Is it possible to determine the sex of a baby by its heartbeat in the womb?

We tell you how and at what time it is possible to find out the gender of the child by ultrasound, boy or girl

Boy or girl? is a question that sometimes interests future parents the most. You can find a dozen different ways to determine the gender of a child “without leaving home” - folk signs based on a woman’s taste preferences, calculations based on the date of birth of the mother, father, etc. In this case, there is no need to talk about accuracy, and the birth may end in a surprise. It is better to entrust sex determination to specialists, but even they can rarely predict sex with 100% probability, especially in the early stages. The usual way to find out the sex of the child is to perform an ultrasound examination of the fetus. But at what stage of pregnancy will the result be most accurate and unambiguous? It's worth looking into it in more detail.

To find out which period of pregnancy will be the most optimal for determining gender, you need to understand the characteristics of the baby’s development in the womb.

Initially, “sexual characteristics” are laid down by the father. This happens at the moment of conception. That is, when a sperm fertilizes an egg. After all, all children receive an X chromosome from their mother, and it all depends on which father’s sperm wins the “race” and reaches the egg first:

• If with an X chromosome, a girl will be born (genotype XX);
• If with a Y chromosome, you are supposed to expect a boy (XY genotype).

Naturally, none of the parents knows about the results of conception. Therefore, they are waiting for the moment when it will be possible to find out the sex of the child more or less reliably. A mandatory event during pregnancy is to visit an ultrasound specialist. It is at such appointments that you can find out for the first time the expected gender of the child.

How to determine the sex of a child

One of the common myths is to determine the sex of a child by the fetal heartbeat.
It is believed that this method was widely used by obstetricians and gynecologists before the invention of ultrasound, so it is quite accurate, but in fact this is not entirely true. How to determine the sex of a child by heartbeat? There are several versions of this myth. One option is that if at rest the heart rate (heart rate) is more than 140 beats per minute, then you should expect a girl, if less than 140, then there will be a boy. It is believed that using this method it is possible to determine the sex of a child at 12 weeks by heartbeat. There is also the opposite version: in boys, the heart rate should be above 160 beats per minute, and in girls - less than 140. Another opinion that I have heard during my practice is that if the child’s heartbeat does not coincide with the mother’s pulse, then there will be a boy.
Let's see if this method works?

Advantages and disadvantages of the technique, its reliability

The advantage of determining the sex of an unborn child by its pulse is its availability. That is, a woman undergoes routine medical procedures, planned and necessary in her situation, to assess the general condition of the child. And the doctor makes his assumptions regarding the baby’s gender at the same time.

As for the reliability of this method, as in most cases, it is, of course, not one hundred percent.

1. The fetal pulse gradually increases until the 9th week, and then just as smoothly decreases, stabilizing by the second trimester. Therefore, it is obvious that the indicator 120–140 for boys and 140–160 for girls cannot be equally relevant in different weeks. Even the doctors themselves, adherents of this method, are divided in their opinions: some say that it only works until the 20th week, others say that it works throughout the entire gestation period. In fact, there are no scientifically based parameters for beat frequency specifically for male and female fetuses: a more frequent or, conversely, slower pulse can occur in both. In addition, the heart rate is quite strongly influenced by various factors. For example, rapid or slow heartbeat can be observed with developmental delays and defects, genetic disorders, intrauterine infection or hypoxia, problems with placental circulation, or the threat of miscarriage. In addition, the rhythm slows down when the baby is sleeping, and, on the contrary, accelerates during his active movements. The mother’s emotional state also matters: when she is nervous, the fetal heart beats faster. If a woman is currently ill, the fetal heartbeat may well change.
2. The theory of different heart rate depending on gender is also untenable. This parameter, like the pulse rate, largely depends on various factors, so it may well be different for each listening session.
3. The significance of the localization of the heartbeat (left or right) is another myth. After all, the position of the child periodically changes up to 30–35 weeks, or even until birth, and this has nothing to do with gender. The baby may even lie across the uterine cavity, which means his heartbeat will be heard somewhere in the middle of the abdomen.
4. As for the coincidence of the heart rhythm of a woman and her unborn son, this is simply implausible. Indeed, in any case, the fetal heart contracts almost twice as often as that of the mother. The regulation of the heartbeat of a woman and a child occurs due to the action of completely different mechanisms.

Thus, any matches between the baby's heartbeat and its gender are simply coincidental. Official medicine does not recognize this method, and a woman should perceive it simply as entertainment and certainly not place high hopes on it (go to the store for baby clothes in blue or pink).

The pulse sex determination method should be taken simply as entertainment, since it is very unreliable

The only accurate medical method for determining the gender of the fetus is an examination of the amniotic fluid (amniocentesis), which is performed only when indicated and may pose a threat to the continuation of the pregnancy. Even ultrasound is not an absolutely reliable method in terms of determining gender.

Based on my experience, I can say that the method of determining the sex of an unborn child by heartbeat does not work. I was told the gender of my baby very early - during an ultrasound at 12 weeks. A very experienced doctor, the head of the department, confidently told me that it would be a boy. A secondary ultrasound only confirmed this. However, when my gynecologist at the antenatal clinic began to listen to her stomach with a stethoscope during her next visit, she also confidently said: “You know, you have a girl, your heart beats quickly.” When I objected to her that two ultrasounds showed a boy, she just shrugged.

When is a heartbeat detected?

Already from the second or third week of embryo development, the rudiments of what will become the heart in the future begin to form. It is not at all like the organ we are used to - it has no chambers or valves.

The work of the fetal heart inside the mother’s womb is an amazing process that has significant differences with life outside the mother’s belly. Since the fetus is constantly surrounded by fluid, it does not need to breathe; it receives all the substances it needs through the placenta. Thus, the heart does not need to pump blood through the respiratory organs to saturate it with oxygen. The baby has special vessels that bypass the lungs. After birth they grow over. Another distinctive feature is the presence of an opening between the upper chambers of the heart; after birth, it also closes.

The fetal heart begins to beat around the sixth week of development. At the beginning, the heart rate is 90-110 beats per minute. Then every day it increases.

By the ninth week, heart rate reaches its peak: 140-170 beats per minute, the same in girls and boys. In the first trimester, we can only determine the heartbeat during an ultrasound, but from the twentieth week the doctor will be able to listen to it using a stethoscope. From the thirteenth week, the baby’s heart is already actively working.

Serious deviations in heart rate from the norm are an alarming sign that all is not well with the baby.

Is it possible to determine the sex of a child by heartbeat? In 2006, doctors from the United States decided to conduct a study with the participation of almost 500 pregnant women, which would confirm or refute it. After analyzing the data obtained, scientists did not identify any significant deviations and came to the conclusion that it is impossible to distinguish between a boy and a girl based on the fetal heartbeat.

What determines the baby's heart rate?

A deviation of a child’s heart rate from standard values ​​does not always indicate the presence of some dangerous pathological process. If the heart of a 7-week embryo beats 160 times in 1 minute, a rapid heartbeat can be caused by a number of factors.

Among the physiological reasons for deviation of heart rate from standard values ​​are:

• Psycho-emotional state of a pregnant woman. Any, even the slightest, excitement or anxiety of the mother is transmitted to the child, as a result of which his heart begins to beat faster than the usual rhythm.
• Heredity. A rapid heart rate may be due to a genetic factor.
• Sleep or wakefulness mode. When a baby is active, his heart beats faster.
• Excess weight of the expectant mother.

Pathological factors of too fast or, conversely, slow fetal heartbeat include:

• Increased uterine tone. As this phenomenon develops, heart rate increases.
• Excessive volume of amniotic fluid.
• Incorrect location of the placenta in the uterus.
• Insufficient oxygen supply to the fetus for a long time.
• Slow development of the fetal cardiovascular system.
• Conflict of Rh factors of the expectant mother and baby.
• Severe gestosis.
• Bleeding.

There is an opinion that the heart rate of the embryo depends on its gender: in girls this organ works more energetically than in boys. However, these statements do not have a scientifically proven basis.

On the possibility of influencing the gender of the unborn child

I always explain to my patients and their relatives that they cannot in any way influence the gender of the unborn baby. It is widely known that the sex of a child is determined at the moment of conception. However, at the very beginning of development, girls and boys look the same, despite the fact that some have XX chromosomes and others XY. Sex differences begin to form only from the tenth week of pregnancy.

Although we have already established that the fetal heart rate is not a reliable indicator of determining the sex of the child, there are methods that can accurately tell whether you are expecting a boy or a girl.

Important points affecting the quality of the fetal heartbeat

Of course, traditional medicine does not recognize the possibility of determining gender by heartbeat, relying only on ultrasound diagnostic data. This is due, first of all, to the fact that the child’s heart beats at different frequencies and rhythms at different stages, and when measuring the heartbeat it is necessary to be attentive to a combination of factors.

The rhythm and intensity of sound varies depending on the following factors:

• Whether the child is awake or asleep;
• Gestational age;
• The health of the expectant mother and her psychological state;
• Formation of the heart muscle;
• Mother's posture when measuring the baby's heartbeat;
• Presence of fetal pathologies.

Thus, even with a great desire to find out the sex of the unborn baby in advance, the method of determining by heartbeat will not give an unconditional guarantee. Therefore, you should treat this as a game, choosing reliable methods.

Ultrasound

The most common diagnostic method, with the help of which a lot of useful information about fetal development is learned. Ultrasound is performed several times during pregnancy. At about twenty weeks, it is already possible to clearly determine the sex of the child. However, due to the position of the fetus, sometimes it is not immediately possible to see the genitals.

I usually suggest that parents wait a little, since there is a chance that the child will turn around and the long-awaited answer can be obtained at a repeat ultrasound. Ultrasound machines are constantly being improved, new techniques are emerging, and therefore the quality of diagnosis is also improving.

When the fetus's heart begins to beat

For the full development of the fetus, an autonomous circulatory system is necessary. Therefore, the cardiovascular system is one of the first to be laid down and formed. And at the very first ultrasound when confirming pregnancy, you can already hear the first beats of your baby’s heart. This will happen on the 22nd day. And in just 5 weeks the formation of the most important system of the body will be completed.

In the first trimester, the frequency of strokes can only be calculated using ultrasound, in the second - EchoCG, in the third - auscultation, and starting from the 32nd week, CTG is done. During each period of pregnancy, heart rate norms are different.

Cell-free DNA

In recent years this method has become widely used. Despite the presence of a barrier in the form of the placenta, little fetal genetic material or DNA enters the mother's blood. This analysis can be carried out early, starting from the ninth week. The main goal of this study is to identify hereditary anomalies and in the process of performing it, based on the set of chromosomes, it usually becomes clear what sex the fetus is. I cannot recommend this method for routine determination of the sex of the fetus due to its complexity, high cost and high percentage of false results. This test is most often performed on women who are at increased risk for genetic diseases (such as Down syndrome).

Use of the technique in clinical diagnostic

Clinical diagnostic specialists will help you get answers to questions related to the test, and will also tell you about the procedure for conducting it and the principles underlying the study.

By contacting us, you can be confident in the accuracy of the diagnosis and the transparency of the methods we use. Taking laboratory samples and studying the material, as well as drawing up conclusions, are carried out by qualified specialists with experience in the leading genetic laboratories of the capital.

We sign an agreement with each patient, which, along with the impeccable reputation of the center, becomes a guarantee of successful and fruitful cooperation. You can make an appointment by phone or on the website.

Amniocentesis and chorionic villus biopsy

These methods are also used primarily to diagnose diseases, but in the process of performing them you can find out the sex of the child. During amniocentesis, a puncture of the uterus is performed to remove a small amount of amniotic fluid for analysis. This fluid contains cells that are studied for genetic abnormalities. Despite the fairly high safety of the procedure, based on data from international obstetric organizations, in my practice I never perform amniocentesis in the absence of direct indications, since there is always a risk of bleeding or infection. This procedure is most often performed after the fifteenth week.

Chorionic villus biopsy is also an invasive procedure, meaning it requires a puncture. During this test, a small amount of placental tissue is removed. It can be performed earlier than amniocentesis, from the eleventh to the fourteenth week. We only perform this procedure on women with a high risk of genetic abnormalities.

fetal heartbeat boy or girl

Girls, my story is not simple(((BUT whoever finishes reading... maybe he will understand me(( .

We lived for 2 years, second marriage, one might say, but not finished. Lived in perfect harmony.

This is my 3rd pregnancy in a year. We really wanted a baby at the beginning. Then everything somehow calmed down, but in my heart I wanted to go to the matronushka’s relics and bring them to our city. Then the illuminated red thread was tied on the hand from Jerusalem. Everything has come true. But my man changed, he began to find fault with everything somehow evilly. BUT I asked him if he could have an abortion after all, no, let’s leave the baby there. I’ll say right away that he drank, I didn’t pay much attention, but he drank for 1 day 2, then everything was fine. As a result, at 7 weeks of pregnancy I end up with bleeding. I told him not to come yet, because my parents seemed to have arrived today, but he didn’t come and got into an argument on the phone.. For 8 days while I was in bed, he didn’t come. Then on the ultrasound they told me that everything was frozen in me, the fetus was not developing, I texted him that Thank you for your support, you can sleep peacefully, the fetus was frozen - the answer was SILENCE FROM HIM! . In the morning another doctor came and did an ultrasound, everything was fine, the heartbeat was still developing.

I'm calling him to tell him about it. HE tells me 3 times I’ll call you back, I’m installing the machine at my sister’s. In the end, I had to call and I told him what to do... HE tells me: OLYA GET AN ABORTION!!!! (in a strange voice, a stranger already, as if it were) I say how can it be like this for 7 weeks already, we wanted it that way... Okay, we’ll leave it to me, I’m saying for sure. OH yes. We leave everything to feed... In the end, we made peace and I was discharged. We all live outside the city, making plans, we wanted to make a room for a nursery, get chickens, everything is fine. But I notice that he has become somehow angry and finds fault with everything... I understand that he wants to drink.

As a result, I have to go for an interview on Monday, I don’t have 100 rubles of orders on my card (I’m a designer), the money was supposed to be transferred to him, but the customer didn’t show up, it was postponed for a week, he said I’ll borrow from a neighbor. In the evening we fight over the sponge used to wash the dishes. I didn’t survive it, he joked about it to me like Pisces .. you left it in the sink. I was going crazy, I started yelling that I couldn’t be a robot and think about everything and what to put where. Everyone quarreled to pieces... They went to different beds. I have to go in the morning.. I wake him up and say: How can I go? There is no gasoline.. HE I DON’T KNOW!!!!!

And then my head explodes, I come up and lift the blanket and say that you’re kidding me... And off we go, girls, and then he tells me for the first time in 2 years... FUCK YOU...

I’m shocked, I say, maybe you want freedom _ YES TO ME!!!!! And I Screamed, I'M ALL ABORTION AND PICKING UP MY THINGS, YOU WILL NEVER SEE ME IN THIS HOUSE AGAIN!!! I packed my things and cried hysterically throughout the house, he didn’t even stop me!!!! He just sat there like a stone. In this state, I left and wanted to get hit by a car and die. I came to my friend’s house and got drunk on valerian... And at night I got a call from him:

As a result, at night he called in a stony voice, asking how I was doing, but the main question was: Where did I hide the alcohol!!!!

In the morning I went to pick up the computer because of my nerves I forgot, I think it’s my last chance, I’ll look at his drunken face and leave. HE'S DRINKED. I say I was at the computer, brought it to the car, I asked, are you still drinking, yes... What do you...

In the end, I asked how you could do this. You’re drinking.. and I’m unwinding...

HE with such a face.. give you money for an abortion..... (and I lived with this man for 2 years in perfect harmony... (how did he become a stranger in one moment)

I silently got into the car, opened the window and said, If I have an abortion, you will never see me again, and know that I have a boy... (you said that on purpose.. he shouted)

That’s it, I left….. I WENT AND CRIED OUT OF THE WAY!!!!! I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS BABY SO MUCH, I wanted it SO MUCH, and that’s how he acted, as if demons had possessed him….

Calls 15 minutes later and says how are you... What have you decided…. I say... WHAT I AM, I want to get hit by a car and die!!!!!!!!!! HE'S a fool for me, calm down, when you come to town call me... Well, in the end, I called him 3 hours later, he was already at zero ((((.

HERE'S my story girls... I begged for this child - AND NOW I DON'T WANT ANYTHING(((((((((My mother and father are pushing me towards an abortion(((((How will I live, there is no work, I am a freelancer, on maternity leave) I won’t get any, there’s no one to help me(((There’s not much left to think about(((((

Unreliable methods

Since we have already debunked one myth, I want to talk about a few more of the most popular misconceptions.

Abdomen position

There is a popular misconception that the position of a pregnant woman's belly can predict the sex of the baby. It is believed that if it is located high, then there will be a girl, if it is low, there will be a boy. However, the truth is that the location of the abdomen is primarily influenced by the physical form of a woman. If this is the first pregnancy, the muscles of the anterior abdominal wall are strong and the weight gain is small, then most likely we will find a high abdomen. For a mother who has experienced several births in the past, I more often expect to see a low belly.

Gastronomic preferences

It is believed that if a woman craves sweets during pregnancy, she is expecting a girl; if she prefers salty foods, she is more likely to have a boy. In fact, there is no such dependence; each woman has her own wishes, which have nothing to do with the gender of the unborn child. Moreover, based on my experience, I can say that not all expectant mothers develop unusual gastronomic tastes during pregnancy. But the appearance of a desire to eat inedible objects, for example, soap, chalk, dirt, should alert the woman and the doctor observing her.

Appearance

There is a widespread belief that if a woman is expecting a girl, then part of her beauty seems to pass on to the child, which is why such mothers’ appearance deteriorates. But future mothers of boys flourish and do not have any problems with skin and hair. However, this is not quite true. During pregnancy, the concentration of female sex hormones, estrogen and progesterone, increases significantly; they are responsible for changes in a woman’s appearance during this period.

Manifestations of toxicosis

It is believed that if a woman suffers very much from toxicosis in the first trimester, then most likely she is expecting a girl. In fact, we also blame pregnancy hormones for her poor health. More often in my practice, I see that the symptoms of toxicosis are most pronounced in women with multiple pregnancies, suffering from migraines, obesity and prone to motion sickness in transport. These observations are supported by international obstetrics guidelines.

Mood swings

Another common myth is that a woman expecting a girl is more susceptible to mood swings than the expectant mother of a boy. In fact, the “hormonal explosion” that every pregnant woman experiences is to blame for increased emotionality. Based on my experience, I can say that women who experience stress and serious personal tragedies during pregnancy are especially susceptible to mood swings.

This is only part of the “folk” methods of predicting gender - there are also various Chinese tables for calculating gender by date of conception, lunar calendars, manipulating a wedding ring and other dubious methods. Thanks to the advent of ultrasound, all of the above methods for determining the sex of a baby are completely a thing of the past, but many, while waiting for the procedure, undertake to guess the sex of the child themselves. What methods have you heard of?

Determining the sex of the fetus in early pregnancy using the mother's blood

Parents often want to know the gender of their baby before birth. The reasons for this are varied.

Parents begin to prepare for the birth of the baby; they select a name in advance, prepare toys, clothes, make various plans and imagine how they will live with their long-awaited child. Of course, they want to know whether they are having a boy or a girl.

There are also medical indications for determining gender, in particular the possibility of hereditary diseases associated with the Y chromosome (for example, hemophilia - a blood clotting disease), which affects only boys.

Until recently, two methods were available for determining the sex of a fetus in medicine.

The first, traditional and widespread method is ultrasound diagnostics. However, identification of the sex of the fetus is possible only from the 15th week of pregnancy. The determination occurs visually, so the accuracy of this determination is highly dependent on the human factor and gender can be reliably determined closer to 23-25 ​​weeks of pregnancy.

The second diagnostic method is chorionic villus biopsy - a method used in exceptional cases and only for medical reasons. A microscopic amount of its contents is taken from the uterus with a thin needle to determine the chromosome set of the fetus. In this case, the sex of the embryo is determined with almost a 100% guarantee. The procedure is expensive and dangerous: miscarriage may occur.

Innovative genetic analysis technology

Thanks to recent scientific developments, a completely new method for determining the sex of the fetus has emerged - an effective, highly accurate and absolutely safe laboratory analysis of the genetic composition of the mother's blood.

The principle of operation of the method is to identify the Y chromosome marker, which determines the sex of the unborn baby, in the blood of a pregnant woman. If the Y chromosome is present, a boy is born, since such a chromosome is simply not included in the set of girls’ chromosomes. There are fetal cells in the mother's blood in very low concentrations, and if a woman is carrying a boy, then Y-chromosome markers appear in the mother's blood. Since the concentration of fetal cells is very low, they can only be detected using a very highly sensitive method. As a result of research, Russian scientists have developed an original method for determining the Y-chromosome marker, which has both high sensitivity and specificity. After lengthy tests, it was demonstrated that if high requirements for the organization of the study and personnel qualifications are met, the reliability of the determination is 95-99%.

In the period from 6 to 9 weeks, the level of reliability of the analysis averages 90-95%. During this period, the concentration of fetal DNA in the mother’s blood increases, and after 9 weeks the reliability of the analysis reaches 98-99%.

The results of the analysis correspond to 3 types of conclusions: the expected sex of the fetus is female; the expected sex of the fetus is male; it is recommended to repeat the study at a later date (this conclusion is issued when the results of the study are ambiguous).

If it is recommended to repeat the study, its cost will be lower.

The method of early determination of the sex of an unborn child using the mother’s blood is absolutely safe for both the child and the mother. Even those who are against ultrasound examination of pregnancy and any interference in the process of bearing a baby can choose it.

You can take the test any day. The cost of the analysis is 5500 rubles. Repeated examination 4900 rubles.