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1st Trimester
Llindsay0927
member
Sceduled C Section
Is it normal to wait til your 20 weeks to find out sex and do scan?
Llindsay0927
member
My last u/s was at 9 weeks and they said that my next would be at 20 weeks. Is this standard for most ob's? I go back at around 13 weeks for testing,not really sure what kind of testing because I didnt ask but it was something my husband and I wanted and chose to do. Im just wondering if any of you lovely ladies have to wait until week 20 as well. My last u/s was really good. Heartbeat of 167 bpm and measured perfect. It just seems so far away I guess..lol
Sceduled C SectionThis discussion has been closed.
Re: Is it normal to wait til your 20 weeks to find out sex and do scan?
Malakai - 8.3.09
Ezra - 12.1.11 ASD
Totally normal.
Also, if they can't determine the sex at that u/s, don't count on another one to double check. The scan is technically an anatomy scan--to check growth and development and most Drs won't do another u/s just to determine the sex.
ETA: The testing at 13 weeks would be an NT scan. They'll draw several viles of your blood and do an u/s of the baby to measure fluid around the baby's neck to guessimate the odds of a genetic disorder such a Down's. To get more definite results, you would have to have an amnio a few weeks later, which involves a needle being inserted into your uterus and fluid being drawn out (this can be a dangerous procedure, ask your Dr for more info). You *may* be able to guess the sex at the NT scan, but I wouldn't go out buying pink or blue based on it.
It's normal. With my DD, I didn't find out the gender until the 20 week scan. And like PP mentioned, the purpose of the 20 week scan is to check for anatomy, not specifically to determine gender. My doctor is fairly unique in that he does a u/s at every appointment to check if everything's OK, but that's only because he has an u/s machine in his office. I also get sent for a 12/13 week NT scan. Many people have reported that they are able to tell the gender at the NT scan, but in my case, it's against my hospital's policy to say anything about gender that early.
See my ETA above.
I believe the quad screen is a blood test done around 16 weeks...
Malakai - 8.3.09
Ezra - 12.1.11 ASD
Just wanted to say that at 15 or 16 weeks you can go to an ultrasound place and have the gender id done with a private ultrasound that is not covered by insurance. We did this with DS and it costs about $35. Just google ultra sound + gender in your area.
I"m glad we did it because at my 20 week ultrasound baby was not being helpful and they couldnt' ID the gender. It didnt' bother me though because I knew it was already a boy.
Some doctors (mine included) do a penta screen, which is an additional test added onto the quad. It's a blood test testing mostly for certain trisomies, including Down's. You don't get a "yes you have it" or "no you don't" answer, but rather get statistics (i.e. "you have a 1 in 3,000 chance of having it"). If your odds are low enough, you'll get a "normal" result.
Do you have a pregnancy book? If not, you should get one as they can be really helpful. I have the Mayo Clinic's Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy and it has a section explaining all of the screenings and testings, including the quad screen and NT scan and the b/w that goes with the NT.
ETA: The anatomy scan, the scan that you'll get at 20 weeks, has the sole purpose of determining whether your baby is growing correctly or not. It's essentially a defect check. Since they're already "in there", they will often tell you the sex of the baby as well, if you want to know it. The sex of the baby is irrelevant to the purpose of the scan unless the doctor suspects that the baby has a disorder that generally flows only with one sex or the other.
I was told I had to wait till at least 22 weeks.