I know from personal experience, as well as from my patients, that many women see their baby well before the moment he or she is conceived. We dream about what they will look and sound and do, so much that our baby is deep within our heart long before we are able to hold it in our hands.

There is now an over the counter test that can give us a first peak into the actual life of our baby. I have always loved a surprise but for those who can’t wait, you may be able to find out if you are having a boy or a girl as early as 10 weeks gestation.

IntelIiGender is a simple urine test that changes color based upon the sex of the baby.  Sounds great but don’t paint the room pink yet.

The company has not told us what they are checking for in the mother’s urine so it is hard to evaluate the accuracy of the test. There are no studies to support their claims and it is not FDA regulated.

The company even tells you not to buy pink or blue and these tests are only about 80% accurate. (Remember it will automatically be 50% accurate) There seems to be a higher false positive in predicting boys especially for women that have a history of PCOS or Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome as the test may be reacting with the mom’s higher androgen levels.

What are the most accurate ways to predict the sex of your child?

Ultrasound is very good but certainly not 100%, as many women will tell you.  It depends on the position of the baby, the skill of the technician and the quality of the ultrasound machine. The only truly accurate way is through an invasive procedure, which goes into the mother’s uterus either through a procedure called CVS or through an amniocentesis. These do carry a small risk of miscarriage so it is certainly not worth the risk to only find gender unless you are doing other genetic testing. These tests are usually done in the second trimester.

What are the concerns about a home test that can determine gender in the first trimester?

Some are concerned that people would have an abortion based upon the results of the test if they did not get the sex that they wanted. The company is not selling it in India or China for such reasons.

The test is in not that accurate and should be only used as a fun way to think about your child.  Many women feel guilty when they do not get the gender that they wanted. It seems ridiculous to think about if the child is healthy, even for the woman with 4 boys discovering that another XY is in the womb. Click here for information about Gender Disappointment
and Click here for unproven ways to try and conceive the sex you want.

People will often ask me about wives tales such as Drano and Needle on the belly.

Those do not seem to be accurate but there are a couple clinical signs that can help one to predict.  The first does not work on all women but can be helpful in predicting sex of a second baby. Many women will get a dark line down their belly called a linea negra. The line may be darker with a boy from his hormones than a girl. For example if a women has a very dark line with her male first pregnancy and has a very faint line in her second pregnancy then it is very likely that she is having a girl.

I also believe in the very nonclinical method that was taught to me by the nurses in an inner city clinic in Chicago when I was pregnant with my twin boys. If a woman is absolutely glowing and looks pretty she is more likely having a boy as, “Dem girls rob you of your beauty!” This does have some medical backing as the androgens of a boy may actually help a woman to look better. Although I was big as a house and sick as a dog I did think that I looked good. Now with my daughters, I felt and looked awful. Maybe it was the 2-year-old twins that were killing me but I still believe this nonclinical approach.

Indigestion In Pregnancy

Another popular saying is that indigestion will cause a baby with a head full of hair.
There is actually a study by Johns Hopkins that supported this long held belief where women with the most severe heartburn gave birth to babies with more hair.

Bloating, heartburn and reflux are very common and a study last week showed that acupuncture plus antacids reduced indigestion in pregnancy by 50 % in ¾ of women with heartburn. This was compared to women taking only antacids and less than half showed this reduction. The women who received acupuncture ate better, took less medicine and slept better too.

Pregnancy is an exciting (although sometimes miserable) time.  It is hard to appreciate the miracle of life that is taking place, so whether you are disappointed in the gender, puking your brains out or actually glowing like the lucky ones be sure to savor this short and special time.

Dr. Deb

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