The Use of Gender Prediction Methods

Guessing an unborn baby's gender, or gender prediction, is an extremely old practice. Expecting parents have searched for centuries to find fool-proof methods to identify their baby's sex. This urge stem's from our nature to pursue the unknown. In present day, the pursuit of knowing the gender of an unborn child continues because parents wish to plan the makeup of their families according to their desires. In many cultures, a male child is viewed more favorable than a female child. Therefore, gender prediction is used to attempt to ascertain the sex of the child before birth.

Gaining the knowledge of a baby's gender before birth is not unethical, but it can lead to gender prejudice and gender selection which many believe is unethical. Some expecting parents practice gender prediction to be sure of the sex of their child and when this information is known, the process of gender selection is used. If the gender of the baby is not of their choosing, many couples will seek an abortion in these cases.

Even though no fool-proof gender prediction methods exist that aren't scientifically proven, man's need to know the unknown has lead to many unethical methods that are used today to select the preferred sex of an unborn child. Although the accuracy of such gender prediction methods remains in question, many still resort to these practices.

The Chinese lunar calendar is one of the most popular and practiced methods used today. It is centered around the day that a mother conceives. Depending on which day you conceive determines your unborn child's gender. Many people go by a baby's heart rate, a mother's cravings, the shape of the mother's stomach and the activity of the baby in the womb to answer their questions on gender prediction.

There are many differences that separate these techniques but they all have one thing in common. They accomplish the satisfaction of the parent's curiosity to know the gender of their unborn baby. Having a child is exciting and knowing the gender of that baby will help in planning for their arrival. Gender prediction methods have aided many parents in preparing for their little bundle of joy.

Gender Prediction Methods

Gender prediction is practiced by many couples around the world that are expecting a baby. Determining the gender of an unborn child is a fun and easy way to satisfy the curious minds of expecting parents. The desire to know the gender of a baby is strong when there is several weeks until an ultrasound can be performed. Despite being known for their inaccuracy, there are countless gender prediction methods and techniques available to try.

The most well known scientifically proven method is ultrasound testing. This test is usually performed around the sixteenth week of pregnancy. Among other things, it can reveal the gender of the unborn baby. The ultrasound is not only used for gender prediction. It is also used to examine the development of the baby and the environment in the uterus. The ultrasound test gives the parents their first look at their unborn child which helps establish a connection.

Amniocentesis is another test performed on pregnant women. This test will reveal any symptoms of inherited or genetic disorders and is carried out by withdrawing amniotic fluids from around the fetus for testing. This test can be performed when a suitable amount of fluid is present with the fetus. After testing, the amniotic sac replaces the missing liquid within a few days. This test is usually performed around the sixteenth week of gestation and can also be used for gender prediction.

Chorionic villus testing is performed by taking a sample of placenta tissues from the uterus containing the fetus. Testing is usually reccommended when either the mother or father has a genetic disorder. This test reveals any birth defects that a baby may have. It also can be used for gender prediction since the baby's sex can be determined from the extracted fluids.

Many preganant women resort to old wive's tales to predict the gender of their baby. While these methods are fun, they are by no means accurate and should be perfomed just for laughs.
These gender prediction methods range from how you carry the baby, the baby's heart rate and the use of Chinese lunar calendars.

How well do these gender prediciton methods work? The ultrasound is fairly accurate as long as you can get a clear enough picture of your baby. Amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling are not primarily performed to determine gender but they are extremely accurate. Old wive's tales are fun and exciting ways to guess a baby's gender. But the most reliable gender prediction methods should be carried out by your physician.