Boy or Girl? Why and how you can reveal the gender of your child

Whilst it is fairly common for parents-to-be to want to find out the gender of their baby early on in the pregnancy, a lot of people prefer not to know.

However, there are many reasons people want to know or might NOT want to know their baby’s gender before birth.

Today, I’d like to discuss these reasons and perhaps help you make up your mind on whether you want to find out your baby’s gender. I would also like to cover the options available to you, if you do want to know your baby’s gender.

Why some parents choose not to know the gender of their baby

First of all, I’d like to talk about the reasons why people choose not to find out the gender of their baby before birth.

There are many reasons, however, below are a few common reasons:

• Surprise and excitement: Se people prefer to be surprised by the gender of their baby during the birth, which can add an element of excitement and anticipation to the experience.

• Gender stereotypes: Some parents may want to avoid gender stereotypes and expectations that often come with knowing the gender of their baby. By not knowing the gender, they can focus on the unique qualities and characteristics of their baby without being influenced by societal gender norms.

• Gender-neutral approach: Some parents may prefer a gender-neutral approach to parenting and raising their child. Not knowing the gender can allow them to choose gender-neutral baby items and avoid traditional gender roles and expectations.

• Personal beliefs: Some people may have personal or cultural beliefs that influence their decision not to find out the gender of their baby before it is born.

• Fear of disappointment: In some cases, parents may have a strong preference for a particular gender and may fear disappointment if they find out their baby is not the gender they were hoping for which can potentially make the pregnancy period unpleasant for mothers-to-be. Choosing not to find out the gender can avoid this potential disappointment. from impacting pregnancy.

Why some parents choose to know the gender of their baby

On the other hand, there are some exciting reasons why people want to know the gender of their baby as soon as possible.

Here are some common ones:

• Curiosity: This is probably the most common reason. Some people simply want to know the gender of their baby out of curiosity or excitement. They may be eager to find out if they are having a boy or a girl and are excited to share the news with family and friends.

• Gender reveal parties: Gender reveal parties have become increasingly popular in recent years, and knowing the gender of the baby early can allow parents to plan and host a gender reveal party for their family and friends.

• Planning and preparation: Knowing the gender of the baby early can help parents to plan and prepare for the arrival of their baby. This includes choosing a name, decorating the nursery, buying gender-specific clothes and toys, and making other arrangements based on the baby's gender.

• Bonding with the baby: Some parents feel that knowing the gender of their baby early helps them to bond with their baby before it is born. They may feel a closer connection to the baby when they can refer to them by their gender-specific name or when they can picture what their baby will look like.

What are my options for finding out the gender of my baby?

So if you do want to find out the gender of your baby, what options do you have?

Well, fortunately, there are a few options available to you.

1. If you are so so excited and absolutely cannot wait, you can test your baby gender at 6 week using a SneakPeek Early Gender DNA Test Kit. These test kits have a clinically-proven accuracy of 99.9%. To find out more information about the SneakPeek Early Gender DNA Test Kit, please head to the SneakPeek page of our website.

2. If you can wait a little longer, you can book in to our 2D Ultrasound Photography Session from 16 weeks onward or the 3D/4D Ultrasound Photography Session from 24 weeks onward which will provide you with a special opportunity to meet your baby for the first time and possibly determine the baby’s gender. It must be noted though, there is no warranty with this method and it is sometimes not possible to determine the baby’s gender during these sessions because the baby may be laying at a difficult angle or posture that completely covers its private part. And if we can’t see, we can’t tell.

3. You could also wait for your medical ultrasound appointment to check the baby’s gender. Similar to option 2, there is not warranty on accuracy, it is not always possible and the sonographer on the day may already be too busy with the medical check and cannot spare time to scan for gender. Gender reveal is optional with these medical appointments and the medical checks always take priority.

4. You can take a Harmony Test, which analyses the fetal DNA that is present in the mother's blood to determine the baby’s gender as well as the risk of certain chromosomal abnormalities, including Down syndrome, Edwards syndrome, and Patau syndrome. This test is highly accurate. However, because of the other test involved, it is quite expensive and is possibly the most expensive way to determine the baby’s gender out of the 4 methods listed here.

I hope this article provides you with good information to decide if you want to find out the gender of your baby during pregnancy and how to find out if you do want to. I wish you a joyful and healthy pregnancy and may you have the cutest baby in the world.