Couples who are expecting a baby want a baby gender test that they can rely on. However the truth is that there are only two which exist currently that provide nearly 100% accuracy and these are the CVS (Chorionic Villus Sampling) or Amniocentesis tests. But they both have risks attached which can lead to the foetus becoming injured or the woman miscarrying. Plus these are meant to be used for diagnosing any risks caused by genetic factors and therefore it isn’t advisable they are used to test the baby’s gender.

So what is it parents should do if they are keen to learn their baby’s gender before it is born? There are a number of options available from old wives tales whose reliability can be questioned to home baby gender test kits which offer some hope. Although these are great fun they shouldn’t be relied on to give you the accurate result you hope for.

Today it is a sonogram that continues to be the most widely used baby gender test and offers the highest level of accuracy next to the more invasive procedures of CVS and amniocentesis. In fact today sonograms have become a routine examination and are made available to all women during pre-natal care. But in most cases the mother to be will have to wait until she has been pregnant for 20 weeks before this procedure can be used to identify certain factors to help determine the baby’s gender.

If a couple don’t want to wait there are now other gender detection test kits on the market that allow an early result. These kits are designed to detect the presence of female or male DNA or another proprietary criterion as early as 5 weeks into the pregnancy. These are being touted as being the answer to not having to wait for an ultrasound exam, but in terms of accuracy there is still some debate as whether they do provide results that are reliable.

However if a couple use baby gender test kits like Intelligender or Pink or Blue Early Gender Tests they offer entertainment value. Yet the technology in these kits is not perfect and so these cannot be relied on 100% to help you when it comes to planning the baby’s nursery.

The Intelligender baby gender test kit works in a similar way to kit to test whether you are pregnant or not. As with the pregnancy test your urine is tested and the colour that shows will help to indicate the gender of your child. Normally results are provided within 10 minutes of the test being carried out. These tests are relatively cheap and can be quite accurate, but it is also best to remember that false positives can occur. So it is worth getting the results you have confirmed by your doctor.

Whereas the Pink or Blue baby gender test kit is a lot more involved and costs more to obtain the results. It is marketed as an early pregnancy test kit but provides you with the option to collect samples that can be sent to a laboratory to test for the baby’s gender. The kit itself doesn’t cost too much however expect to have to spend up to $200 on getting the sample set to a lab to be tested.

There are numerous old wives tales regarding the shape and size of the woman’s belly, what their fingernails look like and what foods the woman craves during her pregnancy. These baby gender predictors are humorous but their accuracy is somewhat questionable.

One of the most accurate baby gender predictors was an ancient chart discovered in a royal tomb in China. Often referred to as the Chinese pregnancy or baby prediction calendar it works on correlating the lunar age of the mother to be with the date when the baby was conceived to determine the child’s gender.

For those who would like to know the sex of their baby before it is born the most useful non invasive baby gender predictor to be used is a sonogram. During your pregnancy your doctor will perform a number of ultrasound examinations at different periods. However, it is during the last part of the second trimester is when gender prediction is at its highest.

The actual procedure of having an ultrasound performed is pretty quick and relatively painless. In most cases and depending on what stage the pregnancy is at the most annoying thing about this procedure is having to drink large amounts of water that may make the woman’s bladder is about to burst before the examination takes place. But although sonograms provide a much higher level of accuracy when it comes to baby gender prediction there are factors which can make it difficult for the results to be read. If for example the baby is facing outwards, plus the foetus size and age can also affect how useful a sonogram can be when trying to predict the sex of the child.

Today the only way of accurately predicting the gender of a baby is through the amniotic fluid being analyzed. There is a high risk associated with this procedure and will only be done normally for genetic testing because of the woman’s age or relating to the families medical history. A couple should be aware that doctors will not perform this procedure in order to determine the gender of a child only.

But finding out what gender your baby is before it is born can take away some of the anticipation that many expectant parents are going to feel. But it can also help to save time and money as they are able to better plan ahead for their baby’s needs. Today it is quite common to use a sonogram as a baby gender predictor and no couple should be afraid to ask their doctor to carry one out if they really do want to know the sex of their baby as early as possible.