Pregnancy & Childbirth

There are no shortage of people out there telling you non-medical ways to find out the sex of your baby. Many of these ways are inaccurate old wives tales. They are fun to play with and most of them don't involve anything dangerous. Some of the more common ones involve wedding rings spinning or swaying, the size or shape of your pregnant belly and other questions about pregnancy cravings or bed positioning. Do watch out for some of the sketchy ones that include chemicals like Drano.

Old Wives Tales Quiz: Is your baby a boy or girl?
Is your baby a boy or girl? Ultrasound Quiz
The Ring Test
Chinese Gender Chart
How can you find out if baby is a girl or boy?:

The most commonly used method to find out the sex of your baby is ultrasound or sonogram. This method is most accurate between 18-22 weeks. It is normally done at the fetal anatomy survey done in the mid-second trimester.

At this point it is usually easier to tell the sex of the baby. Earlier dates are usually too difficult to tell and later dates become difficult because of crowding in the uterus.

Is your baby a boy or girl? Ultrasound Quiz
Boy Ultrasounds (Short Version)
Ultrasounds of Boys (Gallery Version)
Girl Ultrasounds (Short Version)
Ultrasounds of Girls (Gallery Version)
What factors play a part in ultrasound being accurate?:

There are many factors that can play a part in whether or not the ultrasound is accurate in predicting the sex of your baby. They include:

the gestational age of baby
the equipment being used
the training of the person doing the ultrasound
mother's weight
baby's position
other factors

For more information see:

How early can ultrasound tell the sex of your baby?
Telling Baby's Gender by Ultrasound
Ultrasound Pictures of Girls and Boys
Ramzi's Readings for Girl or Boy at Six Weeks
What other ways can you find out the sex of the baby?:

Other methods of sex prediction are more accurate but carry more risk to the pregnancy. These methods can usually be done slightly earlier but are usually only done if other factors are involved that require genetic testing.

The most commonly used methods are amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling (CVS). These tests can be used earlier in pregnancy. They are also much more accurate than ultrasound, with results very close to 100%. Most practitioners will tell you 100%, but there have been lab errors. These are most often done in the first trimester or early second trimester.

Sex Preference for Baby:

Let's face it, there are people who have very strong preferences for the sex of their baby. Sometimes it comes from really feeling a strong connection to raising a son or daughter. There are also families who have had a loss and feel that a specific sex would be better for their families. Family balancing is another reason that some families have a sex preference for one or more of the children.

Sex Preference for Baby?
Sex Selection Techniques: Choosing the Sex of Your Baby:

There are families who have such strong sex preferences that they choose to do sex selection. Using techniques like MicroSort, preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) and Haplotyping (PGH), Shettles and other methods of sex selection, they attempt to influence nature. Some techniques are very accurate while others are not as reliable.

Sex Selection Techniques

How to Have a Boy
How to Have a Girl
Do you want to know if your baby is a boy or girl?:

About half of people surveyed say that they do want to know the sex of the baby they are carrying. Some people want to have a surprise. Sometimes they want to know but only in a second or subsequent pregnancy.

The most often stated reasons for finding out in pregnancy are planning reasons and why not know. Some people want to plan for a nursery for their baby or buy clothes for a specific sex of baby rather than wait until after the birth to find out the sex. It's a personal issue and one hotly debated.

When You Don't Agree - Finding Out the Sex of Baby
Fun Ideas for Finding Out the Sex:

If you decide to find out, you may want to find out the sex of your baby in a special way - something other than the ultrasound tech blurting it out. You can get some ideas below or feel free to share what you did when you found out.
Creative Ways to Reveal the Sex of Your Baby
Finding Out the Sex: Fun Ideas
Readers Share: How did you find out the sex of your baby?
Pink or Blue Cake