Does anyone know how accurate scans are in determining gender of baby ?

Question

I had a scan at 2o wks and the lady said it was a girl and sounded certain. I then had a growth scan at 36 wks and was told it is a boy, the lady at this scan said she could see a scrotom. she then later changed her mind and said that she thinks it's a girl ? How odd, that someone can be so vague especially at 36 wks!! I'm none the wiser really, not that I mind, I just want a healthy baby. Just goes to show modern technology isn't clear. How accurate are these scans ??

Answer 1

I cant speak for anyone else but at 24 wks i was told my baby was a girl and they were right!! it depends on your babys position etc..  

Answer 2

I think it's easier to tell at 20 weeks because by 36 weeks, there's not a good view because of the lack of room.  

Both my 20 week ultrasounds were accurate.

Answer 3

they are usually 99.9% accurate but doctors can mess up sometimes so whatever the doctor said is probably true  

Answer 4

They are usually very accurate. If they could not for sure see the boy parts at 36 weeks than I'd say you're definitely having a girl. They could see my lil man's parts at 13 weeks.

Answer 5

They can be wrong, but not very often

Answer 6

Hello, I had scan while was being pregnant with my both daughters, scan told us correct about the s*x what i was expecting - they told me I was having girl and it was correct. BUT scan isn't 100% accurate, its just 50/50. even scan told my sister she was having a girl but she had a baby was boy. I was told scan is just 50% accurate

I remember it was so funny my baby was covering wouldn't allow doctor finding what the s*x it was cute!

I hope in future scan technology will be improve and more accurate.

Best of luck with newborn baby!

Answer 7

well i had one at 15weeks and the nurse kept saying he i dont know if she knew or just said it. but at 17 and half weeks i had another one found out he was a boy, then a week later another one at the er said boy. Then mz last one at 26weeks didnt even have to tell me boy his pp was just wiggleing around and is very large which i find wierd. But zupp boy for sure. Now days they are very acurate.

Answer 8

Generally, they are pretty accurate.  Maybe your baby was hanging out in little ball and making it hard to tell.  You can usually see the testicles of a boy...little white dots between the legs.  And for girls, you can see little white dots in the abodomen where the ovaries are developing.  So, maybe you baby is just wasn't positioning himself...or herself well enough to tell if the white dots were between the legs or in the abdomen.

Answer 9

My SIL was told she was having a boy.  They picked out a boy's name and had a baby boy shower.  She had a girl.  Same thing happened to a guy in my office.  I think they are right more often than not, but they are definitely not infallible.

Answer 10

Usually if they are wrong, they think it is a girl and it turns out to be a boy with a small p***s.  If they say it is a boy, they are usually right about that.  My mother has a friend who's oldest son I'm sure loves for her to tell this story, but she always tells everyone that the doctors had told her she was having a girl because, "his little wee wee was so small".  Generally when they say it is a boy, it is because they have clearly seen a p***s.  At least that was the case for both my 2 year old son, and the baby boy I'm carrying now.  If they say it is a girl, they may have seen ovaries, or they may have just not seen a p***s.  I guess a hermaphrodite is possible, but very unlikely.  I guess if you really want to know you can have an amniocenteses, but that has its own risks.

Answer 11

The scans are usually accurate.  Did the Dr. say this or just the person doing the scan cause the Dr. normally comes in to confrim.  I have had 3 children and all the time they have been accurate with what they say sometimes it's hard to see the gender due to the babies position.  I am pregnant with the 4th and I looked at the screen myself when the lady said it looks like a boy and when I looked it looked like a boy also.  

So it just depends. Well sounds like they are not sure, so don't buy gender specific clothing until you deliver.

Answer 12

2weeks? i don't think the male genitalia even forms then

it's hard to see sonograms

easier to just have an amniocentesis and look at the chromosomes

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amniocentes...

Answer 13

the scans are not done  to determine gender. they are looking for major deformations and birth defects. problems with the baby, in other words.

it can be tricky at times to determine gender, if baby is facing the wrong way, or if baby's legs are crossed etc.

Sounds like you will get a surprise.  Congratulations on your pending arrival. you must be so excited!  

Answer 14

it entirely depends on the position of the baby. luckily my daughter had her legs wide open when i had my scan.  but if they are in certain positions the cord can be in the way or a hand... if your looking for something that may or may not be there it can be a tough decision.

Answer 15

Baby #1 I was told was a girl and she is now 8.

Baby #2 I was told was a girl and she is now 8 months.

Baby #3 I am told is a girl but won't know for at least 12 more weeks.

Answer 16

That is odd.  They are usually 99% sure or they don't say anything.

Answer 17

sounds frustrating to me...I'd go w/ the first  one, a girl... Its because of this, i want to have  a 3D scan done as a back up, so i'll know 100% for sure. u can do that, but i guess your so close, u  can just wait & see... Good luck to you...

Answer 18

Pretty accurate in my belief.

Sometimes though the leg or arm or something blocks the view of the genital area. So It's kind of hard to tell.

I've heard of people having Twins without knowing it because one of the babies blocked the other one.

Ha.

Don't know if that is true though...but i could see it happening

Answer 19

i would trust the 20 week one anyway as its much more easier to see at that stage then it is at a later stage as there isnt any room but your right sweet as long as there healthy who cares xx best of luckxx