When and how can you find out the gender of your baby?

While many expectant parents wait until around 20 weeks into pregnancy to find out the sex of their baby via an ultrasound scan, scientific advancements have made it possible to find out the sex of your baby from as early as 6 weeks into your pregnancy, with only a blood sample from the mother required.

Finding out your baby’s gender early gives you more time to prepare for your new arrival by decorating the nursery, buying gender-specific clothes, and celebrating with loved ones. Some studies have even reported that knowing your baby’s gender can help expectant parents bond with their baby before he or she arrives.

In this article, we look at when (and how) you can find out the gender of your baby during pregnancy.

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Blood testing

When can you find out the gender of your baby using blood testing?

An AlphaBiolabs Baby Gender Test can accurately determine a baby’s gender from as early as 6 weeks into pregnancy, with up to 99% accuracy.

When the mother is around 6 weeks pregnant, small amounts of the baby’s DNA begin circulating in the mother’s blood stream, meaning highly sensitive testing methods can then be used to screen the mother’s blood sample for the presence of a Y chromosome.

As the Y chromosome is only found in males, its presence in the mother’s blood sample indicates that the baby is a boy; if no Y chromosome is detected, the baby is a girl.

We offer multiple options for sample collection for your baby gender test.

Whichever sample collection option you choose, you’ll receive your results in 3-4 business days after we receive your blood sample at our laboratory.

• Self-collect at home with TinyTAP
  Collect your blood sample in the comfort of your own home, with our easy-to-use, pain-free TinyTAP device. Simply press the device against your arm to collect your sample – ideal for people who are needle-phobic, with no clinical appointments required.
  AlphaBiolabs is the ONLY laboratory in Ireland to offer this device for blood sample collection.
• Organise your own blood sample collection 
  Arrange your own blood sample collection with a trained medical professional (e.g. doctor, nurse, phlebotomist). Your test kit includes clear guidance to ensure the sample is taken correctly.
• Walk-in centre sample collection 
  Book a blood draw with an AlphaBiolabs sample collector at one of our walk-in centres.
  Simply order your test and a member of our team will contact you to arrange your blood draw.
• Home visit sample collection 
  Book a blood draw with an AlphaBiolabs sample collector at home or another convenient location of your choice.
  Simply order your test and a member of our team will contact you to arrange your blood draw

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How accurate is blood testing for gender determination?

Baby gender testing using a blood sample from the mother is the most accurate way to determine a baby’s sex before the baby is born.

This advanced scientific method can determine whether your baby is a boy or a girl from as early as 6 weeks into pregnancy with 99% accuracy.

While other laboratories may offer finger prick blood testing for baby gender, this is not something we offer at AlphaBiolabs, as it is much more difficult to prevent male DNA contamination when collecting a blood sample from fingertips.

Contamination with male DNA can affect the results of a baby gender test, leading to a false result.

In addition to being easy-to-use, convenient, and pain-free, a major benefit of our TinyTAP device is that it greatly reduces the likelihood of male DNA contamination, resulting in a much more accurate and trustworthy test result.

What is a clinic/venous blood draw?

A clinic or venous blood draw involves having a blood sample collected by a trained professional such as a nurse, phlebotomist or an AlphaBiolabs sample collector, at home, in a medical setting, or at another convenient location.

In addition to our easy-to-use TinyTAP, which can be used to collect your own blood sample quickly and easily at-home for our Baby Gender Test, you also have the option to organise your own sample collection or book an appointment with a professional sample collector at one of our walk-in centres, or at a location convenient to you.

You can call us on 01 402 9466 or email info@alphabiolabs.ie for more information about our Baby Gender Testing process.

When can you find out the gender of your baby using a clinic/venous blood draw?

Baby gender testing using a venous blood sample from the pregnant mother can be performed as early as 6 weeks into pregnancy. This is because the baby’s DNA begins circulating in the mother’s blood stream from around 6 weeks.

DNA testing is performed on the sample to screen for the presence of Y chromosome DNA within the mother’s blood. The Y chromosome is only found in males so the presence of a Y chromosome is an indicator that the baby is a boy; if no Y chromosome can be detected, the baby is a girl.

How accurate is blood testing for baby gender?

Baby gender testing using a blood sample from the mother is the most accurate way to determine a baby’s sex before birth.

This is because the baby’s DNA begins circulating in the mother’s bloodstream from as early as 6 weeks into pregnancy, making it possible to determine the baby’s gender using DNA analysis of the mother’s blood sample.  

This advanced scientific method can be used to confirm baby gender with 99% accuracy.

Ultrasound scans

What is an ultrasound scan?

An ultrasound scan is performed by a qualified sonographer, and uses a process called sonography to visualise the inside of the body.

The scan is performed using a probe which produces soundwaves. These soundwaves bounce back from the body, creating internal images that can be examined by the sonographer.

Ultrasound scans are non-invasive and are typically carried out by healthcare providers as part of the mother’s antenatal care. They can be used to determine a baby’s sex from around 16 weeks into pregnancy.

When is an ultrasound scan performed during pregnancy? How soon can it be used to determine gender?

Pregnant women typically have at least two ultrasound appointments during pregnancy, the first of which usually occurs before 15 weeks into pregnancy, and the second at 18-22 weeks.

The 18–22-week scan, also referred to as the anatomy scan, looks in detail at the baby’s bones, heart, brain, spinal cord, kidneys, abdomen and face to check for any abnormalities or anomalies in the baby’s development.

During this scan, expectant parents usually have the option to find out the sex of their baby, depending on whether the baby’s genitals are clearly visible on the day of the scan. However, this is at the hospital’s discretion and some hospitals may refuse to disclose the sex of the baby.

Private ultrasound clinics also offer baby gender scans from around 14 weeks into pregnancy, but this can be costly.

It is not possible to determine the gender of the baby using an ultrasound scan before the 14^th week of pregnancy as up until this point baby boys and girls look the same on the scan.

How accurate is an ultrasound scan for gender determination?

Statistics show that ultrasounds can be wrong up to 10% of the time. That means approximately 1 in 10 expectant parents will be told that they are having a boy or a girl, only to have quite a surprise at the birth!

It is easier to determine baby gender using an ultrasound scan later in pregnancy. However, even in late pregnancy the result could still be incorrect depending on how skilled the sonographer is and whether the baby is laying in a way that allows the sonographer to get a clear view of the baby’s genitals.

Errors can also be made when reading the scan – for example, mistaking a loop of the umbilical cord for a penis and incorrectly identifying the baby as a boy, when in fact it is a baby girl.

Chorionic Villus Sampling (CVS)

What is Chorionic Villus Sampling (CVS)?

CVS is an invasive procedure that involves the removal and testing of a small sample of the baby’s placenta during pregnancy. It is only offered to women who have a high risk of having a baby with a genetic or chromosomal abnormality (e.g. Down’s syndrome).

The test is usually performed by inserting a needle through the abdomen and into the uterus.

Because CVS is a genetic test that is used to analyse the baby’s DNA, baby gender can also be determined using this method. However, the test carries a small risk of miscarriage, so should only be used when absolutely necessary.

When can you find out the gender of your baby using CVS testing?

CVS is typically performed between 11 and 14 weeks into pregnancy.

However, because the test carries a small risk of miscarriage, it is only available to women who are at high risk of having a baby with a genetic or chromosomal abnormality (e.g. Down’s syndrome).

How accurate is CVS for gender determination?

CVS is around 98% accurate for determining the sex of a baby. However, in a small percentage of cases (around 1-2%), it will obtain unclear results.

Amniocentesis

What is amniocentesis?

For amniocentesis, a small sample of amniotic fluid (the fluid surrounding the baby) is extracted from the uterus using a long, thin needle which is inserted into the abdomen.

As with CVS testing, amniocentesis is usually performed for high-risk pregnancies, where there is a chance that the baby may have a genetic or chromosomal abnormality.

When can you find out the gender of your baby using amniocentesis?

Amniocentesis is performed at 15-18 weeks into the pregnancy.

As the test is used to examine the baby’s DNA, baby gender can also be determined using amniocentesis.

However, as the test carries a small risk of miscarriage, it should only be used where necessary for high-risk pregnancies (where there is an increased possibility of the baby having a genetic condition).

How accurate is amniocentesis for gender determination?

Amniocentesis is extremely accurate in determining the gender of a baby during pregnancy, although the procedure can be unsuccessful due to technical problems, such as not collecting enough amniotic fluid.

Gender selection using IVF

What is IVF?

In vitro fertilisation (IVF) is a medical procedure used to help people with fertility issues conceive a baby, when they have had difficulty conceiving naturally.

To begin IVF, the woman taking part in the process undergoes a series of hormone injections to stimulate the production of eggs. Once these eggs are mature, they are collected from the ovaries using a minor surgical procedure.

A sperm sample is also taken from the partner or a sperm donor.

The eggs and sperm are then combined in a laboratory, allowing the sperm to fertilise the eggs, creating embryos. One or more healthy embryos are then selected and placed into the woman’s uterus and, if the process is successful, a positive pregnancy test will follow.

When can you find out the gender of your baby using IVF?

It is possible to test embryos created for IVF to determine the gender of the embryo before it is implanted into the uterus.

This process is known as pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD).

This type of baby gender test is available in circumstances where there is a risk that the baby might inherit a disorder related to gender (e.g. if the family has a medical history of a disorder that only affects males, such as Duchenne’s muscular dystrophy).

In this instance, the expectant parents participating in IVF might wish to remove this risk by choosing female embryos, thereby removing the possibility of conceiving a boy.

How accurate is IVF for gender determination?  

Pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) during in vitro fertilisation (IVF) is almost 100% accurate in determining the gender of embryos.

However, unless your baby is at risk of a serious genetic disorder, you will not be told the biological sex of your embryos while undergoing IVF.

Where can I get a baby gender test?

The best way to accurately determine the sex of your baby before birth is to take a DNA test.

If you want to find out the sex of your baby as soon as possible, our Baby Gender Test is the test for you.

Collect your own blood sample in the comfort of your own home using our innovative, pain-free TinyTAP device, and return your sample to our laboratory. Your secure results will be emailed to you in just 3-4 business days.

We are the only laboratory in Ireland to offer the easy-to-use, fuss-free TinyTAP device for baby gender testing!

Alternatively, you have the option to organise your own sample collection or book an appointment with a professional sample collector at one of our walk-in centres, or at a location convenient to you.

Order your Baby Gender Test online now, call 01 402 9466 or email info@alphabiolabs.ie.