Why do you need to determine the gender of your child?
The content of the article
There are several reasons why future parents want to determine the gender of their baby. First of all, it is interest and curiosity that does not allow one to wait until birth in ignorance. In addition, some couples want to prepare the room in advance, buy things and choose a name, and some parents dream of a boy or girl.
The importance of determining the sex of a child is also due to medical indications. When it comes to chromosomal pathologies, such information about gender is vital.
Formula for calculating the sex of a child
To determine, you need to multiply the father's age in months by four and divide by 16. Then you should multiply the mother's age in months by three and divide by 12. Compare the resulting numbers, if the male number is greater, there will be a boy, if the female number, there will be a girl.
Formula for determining the sex of a child before conception: For a man: Y = 4 x (integer number of months lived: 16) For a woman: X = 3 x (integer number of months lived: 9). If the male number Y is greater than the female number X, then these parents will have a boy. If the female number X is greater than the male number Y, then these parents will have a girl.
Development of the fetus and its sexual characteristics by stage of pregnancy
In the first trimester, it is almost impossible to determine the sex of the child. One can only make an assumption about the gender of the fetus.
At 8 weeks of pregnancy, the size of the fetus is only 12 mm. It already has a small bulge - the genital tubercle, which does not differ in girls and boys until the 11th week, so it is impossible to identify the gender.
By the 11th obstetric week, the fetus grows to 45 mm. There are also no external differences in the genital organs yet. On an ultrasound scan of the embryo, you can see the anus, the recess of the urethra, the genital tubercle and the genital folds, surrounded externally by the labioscrotal tubercles.
The length of the embryo at week 13 is 64 mm. At this stage, in boys, under the influence of testosterone, the penis begins to form from the genital tubercle, and the body of the organ begins to form from the genital folds. There is an increased growth of the labial-scrotal tubercles, which, merging, turn into the scrotum. By this time, the foreskin is already fully formed.
The girl’s body contains a small amount of testosterone, so the external appearance of her genitals after 8 weeks remains virtually unchanged. The clitoris is formed from the genital tubercle, the labia minora from the urogenital folds, and the labia majora from the labioscrotal tubercles. The open urogenital groove forms the entrance to the vagina. The location of the external opening of the urethra is determined at the 14th week of pregnancy.
By the 20th week, the genital organs of both sexes are almost completely formed and can be identified - in other words, on an ultrasound you can already see who will be a boy or a girl.
When can you most accurately determine the sex of a child?
The optimal time to determine the baby's gender is the second or third trimester. Starting from the 20th week, a specialist can most accurately determine the result based on the already practically formed genitals of the child. On the ultrasound screen, only the scrotum is visible in boys; often the penis itself is not visible. But in girls, the labia majora are very clearly visible.
It happens that during the examination the child is not mobile enough or turns around in such a way that it is quite problematic to examine the genitals even at the third planned ultrasound. Sometimes a boy “hides” his penis by tightly squeezing his legs, and may mistakenly “call himself” a girl. Or, conversely, a girl can be identified as a boy by confusing the umbilical cord with a penis. Therefore, to ensure the reliability of the result, the ultrasound procedure is repeated.
An experienced professional sonographer can determine the sex of the child using other indicators. So, boys have a thicker umbilical cord, much more amniotic fluid, and the weight of the fetus is significant. In girls, the opposite is true - a thin and shorter umbilical cord, less weight and volume of amniotic fluid.
Methods for determining sex by ultrasound in the early stages
The generally accepted way to determine a child’s sexual characteristics is ultrasound. This informative, painless and safe method has no contraindications and allows you to determine the sex of the baby with an accuracy of 80 - 99%. The reliability of the result will be influenced by the doctor’s experience, the quality of the equipment and the stage of pregnancy at which the examination takes place.
The gender of the child is determined at the moment of conception. It is impossible to change it, no matter how the media instills the idea of genetic engineering. You should not believe in “folk methods”, which are refuted by traditional medicine, and some are even dangerous (for example, drinking garlic juice every day).
It is possible to make an assumption about gender starting from the 12th week, but subject to high-quality equipment and an experienced, qualified doctor. Otherwise, the answer may be wrong.
There are several indirect signs by which future parents can find out the result:
- The angle formed by the back of the child and his genital tubercle
. An angle of less than 30° indicates the development of a girl. If the angle is greater, the woman is carrying a boy. - Localization of the placenta
. The likelihood of having a boy increases significantly if the placenta is located in the uterus on the right side. If the “children’s place” is on the left, you can quite expect a girl. This relationship was established by the Canadian uzologist Dr. Ramsay, after whom this method of sex determination is named. Surprisingly, many note the reliability of the method; - Skull shape
. A square skull and jaw indicate the birth of a boy, round ones indicate a girl.
Diet for the expectant mother
The first method is associated with restrictions imposed on the menu of the expectant mother. So…
To “program” a boy
To conceive a boy, a predominance of potassium and sodium ions, and as little calcium and magnesium ions as possible, is recommended. To do this, it is suggested to eat meat, fish, potatoes, mushrooms, dry white beans, lentils, dried peas, legumes, and eat only egg whites. Of the fruits, cherries, dates, apricots, peaches, prunes, dried apricots, and dates are especially necessary. Recommended drinks: tea, beer, fruit juices, mineral soda water. Also, cookies, biscuits, semolina and rice are useful for a woman who wants to conceive a boy. In addition, a woman is advised to salt all her food as much as possible, eat canned foods and yeast. According to some reports, fatty foods are good for conceiving a boy.
Not recommended: milk and dairy products, mineral waters with calcium, shrimp, crabs, fish roe, baked goods made with egg dough, bread, pancakes, waffles, milk-based confectionery, green salad, green beans, green beans, raw cabbage , watercress, dill, walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, peanuts, cocoa, milk chocolate.
To “program” a girl
In order to conceive a girl, the expectant mother's diet should contain a lot of calcium and magnesium ions, but little potassium and sodium. This combination is provided by: meat in limited quantities, fresh or frozen fish, all types of baked goods without salt and yeast, eggs, potatoes in limited quantities, eggplant, asparagus, beets, carrots, cucumbers, watercress, green beans, peas, peppers, onions, tomatoes. As well as unsalted almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, sugar, honey, spices, jams and aromatic herbs. Healthy drinks include coffee, tea, cocoa, and calcium mineral waters.
At the same time, you should avoid salty foods, carbonated drinks, canned juices and Pepsi-Cola. It is necessary to exclude sausages, ham, smoked meats, salted and canned fish, crayfish and shrimp, all cheeses, ice cream, regular types of bread and industrially produced confectionery, corn and canned vegetables, fried potatoes, raw tomatoes, lentils, salted dried fruits, plums, apricots , cherries, bananas, oranges, currants, melons. During this period, you should not eat salt, yeast, soda, olives, margarine, spicy sauces, or any canned food.
The diet should be followed from the beginning of the menstrual cycle until the expected conception.
Gender of the child: diagnostic errors
The shorter the period for which the study is conducted, the greater the likelihood of receiving an erroneous answer. But even at a later date, an experienced professional will not be able to determine the gender 100%. Errors may occur for the following reasons:
- Inexperience or unqualification of the doctor.
- Low-quality or outdated equipment - blurred images and shallow penetration depth of ultrasound beams distort the reliability of the result. The high resolution of the equipment and the presence of Doppler reduce the likelihood of error.
- Conducting the study too early. All women, as a rule, are very curious, so they want to find out the gender of their unborn baby as soon as possible. But it is worth remembering that in the early stages the fetal genital organs are practically the same or not formed at all, and ultrasound in the first trimester has a different goal - identifying possible pathologies.
- Multiple pregnancy - babies can cover each other.
- A belated ultrasound in late pregnancy - the rather large size of the fetus does not allow it to move in the uterus; it sits so compactly in it that it unintentionally hides the genitals. This prevents the doctor from viewing them on the monitor.
- During intrauterine development, a girl's labia may swell. This is not a pathology, but, resembling the scrotum in appearance, it can distort the result.
Boys can “hide” their genitals and appear to be girls. Also, girls' umbilical cord or exposed finger can be assessed as a penis.
Medical planning techniques
Such planning is quite possible, but highly undesirable. Medical planning allows you to determine the sex of the unborn baby with 100% accuracy using chromosome staining. Such planning is allowed for couples undergoing artificial insemination and is prohibited in many countries, such as China. It is believed that this method is not natural and can lead to an imbalance on the planet.
Artificial fertilization of eggs
Determining the sex of a child using 3D and 4D ultrasound
Three-dimensional and four-dimensional ultrasound is the most reliable way to determine the sex of a child using ultrasound. This type of research allows you to examine individual parts of the child’s body and even which parent he looks like. The image of the fetus is so realistic that future parents can get an answer even without the help of a doctor. In this case, the error is practically eliminated.
The optimal period for 3D and 4D ultrasound is 25–30 weeks, when it is possible to obtain the most reliable result. The ultrasound power is the same as with two-dimensional ultrasound. It is absolutely safe and does not harm either the child or the expectant mother.
In addition, it differs from 2D ultrasound in its greater capabilities, since it provides additional information that contributes to the successful and timely diagnosis of many abnormalities.
Child gender calculation table
How to use the table? This is a Japanese calendar, which consists of two tables. Using the first table, we determine a number from 1 to 12 and look for this number in another table, and plan the gender of the unborn child.
The first table of the Japanese calendar for determining the sex of a child
Second table of the Japanese calendar for calculating the gender of a child
Methods for determining the sex of a child without an ultrasound
Some future parents use other methods to determine the gender of their baby: some use “grandmother’s” methods, others use different medical methods. It is worth remembering that many of them are “dubious” and unreliable, and some are even dangerous.
Invasive methods
- Villus biopsy of the placenta embryo
- chorion. This method gives a 100% result, but is quite dangerous - it can cause miscarriage or infection. Therefore, it is used only as a last resort - for genetic diseases of the fetus. The method itself is quite unpleasant. To take biopsy material, long special forceps are inserted into the amniotic sac. - Puncture of the amniotic sac (amniocentesis)
. The method is also uncomfortable and painful. It involves puncturing the amniotic sac and taking a small amount of amniotic fluid for examination. The duration of the procedure is 16–18 weeks. Amniocentesis also poses a risk to mother and baby, risking miscarriage or infection.
Non-invasive methods for calculating the gender of a child
- By date of ovulation and conception
. If sexual intercourse leading to fertilization occurred 3 to 5 days before ovulation, there is a high chance of having a girl. If 1-2 days in advance or directly on the day the egg is released, it’s a boy. The online ovulation calculator is here: FOLLICULOMETRY. - Based on the combination of parental blood groups through the AB0 system
. Special tables are used for calculations, but the method itself is refuted by traditional medicine. - By “renewing” the blood using age division
. It is necessary to divide the age of the mother by 3, and the age of the father by 4. Whichever parent has the lower value will have the child of that gender. - By heart rate
. Using this method, gender is determined at 12-14 weeks. The threshold value for boys is 140 beats/min. Exceeding this indicator indicates the girl’s development. - By the appearance of a pregnant woman
. “Loss of beauty” of the expectant mother during pregnancy, a round belly, darkening of the nipples, increased irritability and moodiness indicate the birth of a girl. - A sharp belly and a great mood
are “masculine” signs. - At the first movement
. If a woman feels the first movement of the fetus on the left, it means the birth of a girl, and on the right, a boy.
Thus, ultrasound is the most reliable, and, most importantly, safe method for determining the sex of the unborn child. Yes, there is a possibility of error, but this is not a reason to endanger yourself and your child out of curiosity using invasive calculation methods.
Non-invasive methods are quite questionable and not scientifically confirmed, so relying on them or not is an individual choice of each future parent. Doctors do not recommend trusting them, considering them “grandmother’s” superstitions and nothing more.
How to influence the gender of the child?
This desire has arisen among humanity from time immemorial and it is still relevant today. It is interesting that it began in Ancient China and could be traced in many European countries. You may or may not believe this, but Easterners are confident that girls are most often born to parents who smoke. It is tobacco that can influence the number of “X” chromosomes in male material. The Japanese even emphasize that a man must smoke one pack of cigarettes a day.
Men who smoke have more X chromosomes
Other researchers, from the other side of the world - Italians, have determined that the gender of the unborn child is influenced by the time of year. So, they are absolutely sure that in the fall there is the greatest opportunity to conceive a boy, because this season affects the level of male sperm.
Autumn is the time to conceive boys
The most ancient scientists also believed that the moon could influence this decision. Couples need to plan sexual relationships not only depending on its phases, but also take into account weather conditions. For example, the Egyptians knew for sure that the full moon favored the birth of a son. They knew that a girl would be born if a woman was impregnated immediately after her menstrual period. Well, Aristotle himself insisted that if a couple wants a boy, they need to conceive a child at a time when the north wind blows, and a girl when the south wind blows.
