How to Tell a Baby's Gender

There are several ways to find out a baby's gender, from the scientific to the folkloric. Medical tests like ultrasounds, amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling can determine a fetus' sex with more than 90 percent accuracy. You can also go the folk-wisdom route and consult an ancient Chinese birth calendar or predict your baby's gender based on factors like your level of morning sickness.

Things You'll Need

  • Appointment with a gynecologist
  • Copy of ancient Chinese conception chart
  • Wedding ring
  • Chain necklace or bracelet

Instructions

    • 1

      The most common way to find out the gender of your baby is by getting an ultrasound. Visit your OB/GYN between the 18th and 26th weeks of pregnancy; that is when doctors will first be able to determine the baby's sex through ultrasound. The ultrasound technician will show you on the screen where the baby's genitals are and tell you whether the baby is a boy or a girl. Sometimes the baby is positioned in such a way that the sex organs are hard to see. In this case, you can come back for a repeat ultrasound another time, as the baby will almost certainly shift positions in the meantime. Assessments of gender at 20-week ultrasounds can be 95 to 100 percent accurate.

    • 2

      Chorionic villus sampling is another way you can find out the sex of your baby. Visit your OB/GYN in early pregnancy and schedule a CVS test. This test is usually done between eight and 11 weeks (and sometimes as late as 13 weeks) of pregnancy. If the baby's mother or father has a genetic disorder, such as Tay-Sachs disease or cystic fibrosis, CVS testing can determine whether your baby has the disorder. It can also tell you the sex of your child.

    • 3

      You can also tell the sex of your baby through amniocentesis. Schedule this test for when you are between 16 and 20 weeks into the pregnancy. Amniocentesis is generally performed only if the mother is over age 35 or has a high risk of genetic disorders.

    • 4

      Consult folk wisdom for countless ways to determine your baby's gender. One is tied to the level of the mother's morning sickness. According to old wives' tales, if you're sick, it's a girl, and if you're not, it's a boy. If you're carrying the baby high, it's female; low, and it's male. Hang your wedding ring from a chain over your stomach. If it moves in a circle, you're having a boy; side to side, you're having a girl.

    • 5

      Consult the ancient Chinese conception chart. Proponents say the chart was discovered in a Chinese tomb dating to the 13th century. It is supposedly now at the Beijing Institute of Science. This chart claims to predict what sex your baby will be, based on your age when you conceived and the month you did so. For example, if you were 32 at the time you conceived, which was during the month of August, the Chinese birth chart predicts you will have a girl. Copies of this chart can be found all over the Internet. Take its results with a grain of salt; it's not scientifically proven.

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