Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Pregnancy

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

Flip

1 2

Original poster

Is it easier to tell the sex of a baby if you go private...(BERKSHIRE INDEPENDENT SCANNING)

47 replies

HelenCS · 13/04/2008 12:19

Hello,

Im having a private scan on tuesday at Berkshire Independent Scanning, by my original dates il be 15+3 but a scan at 10+4 said the baby was measuring about 11+1 so on tuesday il possibly be just over 16 weeks.

Its booked in for 7pm and ive been told that its probably easier to get a good look in the evening once everything is more relaxed, but has anyone else found out the sex of their baby at 16 weeks? the cost is £130 and for that i get a half hour appointment, my scan on dvd and they also said i would be able to get a 3d picture. If they did a 3d pic will it be easier to tell the sex of the baby?

Also do private scanning places have better equipment??

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

scorpio1 · 13/04/2008 12:22

i had a 3d scan at 23 weeks and so much clearer, very easy to tell my baby was a girl.

Twiglett · 13/04/2008 12:22

feotal gender can be determined from about 18 - 20 weeks

I am trying desperately not to answer this post scathingly .. please think about your title .

Original poster

HelenCS · 13/04/2008 12:25

how do you mean 'answer it scathingly??'

OP posts:

Indith · 13/04/2008 12:37

Don't think private scans have anything to do with it, more about whether bubs is feeling modest or has legs akimbo

Have fun though, I always think those 3d scans look amazing

Youcannotbeserious · 13/04/2008 12:41

I don't think the equipment is any better, to be honest...

BUT - I had my 20 week scan on the NHS and they refused to tell me the sex. Had one done privately 24hours later, and they told me on the spot....

Sorry, not able to say if you can tell earlier but it seems obvious that it will be less clear (IYKWIM)

ALso have no idea why you would need a 'scathing' answer or what's wrong with your title??? Twiglett?

MeMySonAndI · 13/04/2008 12:43

I don't think you can at 16, actually will go as far as saying that despite 3 scans (one of them at 20+ weeks) DS didn't allow us to see if he was a boy or a girl..

scorpio1 · 13/04/2008 12:43

i think it is because she is quite focussed on the gender and not the health, in the title and OP.

Some places (NHS) wont tell you becuase some people would abort a 'wrong gendered' foetus.

Original poster

HelenCS · 13/04/2008 12:54

The only reason im paying to go private and hopefully find out is because the service i was given at my dating scan was rubbish, in and out within 5 minutes and had the most fowl tempered sonographer that day.

Im booked in for my 20 week scan in may but even tho they said they might be able to tell i no they wont make the effort to find out so feel as tho i have to pay to find out and would rather find out earlier than later.
Plus i also feel that it would put my mind at ease to see the baby is ok. I had a miscarriage last november and im sure, as anyone who has experienced it before, when you get pregnant you are constantly worried about your baby.

So i think its injust to say you would be wanting to put a scathing answer when all im really doing is caring about how my baby is. Findong out the sex would definilty be a plus but its not the main reason for the scan

OP posts:

Youcannotbeserious · 13/04/2008 13:01

Helen,

You don't need to explain yourself! You asked a specific question... Quite why you should have to write 'oh, by the way, that's not the only thing I care about' is beyond me!

BTW, the service I recieved at the hands of the NHS was what made me decide to go private - for scans, ante natal care and the birth!!!! (Not having a go at the people who work there, as I think they do a super job under the circumstances, but they are over worked, under paided and do not have the time to spend on patient care)

Good luck with the scan!

Judy1234 · 13/04/2008 13:11

The hospital on the NHS where we had our first 3 would not tell us even in the early 80s because so many people locally want to abort girls because of the ethnic mix of the area. I had the twins with a private midwife and had a scan in London which was terribly superior - so so clear. It was brilliant even down to the classic music and Greek statues in the hallway as you wait - well worth the money just for that ambience and when they said it was twins (and one was a boy)... one of the nicest moments of my life (that they were twins, rather than that one was a boy although having already had 2 girls and a boy I hoped just to even out numbers for another boy).

ObsidianBlackbirdMcNight · 13/04/2008 13:18

Scans are for checking dates, looking for problems and monitoring baby's health, not for determining the gender. The NHS will not faff around trying to see the gender if it's not immediately obvious. The sonographer's aren't always as excited as we are because they do 20 odd scans a day.
If you go private you are paying them to spend longer looking for the sex. It's a completely different service. Apparently it's not impossible to see the sex that early and if you are having a super dooper 3d scan you might get it, but don't count on it, and don't pay for a scan just to see, not this early anyway.

brrrrmmmm · 13/04/2008 13:47

Don't know whereabouts in Berkshire you are, but Windsor hospitals are really helpful - the sonographer at King Edward sent my friend off for a walk as the baby was not in the right position for the sex to be seen, and they really wanted to find out. Depends how busy they are, I suppose, but all the ones I've most have been really helpful .

gagarin · 13/04/2008 13:52

Why is knowing the sex so important?

lulumama · 13/04/2008 13:54

it can be harder to determine gender earlier on , it can also depend on teh skill of the sonographer, and how co-operative the baby is. although privately, you will have longer there and more time for baby to move around.

Judy1234 · 13/04/2008 14:13

It's just interesting to know, I think so you can plan, just like at the birth presumably most parents want to know if it's a girl or boy too. I can't remember the dates of the two scans with the twins. Not that early as I wasn't bothered. There were people there having very very early scans, a nuchal one I think to check early for down's etc. On the first one we could see the penis of twin 1 as clear as day but not the second. On the second scan I could see both, they didn't even have to tell me.

twelveyeargap · 13/04/2008 14:34

I found out at 16 weeks, privately. Difference was that it was a "gender scan" so when they couldn't see the right bits, I was able to go and have a walk around and get a drink and try again, rather than seeing the gender being a "bonus" extra if available at the 20 week.

staranise · 13/04/2008 14:45

I've had private and NHS scans for varying reasons, with no massive difference in the quality or attitude of the sonographers, though my private scans were done by consultant herself and she did look for the sex after we specifically asked (though that wasn't the main reason for the scan). However, despite several scans for DD2 (my last one was at 39 weeks), they were never able to find out the sex because she was in a funny position.

My SIL was told at 20 weeks that she was having a girl, then at 34 weeks she was having a boy - she's due any day so we're still waiting to find out.

Will definitely ask at 20 weeks with 3rd pg, I think it's up to you if you want to find out, though 16 weeks does sound a little early.

misdee · 13/04/2008 14:50

if the hospital where i have my scans cant see the sex of baby at 20 weeks, then i may book for a gender scan later on. with a loft full of girls stuff it seems the sensible thing to do.

i will be sent for extra scans anyway, but they will be specialist scans focusing on the heart, so i know they wont even look at other parts then.

lulumama · 13/04/2008 14:54

i found out with both of mine at the 20 weeks scan, on the NHS. both were making their genitalia obvious though ! one boy and one girl. my sister had several scans and her son was never in the right position to show his bits...

splodgesmum · 13/04/2008 17:32

Helen, I'm having a scan at BIS at 6pm on Tuesday!! I'll probably see you on the way out!

We had a 20 week scan done privately cos I couldn't wait any longer for my anomaly scan on the NHS (it was at 22 weeks and I was a basket case already - 5 years trying, 2 m/cs, you get the picture ). Anyway, I did actually find that the quality of the scan photos at the private scan was much better, and that we had much more time to talk things through and the sonographer explained everything really well - but that's because we were paying for it, and we had an hour. The NHS sonographer was v nice but rushed off her feet and didn't have much time. However, both private and NHS were more than happy to tell us the sex - although it was quite difficult on the private scan simply cos he kept his legs crossed most of the time! The NHS sonographer actually got a much better look.

We're going to BIS on Tuesday for the 3D scan, and also for reassurance that baby is still growing as he should be. You don't have to justify to us what you want the scan for, but don't be disappointed if you don't find out the sex this time round.

Might see you Tuesday!

splodgesmum · 13/04/2008 17:34

Btw, I'm 30 weeks now and very much at the waddling stage!

DonDons · 13/04/2008 17:59

Couldn't tell at my 20 week NHS scan, baby had cord between legs. Had a private scan at 26 week due to me being neurotic following MCs etc however, we did ask if the consultant could tell the gender and he could - but he had switched the machine onto the 2d rather than 3d setting to check - so he was basically using the same equipment as the NHS scans IYSWIM.

StripeyKnickersSpottySocks · 13/04/2008 18:06

No difference in private or nhs scans as the sonographers are all traiend to the same standard.

Will be impossible at 16weeks to determine gender.

I do think these 3d/4d scans are worrying - the safety of ultrasounds have not been proven. I read a scary journal article last year about these 3d scans - I hadn't realised that the ultrasound heats the cells up. It concluded that exposure should be kept to a minimum for diagnostic tests only.

Youcannotbeserious · 13/04/2008 18:17

I must admit, I do agree with SKSS - Even though I'm a bit paranoid that everything is OK, I've kept the scans to a minimum - only had 2 (both at 20 weeks) and am going to have 1 more........

But the safety of repeated scans hasn't been really understood, so I've not had a 3D scan....

Alexa808 · 13/04/2008 18:42

I have had private and NHS scans. Both times the service was very good, I had lovely sonographers and could ask any questions and got extensive answers. The equipment in both places was identical to my eyes (untrained but it looked spanking new in both clinics) and the waiting time equal. In the Harley Street clinic the were obviously all over me and would go the extra mile but I felts as comfy with the lovely lady that did my 12 week scan.

The only downside was that on my 12 week scan I would have liked to have a blood sample taken to add it to the combined result of the scan for Downs. I asked but they didn't do it. In a private clinic I'd have gotten whatever I wanted. (After all you do pay quite a bit...)

There is a clinic on Harley Street which does gender scans from the 13th week onwards with apparently really good results. (Friends recommended it to me but I'm in Asia now so I didn't go.)

If you feel more comfortable go private. There's nothing wrong with wanting to know the baby's sex, I'm very curious too. It's my first and I just can't wait. Every woman has to decide what's best for them, don't let anyone dictate anything to you!

Flip

1 2