5. Carrying

If you carry low, you might be having a boy. Carry high? It’s likely a girl.

Actually, how you carry during pregnancy has more to do with the shape of your uterus, your unique body type, and your abdominal muscles.

How soon can you know?

Though sex is set from the start, you’ll likely need to wait a while before you decide to paint the nursery pink or blue.

There are a few ways you can find out the sex of your baby earlier, including the following.

Free cell DNA blood tests

You can now take a blood test as early as nine weeks into your pregnancy. This can reveal your baby’s sex. Free cell DNA tests like Panorama work in pregnancy because your blood is carrying traces of your baby’s DNA. You give a blood sample, send it to the group’s lab, and get your results in about seven to 10 days.

But revealing the gender isn’t the main goal of these tests. They’re actually a first line of testing for Down syndrome and other genetically inherited conditions.

Learning the sex is just a bonus. As a result, these tests aren’t necessarily covered under insurance unless you’re over age 35 or have a history that might warrant genetic investigation.

Other genetic testing

You may have an amniocentesis or chorionic villi sampling (CVS) during your pregnancy. These tests are similar to the free cell DNA blood test, but they are more invasive. Like the free cell DNA tests, you can find out your baby’s sex, just not as early. A CVS is usually performed between weeks 10 and 12. An amniocentesis is performed between weeks 15 and 18.

If all you want to find out is the sex of your baby, you may want to skip these tests. They do carry some miscarriage risk. They are generally only recommended for older women, or couples with a family history of certain genetic conditions.

Ultrasound

You can typically find out the sex of your baby via ultrasound. This will be performed between 18 and 20 weeks. At this appointment, the ultrasonographer will look at your baby’s image on the screen and examine the genitals for different markers that suggest boy or girl. This is part of a larger anatomy scan.

Even when you have an ultrasound, the technician may not be able to determine the sex of your baby due to a number of circumstances. If your baby isn’t cooperating and in an ideal position, you may need a repeat scan or might have to simply wait to find out.

The takeaway

Finding out the sex of your baby is exciting. You’ll probably hear about lots of ways to predict this important tidbit. But remember, most of these tales and theories aren’t based on fact. Just be patient, you’ll find out the gender soon!