Did you know that 130 million babies are born each year all around the world? If you’re expecting and about to join their ranks, congratulations! Naturally, this is a very exciting time in your life as you wait for your little bundle of joy to arrive.
In recent years, gender reveal parties have become increasingly popular for new parents. Whether you’re thinking of having a gender reveal party or you just can’t hold your curiosity, an early gender test may be for you.
Read on for information all about what an early gender test entails and how one is taken. You and your partner can then decide if it is something you’d like to consider for your growing family.
How Do You Normally Find Out Your Baby’s Gender?
Not so long ago, parents only found out their baby’s gender when their child was born. Mothers guessed their baby’s gender by way of Old Wives Tales, such as what side the expectant mother favors when she sleeps or if she’s having extreme nausea.
Thankfully, modern technology has caught up since then, and parents can find out their child’s gender as early as eight weeks. Visit this website if you live in the Colorado Springs, Colorado area and want to find out your child’s gender early.
These tests, which are early gender prediction tests, are not available to the general public. Unless your doctor is concerned about a specific condition your baby might have, you’ll typically not know your child’s gender until you’re at least 14 weeks pregnant or later. During a traditional ultrasound, your ultrasound tech will be able to visually confirm if the child is a girl or a boy.
In fact, all parents have the ability to know the sex of their child around 14 to 20 weeks, depending on when the doctor orders the scan.
If you want to throw a gender reveal party where you are surprised, you can ask the technician to place the gender information in an envelope, and you can give it to the person who will reveal the gender. Just keep in mind that as an untrained layperson, you won’t be able to tell if the child is a boy or a girl from your scans.
What Is an Early Gender Test?
Over the past 20 years or so, parents-to-be have had to wait until the child was developed enough to tell what their gender was on a scan. This means that the first trimester is almost always spent guessing the sex of your baby. You likely have also had family and friends join in on the guessing game by offering their theories.
An early gender test is a blood test that can predict the sex of your baby with high accuracy at just 8 weeks. While these tests are 99% accurate, just as with everything, there can be mistakes or errors.
Doctors will often give these tests, known as NIPT (non-invasive prenatal testing), to women who are at high risk of having chromosomal disorders. That means that depending on your health, your insurance may cover it, and you may have it done at the doctor’s office. However, most couples will have to pay out of pocket and do the test with us or at home, as the doctor will not typically offer NIPTs to healthy women. This is usually charged at $100 to $150.
The test takes a little bit of blood from your finger and is easy and painless for the mother-to-be.
How Does an Early Gender Test Detect Gender?
An early gender test, detects the gender in the same way NIPTs can. This is done by checking the cell-free DNA, or fetal DNA, in an individual’s blood. The test can tell if there is a Y chromosome or not within your blood (which means they can detect if the baby is a boy or not).
You should be aware that early gender tests, and any at-home gender tests, do not detect chromosomal disorders or other conditions. Only an NIPT test at your doctor’s office can do that.
Variables That Can Make the Test Inaccurate
It should be noted that the test can be inaccurate for a variety of reasons. As such, you probably shouldn’t start painting the nursery walls pink or blue or picking out gender-specific clothing until you can get a mid-pregnancy scan.
While the tests are fairly accurate, there can be reasons why the tests are faulty. Much of this is due to human error, and if a man touches the test kit, it can misgender the baby accidentally.
Additionally, if you have a high BMI or are having a miscarriage, this can also affect the test results. Other issues may be with a vanishing twin (you’re carrying twins, and when one dies in utero without any of the classic signs of miscarriage) or if you’re carrying opposite-sex twins. A vanishing twin is rare, but it can happen and may skew your results.
Get Your Early Gender Test ASAP
If you can’t wait until the mid-pregnancy ultrasound to find out your child’s sex, make an appointment for your early gender test today. It only takes a few minutes, and having it done by professionals can take some of the guesswork out of the test. If you don’t trust yourself to administer the test at home, or you’re scared to take the test at home, knowledgeable and reassuring staff at clinics can make this a pleasant and accurate experience.
Choose wisely and always talk with your doctor about these tests. Additionally, it is always good to know what will happen to your body an your baby during the pregnancy, labor and after the baby arrives. One of the best things you could do is to prepare yourself for that most important moment in your life by attending classes that can help you stay in shape and being ready for everything that comes your way.