Dr. Marjorie Greenfield
Specializing in pregnancy and birth.
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 Ask Dr. Greenfield
Getting the Most Out of an Ultrasound | | | QUESTION | | | Dear Dr. Greenfield,
With my insurance health coverage, I am only allowed one ultrasound. My doctor said to get one at 16 weeks for the anatomy, but I would like to know the sex of the child. So at how many weeks can a doctor tell the sex of the baby and if it's in the right position?
— Curious Mom in Trenton, NJ | | | ANSWER |
May 23, 2001 | | | Dear Curious Mom,
This is a great question that comes up a lot in my practice. How do you get the best "bang for your buck" if you can only have one ultrasound?
Of course, from the medical perspective, finding out the sex of the baby is not the reason to have an ultrasound. Practitioners want to get a scan to confirm the due date and see that the baby's anatomy looks normal. But often, for families, the word ultrasound almost equates with finding out the baby's sex.
Both the fetal anatomy and the sex of the baby are best seen around 18-20 weeks. Keep in mind that sometimes the fetus is "hiding his stuff" and you may not be able to tell the sex. This can happen at any time in gestation.
Remember that ultrasound is so accurate now that they can see the labia almost as well as they can see a penis and scrotum. If your baby is not cooperating and they can't see the sex for sure, don't assume that it is a girl. Sometimes you just have to wait and find out the old fashioned way--at birth. Enjoy!— by Marjorie Greenfield, M.D. |
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