How to find out the sex of the baby: know all available methods

Is it a boy or a girl? After confirming that the woman is indeed pregnant, it is very common for parents to anxiously await the discovery of the baby’s sex.

There are exceptions, but currently few couples prefer to wait for the moment of delivery to satisfy their curiosity about it.

Confirmation of the baby’s sex will determine many important points such as, for example, the name, the details of the layette, the decoration of the room, in addition to, of course, being linked to the plans that the parents have in relation to the child that will be born. !

And today, to the delight of most parents, it is no longer necessary to wait long to find out the sex of the baby. Below you learn more about the methods available for this.

clinical methods

1. Ultrasound

This is the most widespread way to find out the sex of the baby, in addition to having a more affordable price.

Alfonso Massaguer, obstetrician gynecology and Clinical Director of Clínica Mãe, explains that ultrasound can be performed from 12 weeks onwards. “He seeks to see directly the genital organ, the angulations in the fetus,” he says.

It sounds simple, but, it is worth mentioning, the position of the baby inside the uterus is essential for the doctor to have clear images. Sometimes the baby may already have fully formed genitals, but if the baby’s position is not favorable, the doctor may not be able to get a proper angle to assess the pelvic region.

“The ultrasound has greater credibility, especially from 16 weeks, depending on the ultrasound and position of the baby”, adds gynecologist Massaguer.

2. Fetal sexing (maternal blood test)

This is a maternal blood test that can be done as early as 8 to 9 weeks, according to Massaguer.

“The blood test looks for male DNA, that is, pieces of the Y chromosome in the mother’s blood”, explains the doctor.

The disadvantage is that this exam is not carried out by the public network and not covered by medical insurance, that is, you will have to pay dearly to “unravel” this curiosity. It can cost between 300 and 500 reais depending on the region where it will be done.

“The maternal blood test has high reliability, especially if done after 9 weeks and if there is a single pregnancy, in addition to some tests also evaluate other chromosomes and diseases such as Down syndrome, Patau, Edward, Tuner, among others”, highlights the gynecologist. Massager.

pharmacy urine test

In this case, you can find out at home whether you are pregnant with a boy or a girl. It is a relatively new technology in Brazil, but it has been present in other countries for longer.

The IntelliGender test promises to tell your baby’s gender in 10 minutes at just 10 weeks pregnant. The probability of success is 82%, according to the manufacturer.

The downside is the high price and the fact that this type of product is not easily found in pharmacies in all cities.

Also, it is worth mentioning, the result is not reliable if the woman is using hormones such as progesterone. Test effectiveness is also not good in case of twins or more.

Home methods and folk beliefs

You must have heard, for example, that if the pregnant woman’s belly is pointed, it is a sign that the baby is a boy; and if the belly is rounded, it is a sign that she is a girl. This is a popular belief that has been around for a long time and has been passed down from generation to generation.

It is interesting to note that, despite all the technological advances, many people still resort to home tests and beliefs from their great-grandmothers’ time to try to guess the sex of the baby.

It is also important to point out that, as there are only two gender options, male or female, any test, no matter how “absurd” it may be, will always have a 50% hit rate.

Below, out of curiosity, you know the main games that promise to reveal the sex of the baby.

1. Belly shape

It is believed that if the pregnant woman’s belly is more “pointed”, she will have a boy; if the belly is more “rounded”, it will have a girl.

Alfonso Massaguer points out, however, that this is a myth. The shape and size of the mother’s belly is not related to the sex of the baby, but to the muscle tone of the abdomen, the woman’s body type, the size and weight of the baby, etc.

2. Chinese table

According to legend, a Chinese table over 700 years old was found buried in the tomb of a royal family and can predict, from the lunar age of the mother and the month of conception, the sex of the baby with 99% certainty.

To use the Chinese table, simply combine the mother’s lunar age with the month in which she became pregnant (month of conception). The lunar age is defined as the woman’s age + 1. (However, those born in January or February are not added to the number 1).

For example, a woman who is 34 years old, was born in March, has a lunar age: 34 + 1 = 35. It is enough to combine in the table the 35th to the month of the baby’s conception.

However, it is worth mentioning that this table is nothing more than a belief. In fact, a study was done to prove that it was not 99% effective. Through a Swedish survey, which evaluated the pregnancy of 2.8 million women between 1973 and 2006, it was concluded that the Chinese table has an accuracy rate close to 50%.

3. Cutlery game

Ask the child’s father or someone else who is curious to know the baby’s sex to place a knife and spoon under each pillow. Then you just have to choose a pillow and sit on it: you sat on the pillow with a spoon, it’s a girl; sat on the pillow with knife, it’s a boy.

Of course this is just a joke and has no scientific proof.

4. Palm of the hand

This is a game that the pregnant woman should not know about… Another person asks her to show her hand: if she shows her palm up, it’s a boy; if she shows her palm down, she is a girl.

This is another joke/belief that serves to amuse those who are expecting to know the sex of the baby, but who have no proof.

5. Age of parents

Another joke says that adding the mother’s age to the father’s age and subtracting 1, if the result is even, it’s a boy; if it’s odd, it’s a girl.

It is possible to observe that none of these games has a connection with reality, that is, it is not possible to know if a baby will be a boy or a girl through a simple predetermined addition and subtraction operation, for example. They are nothing more than popular beliefs that serve to amuse some people who are hoping to find out the sex of the baby, after all, it doesn’t cost anything to do them, doesn’t it?

Of course, from time to time, this kind of joke can work. After all, as there are only two gender options, male or female, any test will always have a 50% hit rate. But there is no denying that they are nothing more than myths.

To find out the sex of the baby, the most correct way is to resort to clinical methods, that is, ultrasound or examination of maternal blood.