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Pregnancy

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

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Original poster

Accuracy of sex prediction at 20 week scan

27 replies

Truffy18 · 23/12/2007 18:28

I had my 20 week scan (I was actually 19 weeks + 3 days) a few days ago and was told I'm having a girl. The sonographer struggled to get a clear picture of the baby as it was in a funny position but said that she couldn't see any "boy bits" so she felt it was a girl. I've recently read however that the absense of male bits is not an accurate reason for predicting a girl. Apparently the sonographer should be able to see the female bits, i.e. ovaries, to be able to predict a girl. I've also heard that predictions of boys are more accurate than girls. Anyone know anything about this? How accurate do you think the sonographer was?

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JingleBelgoHoHoHo · 23/12/2007 18:30

If she 'felt it was a girl', I wouldn't take that as being 100% certain!

AchristmasRGPARGYcarol · 23/12/2007 18:32

My sonographer was spot on. She said "it looks like a girl" and it was! Mind you, my scan was at 24 weeks, rather than 20 weeks so obviously baby was a bit more developed by then. What about paying privately for another scan later on if you're worried or bothered about the sex of your baby?

MumtoCharlotteMay · 23/12/2007 18:35

I was worried about this when pregnant with dd. I was told at my 20 week scan that it was a girl, but throughout my pregnancy I was worried she'd pop out a boy! Not because I didn't want a boy, just because I went pink mad with clothes etc! But it was right.

I do think it's true that it's easier and more reliable to see/say it's a boy. Whereas if it looks like a girl, there is always the chance that boy bits may well be out of sight. If you're worried about it either get another scan done, or just don't go and buy too much pink lol!

Original poster

Truffy18 · 23/12/2007 18:40

I don't mind either way - so long as it's healthy. She did say she doesn't do guess work and that she wasn't allowed to say if she wasn't fairly certain (obviously they can't be 100%) but I'm still not sure how much to believe her after what I've read!!

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AchristmasRGPARGYcarol · 23/12/2007 18:43

Well to put it into perspective for you: There were over 50 ladies in our November antenatal thread. Of those who found out the sex of their babies, ALL OF THEM were correct.

Having said that, my friend was told she was having a girl but then went on to give birth to a boy.......

I dont think it's more common to get it right than wrong tho!

Original poster

Truffy18 · 23/12/2007 18:49

Interesting! THat's a lot of correct predictions! Maybe they're better than I give them credit for. Sometimes reading the internet can do more damage than good!

OP posts:

AchristmasRGPARGYcarol · 23/12/2007 20:52

Sorry i meant to say it's more common to get it right than wrong!

puccaupunderthemistletoe · 23/12/2007 20:54

They got both of mine correct (1 boy 1 girl) infact the scan i had when carrying my dd you couldn't have mistaken she was a girl! and my scan with ds was quite vague i thought, so i had a 3D scan done later on to double check!

MerryPIFFLEmas · 23/12/2007 20:55

sex done on all 3 of mine at 16 wks and right all times 2 boys and one girl

Izzybel · 23/12/2007 21:01

I was told a girl at 16 wk scan. Then told girl again at 26 wk 3d scan, by different person and they were both right! Everyone I know who has had gender prediction at scans has always been right. Apparently it is more likely to be wrong if predicted a girl, as boys can hide things! I panicked a bit at the end of my pregnancy, as everything we had was pink!

Izzybel · 23/12/2007 21:03

The 3d scan was really clear btw. The sonographer pointed out the female parts and even I could see clearly.

crimplene · 24/12/2007 10:53

The statistics on how many they get wrong is 1 in 20 and they usually mistake boys for girls.

I had a detailled anomaly scan at 18 weeks due to high risk pregnancy and they told me that it was a girl, and other at 20 weeks and they confirmed also a girl felt confident that if the risk of getting it wrong once is 1/20 then the chances of it happening twice are 1 in 400 - plus these were extra long scans with very experienced scanners looking for all sorts of abnormalities.

Didn't mention it at the 24 week scan, started buying girly stuff, at my 28 week scan I said something about the way she's lying and the woman doing the scan asked if I want to know the sex. I said 'we know already thanks, it's a girl'. Oh no, she said, 'it's a boy'! DP disappointed as he really wanted a girl. Good thing I had so many scans or we would have had a huge surprise when he was born. DS was wearing pink babygrows at night for some months.

mumofk · 25/12/2007 20:06

Sonographers are human, we all make mistakes and one of those might be your baby's sex. Very few stats on this, as its often an extra- not something medically needed to find out at scan, but its hard getting feedback if we get it right or wrong. I've been told I've got it wrong both ways in the past (i.e. boy for girl, girl for boy),and some places will look at every scan if you ask ( we only look at anatomy check now, to avoid this) and can tell you the same thing every time and get it wrong, or say the opposite at the very alst scan. We were told to stop checking each time because of the complaints that arose.
Personally, even if I saw what the opinion was based on, I wouldn't go shopping based on a scan. Girls can have a big clitoris to look like boy bits, and boys somehow can hide their bits very well! On a scan we can't see ovaries ( forgot who mentioned that one) its purely based on external genitalia appearances.
Of course, if you have invasive testing I think some of that can tell you the sex for sure.....
Good luck

mumofk

babycarrier · 25/12/2007 22:14

hi all,
i have got my 20 wks scan on monday 31st dec in which i will actually be 19wks +5 i did a baby sex predictor thing and it said it was a boy so cant wait to see what the sonographer comes up with on monday just hope baby is lying in the right position lol.
all my other prediction were correct this is my 6th baby

XmastimePelvicfloorsandWine · 25/12/2007 22:31

I have asked both times and the sonographer was correct when he said he couldn't see any boy bits.

I think they have to be at least 80% sure otherwise they won't tell you.

babycarrier · 25/12/2007 22:36

well i will keep you posted if anyone is interested.
i think im invisible on here sometimes cos dont get a lot of replies and dont like to butt in on others threads.

chloemegjess · 26/12/2007 01:47

It better be right as everything is pink and my baby "girl" was due on 23rd and now overdue. If she comes out a boy then may have to be pink for a while!

Original poster

Truffy18 · 26/12/2007 10:04

THanks mumofk. Really interesting to hear the perspective of someone who actually does the scans. I always thought you could see the ovaries so it's interesting to know you can't. In that case I can see it must be a hard job working it out solely based on external appearances. As I said, I'm not that bothered either way and am just so pleased the baby is healthy.

Babycarrier - what sex predictor thing did you do? 6th baby eh? Wow! Did you have the sex predicted on all other children? How many boys vs girls have you got?

OP posts:

babycarrier · 26/12/2007 12:32

hi truffy18
i have 2 boys 3 girls i only just found the site where you can do sex finder but on there i did my others dates and my age when i was when i had them and they all came up correctly. so hope this one is correct.
its called chinese predictor chart

LOVEMYMUM · 27/12/2007 17:09

Am 31 weeks pregnant. Had 21 week scan at Fetal Medicine Centre and Prof Nicolaides said 100% sure it's a girl. NHS scan a week later said 80% sure its a girl. (Have got 32 week scan tomorrow.). I still think it may be a boy - but that's just me!

I wouldn't go by the scan too much - i'm buying neutrals cos you never know! (Yes, i know its Prof N but me being me, i still can't believe i'm pregnant!)

Mumblesmummy · 28/12/2007 12:47

My scan today was VERY clear and the baby was moving none stop, but everytime she took a measurement or a pic, he sat still and posed. She said it was a boy, and even put his bits up on the screen for us to see so it was unmistakable. She said it's much more accurate if it's a boy.

crokky · 28/12/2007 12:58

With my DS, I had the 20 week scan and the sonographer said that she was really sure it was a boy (he was a boy). I am currently pg and I had the 20 week scan and this time the sonographer said that she thought it was a girl, but could not be sure. She said she thought she saw 2 parallel lines which could have been labia.

lucy5 · 28/12/2007 13:03

My cousin was told she was having a girl and had a boy and my friend was told she she was having a girl and had a boy too! perhaps you will see at a later scan.

lulumama · 28/12/2007 13:05

both my 20 week scans were accurate in terms of telling the gender

had one boy and one girl

no doubt from either sonographer as to the sex of the baby

i think it is more often right than wrong

lumpybumpymummy · 28/12/2007 21:13

with dd i was 21wks and told girl she was a girl with ds i was only 17wks and clear he was a boy but i was abit worried so i had a 3d scan and it was so clear in both 2d and 3d it was pointing right out lol i'm now 16wks and i find out the sex next week the place i got has never been wrong they have been open next two years i think and they always give me discounts lol my hospital dont do 20wk scan or tell sex

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