How to Determine The First Baby Gender

Know you baby gender

There are a number of wives' tales that claim to predict the sex of your baby. Some of them talks about your diet while you’re pregnant, the way you walk, carrying low or something about the fetal heartbeat of the baby. You should've known that none of these myths are proven. The best way of predicting your baby gender is the use of scientific method that is backed up by medical technology.

The Myths

Despite the advancements in technology and ways to determine the sex of the baby, there are even stranger myths that claim to predict it. The most common are the following:

• Your baby's heartbeat. Measuring your baby’s heartbeat is claimed to predict the baby’s sex. Girls have higher heartbeats than boys. Although trials have tested this theory, the baby’s heartbeat is still influenced by factors such as the age of the fetus (number of weeks) and the level of activity at the time the heartbeat is counted. Thus, there is still no link made between the baby’s heartbeat and its sex.
• Your baby's position on the stomach. It is also believed that if the belly hangs or in front, you are having a boy. When it's high right in the middle, your baby is going to be a girl. This is also considered a myth since carrying is only related to muscle toning and how the baby is positioned inside the womb. Your body shape and how much you gain determines how the baby is carried in your womb.
• Food cravings. Having a sweet tooth or craving for sweets would indicate that your baby is going to be a boy and a girl if you crave sour foods. Food cravings such as these are related to the hormonal changes that occur during pregnancy and are not related to the sex of your baby.

There are a lot more myths that are believed to be predictors of the sex of your baby and there is no harm believing them. Women who are pregnant for the first time are usually the ones susceptible in believing such claims as they are so concerned about doing things right owing to the excitement of a baby coming to become part of the family.

How will you be able to know the sex of your baby?

Genetics basically determine the baby’s gender. Understanding how genetics work in such determination is a tedious and complicated process. To make it simple, humans have one pair of sex chromosomes. Males have one X chromosome and  one Y chromosome, while females have two X chromosomes. The presence or absence of the Y chromosome determines the sex of the baby (which makes the male determinants of sex of the baby subsequently). Each sperm cell has either X or Y chromosome. The chromosome that is contained in the sperm cell that fertilizes the egg cell determines the sex of the baby.

Using ultrasonography in detecting a baby's gender

Ultrasound is one of the tests that are used to provide at least 80% to 90% accuracy as to what the sex of your baby may be. This is usually done during the 18-20 weeks of pregnancy. The accuracy also depends on the view of the technician during the scanning. This technique of determining your baby gender involves the use of a device called a transducer that emits a sound wave that helps in viewing the structures inside the body. It is possible to get a view on the size of your baby, listen to its heartbeat and view the body parts of the baby including the spine, brain and kidneys. Through an ultrasound, it is possible to view the baby's genital as well, which helps in determining the baby gender.

Amniocentesis and Chorionic Villi Sampling

Amniocentesis may be done during 15 to 18 weeks of pregnancy. In this procedure, your doctor will use a long, fine needle to carefully remove a sample of your amniotic fluid. This will contain the cells of the baby which are then analyzed. The chorionic villi sampling (CVS), on the other hand, is done earlier at about 11 to 14 weeks of pregnancy. However, these tests are both invasive and are usually saved for diagnosis of chromosomal disorders such as Down syndrome.

The Chinese Gender Predictor

There is also another way of predicting the baby gender using the Chinese gender predictor. The process has been practiced as part of the ancient Chinese tradition about 700 years ago. The prediction of the baby gender involves the use of the Chinese lunar age at the day when you get pregnant and determining the lunar month of your expected birth delivery. There is however no scientific proof that supports this kind of prediction for a baby gender.

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