Erm. Well actually........ no!
This is actually a big misconception! Determining fetal gender by an ultrasound scan is not so easy. Its actually a little tricker than one may think and is dependent on a number of factors.
Making a boy vs girl determination requires far more expertise than just putting the probe to the belly and having a ‘quick look’ or even a long stare!. Not only does baby need to be well positioned with the legs wide open, having no other parts covering over the external genitalia but also far enough along the pregnancy to be able to see. If not the chances of finding out the sex of your baby is reduced and may even be near impossible.
Another misconception is that baby can be forced to move. If only! If there was a magical button to push or movement for mum to do, I can promise you that there would be no hesitation at all for practitioners to go for it but unfortunately babies do not just automatically cooperate. Babies are comfortable where they are most of the time and they only move into another position if they wish to do so.
In reality a gender scan is all about angles, time and professional experience, especially at the 16 week period when the baby is pretty small and things are harder to see and interpret.
So, here are a few recommendations for your gender scan:
Try eating or drinking something about 30 minutes prior to the scan. This usually gets baby more active.
Choose a trustworthy clinic with clinical practitioners/sonographer who have experience in determining fetal gender.
Keep an open mind knowing that not seeing the gender on the same day is a possibility, albeit a small one & although a gender scan is often highly accurate it cannot be 100% and we can only base our opinion by what is seen.
We at The Scan Clinic, started with a simple goal - Quality Healthcare with a Personal Touch. It is this mission that continues to drive us to this day and in this current global crisis. We continually strive to find the right balance between delivering on our mission and maintaining high levels of health and safety for our clients as well as our staff.
We have always maintained high levels of cleanliness and infection control and since the start of the pandemic have taken additional daily infection control measures across the clinic as well as ensuring all staff have adequate PPE (personal protective equipment).
You will notice that some of our services are no longer available at the moment and this is because we are limiting our range of available services to essential scans only until further notice. Furthermore all Off-Peak clinics have been suspended until further notice
We have been continually monitoring the ongoing situation and taking all official guidance, however as this is an evolving situation the information and guidelines given below are subject to change and can change with immediate effect. We appreciate this can be challenging but please bear in mind that the steps we take are for the health and safety of all our staff and clients and we really appreciate your support and understanding to follow them.
Important Note - We reserve the right to refuse entry to anyone who does not meet the entry criteria, comply with our entry checks, fails or refuses to complete a COVID-19 questionnaire or presents a potential health and safety risk.
If you have any questions, queries or concerns about any of this then please get in touch with our customer care team who are more than happy to help.
Hand hygiene is important please ensure you are washing your hands regularly with soap and water or a disinfectant.
Click the links: NHS or Public Health England for updates and advice on Coronavirus - COVID-19.