Forum Index
»
Expectant and Postpartum Moms
Can you "really" tell it's a girl at 20 weeks?
![[Post New]](/jforum/templates/default/images/icon_minipost_new.gif){kind=icon}
Anonymous
Obvious FTM here and so excited for 20 week ultrasound this week which may tell us gender (in fact I am way too excited which is a sure sign the baby won't cooperate  ) But my question is can they absolutely tell if it's a girl at 20 weeks? Or is it just a whoops there's no penis guess it must be a girl kind of thing? Apologies for the stupidity of the question!!
|
Anonymous
| They can tell! |
Anonymous
| They can tell, but its not quite as accurate if they predict a girl. As my doctor said when he told us we were having a boy, if its not a boy, we've got some external plumbing to worry about on her. For a girl, they look for 3 lines which marks a girl as well as just "no penis!". |
Anonymous
|
Not a dumb question. To show you the difference, do a google image search on "20wk ultrasounds" and you can see the boy shots with penises and the girl shots where they clearly point out external genitalia (labia, vulva). So, the absence of a visible penis does not by itself mean girl. It's much more certain if they get a good shot of the baby's genitalia to see what is and what isn't there.
Big cup of coffee or glass of juice ahead of time. Use that caffeine or sugar to get the little one active and moving around! |
Anonymous
| It is possible to actually see the "girl parts" (assuming a good angle etc). When I had my u/s, the radiologist actually said that he can see that she's a girl, and also said that the "I can't see a penis so it's a girl" reasoning doesn't fly with him. So if you get that line, I wouldn't stock up on all pink just yet. |
Anonymous
| Our radiologist pointed out the "girl bits" at our 20 week ultrasound, and it's definitely more than just "no penis." But the baby does need to cooperate and move around to the right angle so they can see clearly. |
Anonymous
| Thanks for these replies -- how far in advance should I drink my OJ/caffeine? Thanks!! |
Anonymous
| Just a quick word of advice- you may want to wait on the OJ until partway through the ultrasound. My ultrasound ended up taking an hour and a half because of a nervous, fairly new tech, and a baby that didn't feel like showing all the important parts (like face) while she was looking, and she ended up calling in some backup- so by the time we had finally moved on to the fun gender part, the baby was curled up, fast asleep... and having a snack then didn't seem to do much. We ended up with a "well, I'd be very surprised if it was a boy" for gender (from the more experienced tech who came in to relieve our poor new one)... didn't exactly inspire me to run out and buy dresses! |
Anonymous
| The vulva are very visible, OP. As another poster said, they present as three straight lines, which if you know what you are looking for, become quite clearly visible. Actually almost or more visible than a penis. The genitals of newborns and fetuses are quite large in comparison to the rest of their bodies. It's kind of freakish. |
Anonymous
Agree with this. It was clear as day for us -- 3 very straight, obvious lines. No question. |
Anonymous
| As a mom of both a boy and a girl, I actually thought it was easier to see the girl parts (3 lines, natch) than to be sure I was looking at the boy parts. but yes, goggle it - once you see the options, it's pretty clear what you are seeing! |
Anonymous
|
You can really tell gender at 20 weeks, either way, IF the fetus will get in the right position for you.
My first, a girl, would not cooperate. Kept those legs clamped and would not get in the right position. The best I got was "more likely a girl... but pick out a boy name too, because we really have no idea for sure." The second, the penis was so obvious I could tell before the tech even said what we were looking at. |
Anonymous
| My second DD literally SAT in the right position and before the tech could say anything, DH and I were like "HELLO LITTLE GIRL!!!" It was OBVIOUS. |
Anonymous
| Yup, they can tell. They saw DD's labia on the U/S. |
Anonymous
| In my friend's case they knew from the ultrasound that it was a girl--but then had to redecorate the nursery quickly when baby was born and was a boy... |