anyway (if the sonographer is able to tell). Maybe I’m just being impatient.

I’m just wondering - anyone here who found out around 16 weeks and wish they’d waited till later? Or anyone who wishes they’d found out sooner for any reason? X

Do you know for sure your area tells the sex?

We assumed we would find out at our 20-week scan but when we got there and I asked at the end, the sonographer said it was policy not to tell! We paid for a private scan instead as I'd got myself hyped up about it. I waited as I didn't want to pay at 16 weeks when a) it's sometimes not as clear that early as bits can be swollen and b) I assumed we would find out a month later anyway.

Personally speaking, if you know you'll find out the sex at 20 weeks I wouldn't pay for one earlier. I feel more confident in knowing its correct now too, given that it was a bit further on.

I had a reassurance scan at nearly 16 weeks, I had food poisoning at 15 weeks and the previous year had miscarriage at 12 weeks. It made me feel a hell of a lot better and was worth the £39, I just couldn't cope with the extra 4 weeks stressing.

So if the money isn't a problem and you want to have a scan do it. Would you rather find out at 16 weeks or use x amount of money that the scan would of cost at 20 weeks to go strainght to the shops and buy some clothes?

I had one at 17 weeks. I live miles away from my Mum and thought a 4D gender scan would be a nice way to include her in the pregnancy somehow and it was. My partner was fine with me finding out without him as he was adamant it was a girl from the start (and it is). I thought it was a really lovely experience and a nice way to see the baby in a more relaxed environment. If you are absolutely desperate to know and have the cash spare, why not I say!

I had one at 16 weeks and it’s suddenly become much more real to me. I feel like I have bonded with my little girl already.

I had one at sixteen weeks, they told me it was a boy and when I went for my twenty week scan they told me it was a girl. Paid money for it and it was just a waste. I had a gender reveal party as well, literally a waste of time and money. It was lovely seeing baby in 3D though. I went to window to the womb btw, also they never offered me a refund just offered to rescan which was pointless 😕

I had one at 16 weeks. I have my anomaly scan tomorrow and I don't regret paying for a private scan in the slightest.
I'd have been just as happy either way whether a boy or girl, but I couldn't wait to know.

I'd never ever find out until the birth. I think it's way nicer to find out when you can hold your baby in your arms, instead of just leaving with a picture. I made sure the sonographer knew we didn't want to know.
Our first scan was late so we could have been told then, as well as at the second one. I said no both times. I had to have a growth scan at 37 weeks as well. The first thing I told them was we don't know the sex and we don't want to. It meant that much to me not to know

I had one at 18 weeks and it was brilliant. A very different experience to the NHS scans which are rightly not focused on the sex. I would say to do it later than 16 weeks though. That's the absolute earliest they say they can tell and can be wrong that early on.

I had one at 16 weeks with DS. It was lovely to be able to go and relax and have all the focus on the sex of the baby, and have the sonographer double check, and show me, and look again etc. Similarly if baby wasn't in the best position then they would have had me come back a week later to confirm, whereas at the 20 week scan that would never happen, understandably. Then at the 20 week scan it was an added bonus at the end to have the sex doubly confirmed, while the focus was on identifying any anomalies, as it should be.

Will be booking a 'gender scan' for this baby too :)

We had a scan at 17 wks having a boy. Our trust doesn't tell you it's against their policy I'm really impatient and just wanted to know.
My DH said that knowing the gender has made him bond more as he refers to bump as him etc. Which wasn't something that I had considered.

I did with DS and have already booked one for this baby!
Both are/were booked for just before 17 weeks.
I'm so glad I found out, bump then got referred to as him and his name we'd chosen, baby was in the wrong position but they let me have a walk and they scanned me 3 times in the same day until they finally got a result.
At my 20 week anomaly scan they couldn't get all the health measurements or the gender because of baby's position so I had to come back 2 weeks later. They did confirm it was a boy at the 22 week scan but I'm so glad I found out sooner. I do think it made me bond with baby more.
We're not rich by any means but £40 isn't completely extortionate, you get to see the baby again in a more relaxed environment where you can take other family members, and they check baby's health and heartbeat so it's reassuring aswell.
Each to their own but i thought it was worth every penny.

I waited til 20 weeks but I'd have had a scan if I was feeling like you!

Try Groupon if you do go down that route, they do really good deals for private scans

I found out at 20 weeks scan because I was dying to know. I figured that not knowing would just be an extra thing on my mind during pregnancy because I wanted to know so bad....I never regretted finding out

We paid for ours this time round and I'm glad I did. I found the company I used to be really friendly and accommodating. It was a lovely atmosphere.
As a PP has mentioned, if you definitely want to know you may have to pay for a private scan as not all hospitals will tell you the sex at the 20 week scan. Would be worth asking.

We paid for a 16 week scan for two reasons, I was far too impatient to wait and I thought it would be a nice idea to include our parents in finding out the gender of their first grandchild. Coincidentally 3 days after the scan we found out that my nan had terminal cancer, she never made it to 20 weeks so I am so glad I was able to tell her she would have had a great granddaughter (and the lovely nurses arranged for maternity team to come so she could hear her heartbeat) x

Absolutely no regrets at all. We lost our first pregnancy at 12 weeks (MMC) so any extra scans offered peace of mind. They also gave us a bonus peek of her in 4D which was amazing! 100% worth it. Our little girl is now 9 weeks old. This was her in 4D at our gender scan (I had it at 17+5 as I was away at 16 weeks).

Sorry just noticed the photo didn't attach! It won't let me attach it unfortunately. Will try again later.

I had a hard start to my pregnancy relationship wise, so im guilty to say i felt like i hadnt bonded much with baby, Had a gender scan at 16 weeks and it was as if id seen my boy in a new way its hard to describe i suppose its getting more real as your still not feeling them yet now 32 weeks and the best descision i made as my 20 week scan was horrid basically took all his measurements then ushered us out the door and i had to go back to work! Where as at the private scan we got to see him in all his glory litrally legs open 😂😂 and had a sneak peak of his face in 3d all in a lovely room and large tv it was so great i wemt back for a 4d scan at the same place

I had mine at 17 weeks, probably my favourite part of my whole pregnancy
:)

@happymummy12345 I'm with you!! Can't imagine ever wanting to know! One of life's amazing surprises