Hospital policy not to tell you the sex - why?

[NigellaTufnel]

Just had a 20 week scan - everything hunky dory. Yay!

We asked what the sex of the baby was, and the (very nice) sonographer said it was hospital policy not to tell parents to be.

Does anyone know why this is? I have my suspicions, but they are a bit ridiculous.

I thought they were available until 24 weeks though LyraSilvertongue, have I got that wrong? Sorry, I'm clearly just being thick about the whole thing then

No, you're right, but it would be a hell of a rush to meet the 24-week deadline.

Thanks for the congrats!

We are L&D as well!

Fair point. So in order to take away that possibility altogether, why don't all hospitals offer a sexing scan at, say, 30 weeks? Is there a point when the baby gets too big and squashed to able to see clearly? Or would it still be an issue with people resorting to desperate measures in order to terminate the pregnancy? God, what a horrible thought...

Don't suppose they have the resources, though it might be a nice little earner for the Trust. Hope nobody in power reads this!

As for the very late abortions - I know in rural China where the one child policy is upheld, it's been said that local officials will inject mothers with substances that kill the baby, even as late as eight months. So yes, those desperate or forced into it could be at risk. I guess it would be better to monitor all pg women asking for sex scans, so it could be flagged if they were suddenly 'unpregnant' a month or two later - similar to a system they have in France I have been reading about where parents suspected of taking their girls abroad to be genitally mutilated (ugh) have them inspected on the outward and inward journeys. If there's a problem, people are prosecuted.

Logistics of that are probably impossible, though, especially in GB where all government computer systems are useless.

nigella when are you due?

When I was in Edinburgh, you didn't get a 20-week scan at all unless you went to a private clinic.