How Soon Can an Ultrasound Tell a Baby's Gender?

Once you and your partner find out you are expecting a baby, you may be eager to find out if you are having a boy or girl. Several different tests can be performed to determine a baby's sex, but an ultrasound is the most common and the safest way to find out.

  1. Function of an Ultrasound

    • An ultrasound machine uses high-frequency sound waves to create an image of the internal organs of the baby so they can be easily visible by the doctor or technician. Ultrasounds are commonly used throughout pregnancy to check the baby's development and monitor the amount of fluid surrounding the baby in the womb.

    Determining the Baby's Sex

    • Generally, the baby's sex will be determined sometime in the 16- to 20-week time frame. Some doctors prefer to wait until at least the 19- to 20-week mark to ensure accuracy in the results. At 16 to 18 weeks, the baby may still be too small and there may be some difficulty in seeing the baby's gender, depending on the baby's position in the womb at the time of the ultrasound.

    Other Ways to Determine a Baby's Sex

    • Besides an ultrasound, the baby's sex may also be determined by amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling (CVS). However, these tests are primarily done to analyze the genetic material of your baby for any possible genetic disorders and are done between the 10th and 18th week of pregnancy.

    Over-the-Counter Blood Tests

    • Blood tests sold over the counter also claim to be able to determine a baby's sex. The validity of these tests has not been studied well enough though to determine their accuracy rate.

    Accuracy of Ultrasound

    • An ultrasound is about 95 percent accurate in determining the baby's sex at 20 weeks and beyond. The earlier you use an ultrasound to determine the baby's sex, the lower the accuracy results, but not significantly.

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