Ask Mike: It’s a… Baby!
Hey Guys,
A lot of my friends are pregnant these days, and every one of ‘em wants to know the baby’s sex before the big day. Of course, this wasn’t always possible. I asked the Yahoo! Answers community when hospitals first started offering patients this “sneak peak service.”
One responder wrote that ultrasound devices started booming in the medical field around 1966. That seemed a bit early to me — I wasn’t born until the mid-70s, and my parents had no idea what the heck I was gonna be.
Jeff M pointed me toward an excellent site that details the history of the technology. “According to statistics from the Bureau of Radiological Health Surveys (FDA), in the United States, the percentage of hospitals using ultrasound for dating increased from 35% in 1976 to 97% in 1982.”
I assume “dating” refers to doctors using ultrasound to determine how far along the prospective mother was, but I could be wrong. I continued looking for specific data on when hospitals began asking patients if they want to know if their kid is a boy or a girl. Alas, I struck out.
Perhaps anecdotal evidence is the way to go. After all, this is the sort of thing that varies for everyone and every hospital, right? So, if you’re a mom or a dad, let me know if you had the option of knowing your kid’s gender. And be sure to include the year. Maybe with enough responses we can come up with a timeframe. Oh, and if you come across an authoritative link on this, all the better.
Thanks for reading (and responding),
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what up
I was born in 77 and my parents did not get the option of a scan. Scans must not have been available in the UK W Mids at that time.
My baby was born this year and I had 3 scans throughout my pregnancy. I didnt want to find out the sex of the baby even though deep down I wanted a girl. (and I had a girl!) best day of my life.
I think alot of people want to find out the sex of their baby so they can be prepared and go shopping for pink or blue things.
They offered it when I was having children but I always refused.
My opinion is if God wanted me to see my child before 9 months he would have put plexi-glass in my tummy
My hubby’s grandmother knew she was having twins when they did an x-ray (yes, an x-ray!) and found out they were breeched…. standing up facing each other. They also informed g-ma she was having one boy and one girl.
The twins (hubby’s aunt and uncle) are now in their late 40′s or early 50′s. I’ll have to get their exact age.
I had my son in September of 2004. I had the option of knowing, but in my case, mentally, I already knew *crazy I know*. I forget when I found out officially, but when I did, I laughed in the doctor’s faces when they said YEP, it’s gonna be a boy! They kept telling me he was going to be a girl until my ultrasound, although, again, I cannot remember exactly when that was.
I did have the option of knowing the gender of my baby before he was born n 2003. I did not want to know!
I did however take a “test” whereby a pencil point is dangled above the wrist. It twirls for a girl and swings for a boy. This test is 97% accurate.
At three months, just at the end of the first trimester, the pencil swung from side to side, indicating a boy.
6 months later I had a baby boy!
Go figure!
I did not find out what our children were going to be before they were born. It was an option, but we chose not to do this. We felt there were too few real surprises in life and this was worth the wait! We had 3 daughters, then 1 son and when he was born it was great to see my husband’s reaction – it never would have been all that if we knew ahead of time.
My cousin is pregnant and she will be finding out. She said it helps her bond with the baby and be more excited. She likes calling the unborn baby by name and that’s all good too – it just wasn’t the right thing for us.
I liked the plexi glass comment – that’s all true!
I was in born 1984 and my mom had a few sonograms done and sex was “determined” during them. the sonogram said i was going to be a boy, but i somehow ended up a girl. so technology was good then, but not perfect.
I had my children in 1971, 73, and 83. I was never given the option to know the sex of the baby. I wouldn’t have done it anyway. I don’t think it became a popular thing until the doctors started giving you an early ultra sound and a later ultra sound. That probably started in the early 90′s because most insurance companies don’t pay for you to know the sex of you child. An untra sound can tell, usually, if you are far enough along, and the baby is in the right position.
My mother had a baby in 1979 and was not given the option. She had another (me) in 1981 and was not given the option via ultrasound but was given the option the week before my scheduled csection delivery because they did an amniocentisis to see if my lungs were ready and could also tell the sex. She chose not to find out because she had waited that long she figured what was one more week. There are ultrasound pics in my baby book but are so blurry there is no way to determine the sex since you can barely tell its a baby. I think perhaps that technology has improved as well because my son’s 2d ultrasound pics show all of his bone features. We won’t even get into the detain from his 3d.
I gave birth last year and found out my bump was a little man at 16 weeks via ultrasound.
Dear Mike
It was really nice.Thanks a lot for informing people.
Lookin forward to seein more useful notes from you.
Good Luck!
ITSLORELAIBROWN IS A MEAN GIRL.
My neice is pregnant & has chosen NOT to find out the baby’s sex before birth. I think the reason given was “It spoils the surprise!”
I had the option with all 3 of my kids (1999, 2001, and 2003). I declined all 3 times. No need to know – I was gonna find out soon enough, and no matter what I was handed, it would be EXACTLY what I wanted.
My daughter was born in 1986 and I didn’t have the option of knowing what my baby was. Kinda glad!
I didn’t peek when I had my son. After the Easter Bunny, The Tooth Fairy, and Santa Claus there are so few wonderful surprises in life. My son was born on Christmas Eve and his birth was the most wonderful gift I have ever been given and not knowing that he was a boy until after he was born was the great part. When you know the sex it is too planned out and it takes away a large part of the excitement.
I had my son in 2005 and I found out the sex at about 2.5 months pregnant.
.. I was born in 1982 my sister in 1987, and yeah, my parents had no clue what we were gonna be!
I was born in the 90′s and they got me mixed up. They said i was going to be a girl, alas out i came…and i had a ‘stick’ so to speak. hehe, he.
I was born in 1982 and my parents did not have that option…
There is a pretty extensive history of the development of ultrasound technology at http://www.ob-ultrasound.net/history1.html.
While it does not really get into the issue of sexing the baby (because the article is about the science and medical implications), the use of ultrasound in obstetrics really took off in the 1980s, with the technology achieving significant quality advances in the latter 1980s/1990 that produced clearer images. This seems to be substantiated by the stories told in the other comments. So I would say the best guess would be mid to late 1980s.
Even thoiugh technology has been great, the results are only as accurate as the person reading the results of an ultra sound. They tell you the sex of the baby based on what they think they saw (or didn’t see).
My mom was not given the option of finding out when my sisters were born in ’83 and ’85. When I came along in ’89 she said that she could have found out but decided not to.
Not so far back (1985) my mother had a sonogram with my twin brothers and myself. She had miscarried two babies in between my older brother and us and she had some cramping and spotting and the doc told her she could get this new scan done to check on the babies (We lived in a very small town that was waaaay behind in times) he did the scan and low and behold 3 babies (he still did an x-ray to confirm, it looks very neat) so yeah about 8 months along the Doc told her she was having three boys according to the scan. Well Bryan was born, Todd was born and Oops Amanda was born.
Personally I dont want to know what Im going to have when I have kids. Its part of the fun. I’ll have the scans done (the hospital I work at does 4-d ultrasounds, very neat) but the sex can wait
When my oldest brother (now 34) was born my dad and his ex wife were not even given the option… When my mom was pregnant with my other brother (1982) she was given the option and told she was having a boy… When she was pregnant with me (1983) once again she was given the option and they told her all the way through the pregnancy that I was a boy but I was born a girl..They were so sure I was a boy lol… My mom joked about it because they were like ‘wow it’s definitely a boy’ lol…
I had my two children in 2000 and 2006 and found out both times..With my oldest you could see a boy…with the youngest they said was a girl the first ultrasound but I knew better so I made them schedule an appointment a look again and I was right it was another boy.
I was offered with all my kids but had no want to know. I loved the surprise. So few things are good surprises these days. My oldest was born in 1999.
I know my mom had a scan with my brother who was born in 1980. It was to date as you said. She said they were not good enough to help tell the sex. However 10 years later in 1990 when my next brother was born they did the scan and could clearly tell the sex.
When my mom had me she was given the option to see the gender. that was in 1989. I do believe that my mother also had the option for my brother in 87
My mother was a labor and delivery burse when she was pregnant with me in 1975. Ultrasounds were out then because one of the nurses wanted to do one on my mother and her OBGYN freaked out on her and said that they don’t know if they are safe for the unborn baby yet.
My sister, who had two children in the mid nineties, had two ultrasounds. I also had two ultrasounds for both of my pregnancies–One to find out how far along I was (done very early in the pregnancy for accuracy) and the second was done to measure all of the baby’s parts and view the organs and placenta to make sure everything is growing properly and their are no problems.
At the second one, I chose to find out the sex (the tech asked me if I wanted to know) because I am the type of person who loves to be prepared (and hates greens and yellows LOL) I have two boys and don’t regret it at all
I really think the answer lies in the first sentence in Mike’s post… that is, “every one of ‘em wants to know the baby’s sex before the big day”.
My first son was born in 1996 and I can’t recall whether or not we were asked by the doctor/technician whether we wanted to know, but we were asked by EVERY friend and relative if we knew or was going to find out.
I think that is more significant here because I doubt the doctors started offering this as a “sneak peak service” until a cultural shift happened where people started expect an answer during an ultrasound.
So the more interesting question here is not when doctors started asking if you “want to know”, it was when did your friends/relatives start asking “if you were going to find out”.
My son was born in 1997 and I had my first ultrasound with him in Dec of 1996. We did have the option to find out. I just knew I was having a boy and that is what the ultrasound showed!
I had a daughter in 1999 but chose not to find out. It was very exciting that way too!
Another interesting statistic to find out while you are collecting this info is…
Out of all the people who chose to find out what sex their baby is how many times the doctors were WRONG when it was from the ultrasound picture that they determined the sex. Id be interested in that!!
My first son (of 4) was born in 1983. then, ultrasounds were reserved for medical necessity (he was two months overdue- born on May 21st, due march 21st) it turned out the doctors (he was born in an army hospital, so I had several different doctors) miscalculated by a month, and he was actually a month late. So, the medically necessary ultrasound[s].. On the first one, the technician asked if I wanted to know the sex. I said yes, and she showed me that it was a boy. I was thankful, because in profile he looked exactly like my husband, whose ethnicity was strictly Irish, with a little German, and our son would have made a very unattractive girl!
I would say it was about the time when insurance companies started paying for ultrasounds.
I imagine it became a “standard practice” at some point when the equipment/procedure became cheaper than the potential number of possible birth complications that came without a preventative “sneak peak”.
…
So, to add to my prior comment–
please make sure you are discussing only females when you say, “a lot of my friends are pregnant..” as men, with a couple of really strange exceptions, are never pregnant. It drives me nuts when a man, however well meaning, says, “We’re pregnant!” It is soooo incorrect. She’s pregnant. He’s going to be a father. Huge (pun intended) differences, like it or not.
k
i was born in 1986 and my mother was asked if she wanted to know, they must have not had much esperience with them because i was supose to be a boy same with my brother in 1989 who was told to be a girl. so it goes back atlease to the mid 80′s
If I didn’t know what sex my baby would be I would shop early and buy all white clothes… and when I find out it’s a girl or something I’ll just spray paint pink all over everything.
I had a daughter in 1975 and was not given the option. Late in 1977 I had a son and I was given the optin but it was a week before he was born. They were taking in by c-section and so I had to go into St. Louis to Barnes for the amnio, and the sonogram, it was a big ordeal back then and I heard the tech say its a boy behond the curtian, but techs were still guessing on sonograms back then, but amnio they were sure. Some techs made a few mistakes back then. Have a nephew who is 14, suppose to be a girl! OOPS!
PS. My daughter is due any day now, and they did not want to know, but some people think they are being so silly for not wanting to know…geesh. I guess no surprises for anything anymore!
I started working in EMS in 1980, and ultra sounds were being done then, even in a small country hospital in Nova Scotia (that’s Canada BTW). I have never ‘peaked’ while watching an ultra sound, though I did take a peek when my boys were on their way. (1986 and 1989) Dating refers to checking and confirming the size/age of the fetus, and the scan is for assessing health. Depending on the position of the babe, one MAY learn the gender IF one wishes. My first born never cooperated, but at his final scan (his Mom had gestational diabtes so we were being cautious), I was working. My wife told me the baby peed while she watched but they couldn’t see to tell what sex. I asked her which way the pee went. She looked at me cofused and answered, “Up, towards the head.” That’s how I knew HE was a boy. Girls can’t pee upwards.
when my mom was prego with my younger sister in 1982, they told my parents they were having a boy because of the heart rate…funny huh.
I’ve had 2 children. I found out the sex with one and not the other. For me knowing before hand was better. I think it all depends on the kind of person you are. For some not knowing is exciting while for others knowing before hand settles anxiety and is just as exciting.
No, not available in 1966.
To all the posters that didn’t even answer the question. Nobody cares what you decided was best for you. Also, I really find it amusing how these ladies think that finding out what sex your child is somehow against god. They must live a very simple life. Because if god wanted you to use a phone you would have been born with one in your ear. If god wanted you to drive you would have been born w/ wheels instead of legs. Judgmental *itches
My mom had 4 girls (1991.1992,1996,2001 )
All 4 times she had the option of knowing and all four times they told her she was having a girl.
Ill have to ask her and my dad (both in their 40′s) if their parents knew what gender their babies were going to be.
I was born in 1985- My mother did not have the option for finding out with me, so it was not common practice.
The ‘dating’ you were referring to is when they look at the fetus, and measure points on the baby (for example, the width of the head). That helps to show how many weeks pregnant the mother is, and what her prospective due date will be.
I had a baby this last Feb. I did not find out the sex, however we had to let our doctor know first thing, every gyno, will tell you to let them know right away that you don’t want to know, otherwise they’ll scroll right over those little parts. Since we let her know, she didn’t even look, it is not vital that they know the sex, so she kept it a mystery, that way she would have a better chance of not accidentally spilling.
I delivered in 1972 at a Buffalo, NY hospital and there was no ‘ultrasound’ at all.
In 1982 my mother was told after an ultrasound that she was having a boy. She had frequent ultrasounds to check how the baby was growing, because she had a problem with delivering early. (had to have injections to keep from going into labor) On Jan 5th, 1982 I had another little sister, even the docter was suprised. Maybe they were still working out all of the kinks.
I was born in 1972 in Athens (Greece) and my mother was scanned, but only for dating, not for sexing (she found out at the birth). I live in the UK now. I had a son three weeks ago, and although scans are routine, my local trust doesn’t scan for sex; I’d have to go to a private lab if I wanted to know. I preferred not to part with 100-odd quid, and wait to see for myself instead.
I was born on July 21, 1987. My parents were told that I was going to be a boy 100 percent for sure. Well i am a girl LOL. But from what i get by asking them, is that they had the ultrasounds and the option of knowing.. but it is absolutely nothing like it is today and I myself am 34 weeks pregnant now, with a little girl. I showed my dad the ultrasound pictures and according to him they look so much more different and more advanced then they were in the late 80′s.
I was born in 1981 and my parents had no clue what i was going to be. My brother was born in April 1984 and my mom says they knew he was going to be a boy. she says that ultrasounds were newly introduced during that time. So I guess Ultrasounds were introduced to hospitals around 1983.
The ultrasound machine is one of the most beneficial invention ever, specially in terms of medical advancement.
My second son was almost scheduled for a c-section because he was found to be in a position wherein the feet would come out first. The last ultrasound taken was just during the final week of the pregnancy term and showed that he had changed position in order to allow a normal head-first delivery.
Other benefits include knowing before hand, if the umbilical cord is wrapped along the body which may have strungulated the infant during childbirth.
However, knowing beforehand the sex of the fetus can be considered a bonus in terms of knowing how to prepare the room and the color of the clothes to buy. One must be careful about an early prediction though. sometimes a boy fetus has its penis hidden from view and may be misconstrued as a girl. It is still not an exact science.
i was born in 1993 and my brother was born in 1994 in azerbaijan and my parents had the option of finding out our gender but they decided not to…..
when my mom and dad were born, 1962 and 1947, respectively, it was impossible to know the sex of the baby.
my dad says in the 70s ultrasound became availible but it was expensive and very few people did it.
it became more popular in the 80s and 90s
thats so funny cuz id did not no that u can write story like that baie love yall but u love me the most of all love katey f. baie LOL
I was born in 1994 and my sis was born in 1999. My mom had the option both times to know and she found out we were girls after the ultrasound.
I was born in 1975 and was supposed to be a boy…I wasn’t lol. I have two children. 1 born in 1999 and I wanted her to be a suprise. We went through 5 years of fertility treatments I figured if I had to wait that long to get pregnant I could wait 9 months to find out the sex of my child. I will never forget when the Dr. said you have a healthy baby! I said oh wonderful….is it a boy or a girl! lol. She laughed and said its a girl. For my second child I chose to find out and although it did make buying clothes and planning her room easier it was equally as special.
I had a baby in 2007 and obviously had ultrasound which correctly predicted the sex. Since this was so recent and more than likely not very helpful I asked my mom. She had my oldest brother in 1984 and had an ultrasound, however they said he was a girl.
I had a sonogram of my daughter in 1973. . .it was a little black and white photo . . .and I thought she looked like a bowling pin . . . I couldn’t tell girl or boy . . the nurse was right though . . .a girl!
I was born in April 1986 and my mom knew I was a girl as soon as it was early enough to know. I was born in Houston TX, which might make a difference because of the outstanding medical center.
I was born in 1986 and I love always hearing stories about when my mother was pregnant with me…
The doctors and nurses discovered from the ultrasound that I was going to be twin girls and one of me was going to be mentally handicapped… well my mom went into labor and there was only 1 normal and healthy girl.
I really hope doctors and nurses are smarter now.
I am amazed at the technological advances! My 2nd child was born in 1981, and I had some spotting, so they did a sonogram when I was 5 months along, and told me I had placenta previa. The doctor’s nurse was doing this in the office, and she suddenly said, “If I could tell you whether it’s a boy or girl, would you want to know?” I was shocked, and had never heard of that before, and immediately said YES. She then told me it was a boy. My first was born in 1977, and there was no sonogram performed, because there were no complications, no troubles to look for. They didn’t even do that to come up with a due date. I knew when my last period was, and that’s how they determined the due date. So… 1981.
Forgot to say… my daughter is 5 months pregnant now, and I’m amazed that her specialist was able to give her a 3-D picture. We could tell the sex of the baby while watching her sonogram. But with the 3-D we even know what that little boy LOOKS LIKE!! Amazing!!!
I think it’s funny when people say ‘I want it to be a surprise’ What’s the surprise? It’s not like you’re going to have a monkey! It’s either a boy or a girl. It’s so ridiculous! I found out in advance with both and it makes it so much easier to shop! I thank god for medical advances.
yep on 1976, i got the option
I HAD MY SON IN 2003 AND I WAS GIVEN A BLACK AND WHITE SONOGRAM PIC. I AM PREGNANT AGAIN AND THIS TIME I HOPE I GET A COLOR ONE. OH YEAH, IT WAS ACCURATE AND I WAS DISAPPOINTED. I HOPE THAT THIS ONE IS A GIRL BUT I DON’T WANT TO KNOW THE SEX. I DIDNT WANT TO KNOW THE SEX WITH MY SON SO I STEPPED OUT OF THE ROOM BUT MY EXCITED EX JUST HAD TO SPILL THE BEANS
1974 NO
1975 NO
1985 YES
1987 YES
i was born in romania and my mother knew she was going to have a girl from the 12th week of pregnancy.
congrats! mike,i know you are a happy man.
My daughter was born in 2000. During my pregnancy, I had the option; I chose not to find out because I believe it will ruin the excitement. The only thing that matter was the overall health and development of the fetus.
Deep in my heart, during the pregnancy, I knew I was having a girl. I had dreams of a girl with curly hair.
Ultrasound early 1980′s when they discovered that they can see the testicles hanging.
Registred technologist…. R .M .MR
I had my first child in 1979, i wasn’t offered or knew about ultrasound.
I had my second child in 1983, same as above.
I had my third child in 1989, and had several ultrasounds during my pregnancy , they told me that she was a boy-they were wrong
I had my fourth child in 1990, and again had about three ultrasounds. they were right this time.
I had my last child in 1993, i had several ultrasounds
My last three pregnancies were high-risk, this is the reason that i had so many ultrasounds.
Since then ultrasounds have become more popular and are being done with everyone.
I believe that ultrasounds were avalilable since the 1970′s but were used in rare cases, where birth defects etc. were suspected.
2008- I was given the choice and was told it was a boy, and it was!
im actually going to my ultrasound tommorrow!!! LOL
i want to be surprised, but the only reason im wanting to find out (besides the fact that its driving me CRAZY!!!LOL) is because i dont have the money to go out and buy everything at once once i have he or she. i want to have the whole room ready when he or she arrives! lol.
im so excited i cant wait til tommorrow, i already have a girl, and im hopin for aboy either way ill be happy as long as my baby is healthy.
but the funny thing is…they are not always right. lol the doctor told me i was having a boy the whole nine months. i have a beautiful little girl. wouldn’t change her for the world
I remember going for my first ultra sound in 1993 for my oldest and they were asking me if I was curious to see what I was going to have. I had said no but, during the exam my son decided to turn over and in the process opened his legs up for all to see. Needless to say that I could see what I was about to have with no doubts at all.lol
Parents were asked in 1984 but when nurse kept zooming in to the specific area to try to determine the sex they said I kept drawing up my legs to “hide” so they weren’t able to tell. My uncle had his first child in 2000 and their sonogram said a girl. He was so stunned looking when he came out of the delivery room and announced “It’s a boy!” All my aunts and uncles were asked if they wanted to know what the sex was with births ranging from 1984 – 2001. Only one opted not to know on any of her three children.
I’m no longer interested in finding out the sex of my unborn baby,i’m waiting until the dr “says it’s a ?”
okay, i think i would want to be surprised (i know that’s not the question.) it’s just that during all 9 months it’s all about mommy/baby…the day your child is born…whoever is in the waiting room gets to see daddy run out and say that what the baby’s gender is…all eyes on him. i think it’s a great thing to wait!
1978–no (Oregon)
1980–no (Rural Oregon)
1992 — They said boy — 10.5 lbs 22 in boy
2001 — They said girl — 9.6 lb 20 in girl
I had three children (1978, 1980, and 1985) and one miscarriage (1984). There was no mention of having an ultrasound for any of them. I had five different doctors (some in the same practices), and none of them did ultrasounds unless there was a high risk. The miscarriage was so early that no one knew there was a risk.
Our first child was born in 1975. We had an ultrasound. The nurse offered to tell us the gender, but we declined. We declined again is 1977, and 1979 with our final two children. We had ultra sounds with all three.
HTH
Charles
I had my oldest in 1998 and they told me it was going to be a girl. I went out and got pink everything: furniture, paint, clothes etc. When the doctor announced that it was a boy, my mouth dropped and my husband cheered….what a pain in the butt to return all of that stuff! The doctors were right for my younger three though I bought unisex everything until after they were born.
I also laugh when people say that they want it to be a surprise. What the difference whether you know at 4ms or when you give birth? Isn’t it a “surprise” when they tell you via ultrasound?
Hi Mikie, My son was born in Oregon in 1982. They didn’t have any “modern” technology at the hospital I gave birth in. In fact they were sooooo far outdated, I almost lost my child. My OB is/was a #1 JACKASS! Since I only have one child, my experience is limited to that. However, I’ve read, learned and observed a whole hell of a lot since then…including the birth of my new grandson! OXXO Moonchild
I had my first child in 1984 and had three ultrasounds, but at that time, the ultrasound images weren’t nearly as clear as they are today. The tecnician told me at the time that occasionally, there was a clear and unmistakable image of a penis so they could be sure that the baby was a boy, but that it was uncommon to get such a clear image and in any other case, it wasn’t much better than a guess.
As it happens, I had an amniocentesis test for genetic abnormalities which has always given 100% accurate gender information, but I chose not to be told. I felt (and still feel) that part of the excitement of expecting a baby is that big unknown.
I was not offered a gender ultrasound in 1995 when I was pregnant with my oldest.They did ONE ultrasound at 11 weeks to count babies and determine due date.
With my daughter I had several ultrasounds, but had to pay like $100 for them to peek between her legs and tell me what they saw.
With my youngest son I had like 6 ultrasounds since he refused to be dopplared until about 20 weeks. The doctor offered to “check the anatomy” in my 22 week since I had lost my job and still wanted to know if I was having a boy or a girl. they told me boy, without a doubt, and reconfirmed it at 36 weeks
In 1981 when my parents were pregnant with me, they did not have the option. They said the ultrasund was way too grainy to see anything. This year, when I was pregnant with my daughter, my husband and I tried twice to find out. We could see her very clearly, but she refused to move her legs. She would either sit Indian style or directly on a foot. It was the weirdest thing. We finally got excited that she was going to be a surprise. It was priceless to hear the doc say, “It’s a girl!” I think it will be our pregnancy tradition from here on out. Some things are worth waiting for!
Congrats. No matter what…it’s a child!!
I had all my kids in the 80s. (4 of em, all girls!). Then we were given the option of knowing the sex ahead of time via ultrasound. I said a resounding NO as did their dad. (We’re divorced now.)
But…to us, the deal was, we were having a baby. It didn’t matter the sex. The joy and blessing of a new human being in your lives was enough. I don’t understand why it’s so important to know the sex ahead of time. Yeah, I had all girls. Boys? I’m sure their dad would have loved one, but he loves his daughters to no end still, and the youngest is now 21. Each time they were born, it was a joy just to have a new, healthy child in the family.
ac
LIMIT your scans. One a term is ENOUGH !
Keep the Baby’s sex a surprise.
It is better : It is not “PINK” or “BLUE” only.
In sweden they think we are crazy for doing this. They still only find out what the baby is if there is another problem.
Ultrasound in 2003 indicated a boy which was correct, and ultrasound in 2007 indicated a girl which was also right on the money. The fetal heartrate is also a good (not guaranteed) indicator of gender also. A count under and over 140 helped me guess correctly
Good luck and God Bless on the hopefully very healthy baby!
Hey, I was born in 1980, I also have sisters born in bn1982, 83, 85, & 87. The first time my mom had an ultrasound, to determine the sex of the baby was in 1987.
I have always wondered the same thing, but i have never been able to find any answers. I was born in the mid 80′s and the doctors told my parents that i was a little boy, all nine months. But sure enough here i am now and I am most definetely not a boy. I got pregnant in 2005 and I decided that i had a 50/50 chance of either so i might as well just wait and see. I didnt want to know because it didnt matter to me. My husband on the other hand couldnt resist offering brides (as jokes) to the doctor and sonographer to tell him what the sex was. I was so sure that it was a girl that i doubt anyone could have changed my mind about it.
Yes, it was a girl. She is two now and i have yet to become pregnant again but the next time i do I wont find out either.
I simply have no interest in it. I am going to love the baby just the same and I think i can wait the given 9 months to find out!
hey i know a quick way i herd that people use the needle over wrist ( just dont poke it through your skin) you just hold it 1 or 2 inch above the wrist and the way of the motion like diagnoly than its a boy or if if it spin around its a girl just try it well a needle with a string over your wrist
In sweden they don’t do this. They think we are crazy because we do,
I doctored at a Catholic hospital in1979 and their policy was not to tell people the sex of the baby with the ultrasound. They said that the picture was not clear enough and could be wrong, thus causing people to paint the nursery a wrong color. Pretty lame excuse I thought. I wanted to know. I had a baby girl.
My children were born 1995, 1997, 2000 and 2007.
The one in 95 said three times I was having a boy (toxemia required several ultrasounds)…..and well…she is now 12 ;0) My other three were on target….boy, girl, girl.
As far as having one per term and the idea that they can harm your baby…..I sure hope not!
With my son I had just two.
With my second daughter I had about 8 due to complications.
With our youngest, we had oh geez….8 before 21 weeks (again complications) and then one level II 3-D ultrasound a week plus two regular ultrasounds a month the remainder of pregnancy up to 38 weeks due to my daughter having a kidney disease diagnosed in utero.
Well, I am a child of the 60′s. Dad’s weren’t even allowed to witness the birth then. There was NO technology readily available then like it is now.
I had my child in 1990, and sonograms were just becoming the rage to find out the sex of your child early. I felt that if I was to meet my child entirely on that day as like any other person, I would wait for that day to be a surprise. I had my feelings…..wishes….and then back again, flip flopping the whole nine months wondering. Girl….Boy? The technician said she would write the a B or G in the corner of my chart and if I changed my mind about knowing I could look. I never asked. All I knew from the sonograms was that she was healthy and growing and that was all that I needed to know. Amazing this miracle of life. And oh BTW, it was a girl. She is all I ever wanted.
My Mum had my brother in 1981. She had an ultrasound and was asked if she wanted to know his gender and chose not to, so I guess the option was there but probably was dependent on the hospital and the policies they had.
yahoo
saulll
idont think so
My daughter was born in 1977 and we had no clue if she was a she or a he. Folks still tried the trick of holding a needle on a string and judged the sex of the baby by the way the needle moved. Seems so silly now. But it was all we had to go by.
Now I’m a nana to 2 grandsons with my 3rd grandson due to be born in September. We had to know if it is a boy or girl because HE is so much part of our family already. Calling him an ‘it’ downplays on how much we already love him. The older grandbabies love to hug Mommy’s belly and talk to the baby, calling him by name.
The fact he is still unborn makes no difference. He is alive, well and very active – he is our new baby boy. We were anxious to meet him via ultrasounds. Now we know he looks just like grandson #2 and has his daddy’s bird legs.
He is not just a blob in mom’s belly. He is our baby.
I was born in 82 my mother had an ultrasound but the doctor was wrong in guessing the sex..so I would assume it was still a little shakey at that time!
I was born in 1991, but I am not sure if my parents asked for the sex, but I know they looked at ultrasounds and so forth.
My mother (since I was concieved) knew I’d be a girl and sure enough I am.
look what has happene in china who will give birth to the next generation
I live in Fiji, and unless you go to the private hospital they still can’t do scans to detect gender until 20-25 weeks here and even then it’s pretty unreliable ! However, I just got a 4D scan in NZ and with those scans it is possible to detect gender as early as 13 weeks in some situations.
My grandam use to say, if a women always looks beautiful, the baby is a boy…
If a women doesn’t care to make her self beautiful then the baby is a girl…
Finding out the sex of a baby is like knowing what’s in the Christmas presents before Christmas. Just kills the joy. And if you do find out what you are having and you are disappointed, what are you going to do? Send it back??? Doesn’t work that way.
I, myself don’t have any kids at this present time. However, if that day should ever come and I am blessed with my very own bundle of joy then I don’t plan to find out. I want it to be all about the baby and having a baby. I don’t want to know and have expectations or disappointments if it turned out not to be what was predicted. I want just the happiness of having a baby with the one I love.
Plus the not knowing would be exciting to me. Like opening a present and can’t wait to see what is inside. lol.
Technology has come a LONG way since our parents had us. Now they even have a way to see your child’s features in 4D.
Back in those days ultrasounds were only used in circumstances in which they new the pregnancy was at risk. These days it’s used as the norm for anybody with ‘high pregnancy risk’ or at the halfway mark (20 weeks) to ensure proper growth.
People do like to keep it a suprise but don’t be upset if somebody chooses to find out. That’s a personal preference if they want to have everything ready beforehand. However, I am against those that find out in order to terminate the pregnancy if it is not the sex they prefer.
My husband and I found out the sex of all 3 of our children ahead of time (2000, 2001 and 2005). It was still a surprise for us when they told us, we just got our surprise a few months before the baby actually arrived.
I had time to get all the “correct” hand-me downs from friends and in-laws washed and ready, the room decorated beforehand, and call my babies by their names while they were in my womb. I don’t regret the decision we made for a second!
Some people may prefer the surprise when the baby arrives, and any extra work that goes with preparing for both ahead of time, or the work they had to do after their child arrived when they finally knew the gender, but others prefer it the way we did it. To each their own!
when i was in my mothers stomach, they didnt want to know what i was, but they hoped for a boy cuz of my older sister, they decided to give her a brother.. so they didnt want to get dissapointed and know what i was. So after a long time they popped! they had to know! so they knew i was a girl and they got a lil dissapointed, then they thought that 2 sisters was nice, untill now…. ahahaha!
The research team from the Royal North Shore Hospital and Sydney IVF, stated that it used the first reported case of an unaffected pregnancy using PGD to prevent Rh disease.
Meaning..they..checked.too..see.whether.it.were.a.lass..or.bloke..before..it.were heads aut..because.of.the..unaturally..HIGH.incident..of.Rh..disease..a.horrible..blood…diee..that.USUALLY.winds..up..in..DEATH.
?email me: jessica.rolivers@yahoo.com?
?im? bored! ???????????????
?also? i ?was born in 1994, and yes they thought i was going to be a boy- i am a girl. hahahahaha!?
In 190-91, my first child, I had many ultra sounds because I was high risk. They all said that it was a girl. I talked to my lil Courtney, bought pretty little dresses and when the time came, I brought home my now 17 year old son, Kenny.
In 1998, I again had many ultra sounds, again they told me it was a girl. I wasn’t going to fall for this again!! But they told me that technoology has improved, I still wasn’t buying it lol. It must have been improved because on that trip I brought home a little girl.
I kind of find it offensive when people here say that I won’t love the baby the same if I find out the sex of the baby.
No, it does not matter at all. Finding out the sex of the baby is just for fun. Finding out what it is is a choice. Why does Sweden get so bent out of shape over this choice, but allows abortion on demand in their country?
Of course I will love the baby the same. However, I feel if the technology is there, one should use it. My clinic told sometimes they are not sure when it is time. That’s ok with me too. I think most American parents what the baby will be, they just want to use technology that is made available to them. What’s wrong with painting the baby’s room pink or blue ahead of time?
America is not the only country that does this technology. The comment about what Sweden thinks is absurd. It’s just another attempt to slam America.
my parents knew that i was going to be a girl, in 1986-7 (i was born in early 87, i don’t know if they found out in 86 or 87)
My parents had no clue what I was gonna be- They said they “wanted a surprise”. What a surprise they got.
PS. They were sure I was gonna be a dude. Turns out they were wrong…
Don’t forget that ultrasound isn’t the only way to determine the baby’s sex- amniocentesis is actually one of the definitive ways (ultrasound is not as accurate for several reasons) to determine the gender. Perhaps this should be the procdure that you should be researching. My mom had an ultrasound for the first and only time with her 4th (out of 5) child in 1977 and it was only because the doc thought she might have twins, but she didn’t. Earlier than that, a friend of ours had an ultrasound in 1968 also to determine that she WAS having twins but they didn’t even try to determine gender or even any abnormalities, which is actually the main purpose of doing ultrasound even today. Finding out the sex is secondary and as I mentioned, can’t really be counted on 100%.
When I became pregnant at 33, my husband and I KNEW we were having a girl. There was something about the fact that I had prayed for a girl for so long and in spite of the doctor’s review and pronouncements, we had the happy and healthy baby girl we wanted. We named her early on and talked to her, calling her by name, reading to her, and singing to her all the while she was in the womb. Today, she is a happy and healthy 22 year old.
My daughter was born in May 1980, we knew ahead of time she was a girl.
So in Connecticut in 1980 you could know the sex ahead of time!
Anyone out there know before 1980??
When i have childen someday, im gonna keep the sex of the child a surprise. I agree with the other comment. It kills the joy. Dont get me wrong, its always going to be amazing when you get your baby, regardless of the sex, but i just think it’d be a whole more surprising experience if it was, well, a surprise!
There’d be a lot of work involved after the baby’s been delivered (decorating, buying clothes, etc), but i think that it’d definitely be worth the wait.
Also, its so much more exciting when a family member gets pregnant and they keep the sex of the child a surprise =]
SURPRISE!
=]
I was born in Romania in the year 1998 and the doctor said I would be a girl. Now I’m 10 and am not a girl a boy! Now that was olny 10 years ago and others got correct 28 years ago!!!!!!!My mom even decorated my room to be a girls room!
My brother was born in 1988 (20 years yesterday, in fact). My mum knew his gender because they did an amniocentesis (to check for Down’s and other genetic disorders)… are you just talking about ultrasounds?
I had 3 ultrasounds with my son, they said he was a boy, and was right. I knew from the moment I found out I was pregnant that it was going to be a boy. I think that intuition is the best measure. I am pleased to read that I wasn’t the only to know what I was having before the doctors did. I had my son in 2004.
My mother had an ultrasound in 1985 w/ me, and they confirmed that I was going to be a girl.
I had a baby in 1975 and I was required to have an ultra sound because there was a possibility of twins. So it was around that early, but was only used when problems were suspected or for multiple births, not for everyone like it is now.
Well, one advantage of knowing in advance is that parents can plan the decor of the baby’s room and wardrobe (blue or pink) in advance.
The ability to determine the sex of the unborn child is also a byproduct of the amniocentesis process, by which they check for birth defects. It is possible, by examining the amniotic fluid, to know the sex of the child. The fact that sex can be determined prior to birth raises grave ethical and moral concerns, as it may promote abortion among those who desire a child of a particular gender. Also, I think the idea of using ultrasound (which is a form of X-ray radiation) is potentially dangerous to the child and should not be used unless there is a medical necessity (and merely determining the sex of the child is not a medical necessity).
I had a child born in 1972 and one in 1974 and never heard of an ultrasound then. Especially to determine the sex of your baby. Mine were both surprises…blessed ones at that.
how is babby formed? instain mother
My sister was born in 2002 and my mom and dad found out beforehand too. I don’t know what its called but they stick a needle through the mom’s stomach and take out some of the baby’s fluids them they analize them.
we found out the sex of our children and never regret doing so, I understand people who don’t want to find out, but there is no point saying what we should do or shouldn’t do as we are all different and what works or one doesn’t work for us all. If you don’t want to know thats fine don’t slag off those who do, cause it hasn’t affected you!!
My mother told me that the year after I was born her friends were asked if they wanted to know the sex, but when I was in the womb there was no mention of being able to tell, I was born in 1985, hope that helps
Call me old fashioned, but I never wanted to know. In 1996 they did do an ultrasound then, but I opted out of knowing, instead looking forward to the ‘congratulations you have a baby boy” at delivery.
After that, I became *really* old fashioned and had my other children at home, so ultrasounds were not something I wanted or felt was needed.
I found out for my son (in 2003) because his dad was deployed to Iraq, and if he were to be killed before the baby was born, he would at least have known that the baby was a boy. (He’s home now and has gotten out of the Army)
My Mother had four children and in 1978 she had a boy and in 1980 another boy and 1982 another boy
and 1984 she had me a girl!
So St. Louis had ultrasound’s in 1978
and I was born in Farmington Missouri so they had them in 1984!
My mom told me she never had an ultrasound with me, and I was born in 1984. By the time my brother came around in 1989, though, ultrasound usage was more commonplace, I guess.
My mom had me in 1983, and she DID have the option of finding out the sex at that time.
Hey Mike,
When my Mom was pregnant, in ‘ 93 she had ultrasounds, but they weren’t clear enough to really tell you the sex for sure. So there was no pink or blue clothing in the house, it was all green and yellow. And the funny thing was, they thought I was a boy, and *Surprise* I’m a girl. So they weren’t all that effective. And now, they’re even more precise and can almost always detect the sex of the baby.
-Leyna
This may help.
My mother had 6 kids …
Chicago:
1. No ultrasound – 1971
2. No ultrasound – 1974
3. No ultrasound – 1977
4. Ultrasound – Girl – 1978 (but was not used to determine sex or date)
5. Unltrasound (Me!) – Girl – 1980 (but was not used to determind sex or date)
6. Ultrasound – Girl – 1987(WAS used to determine sex and date)
My Ma had 5 girls and 1 boy. The #3 was the boy. Hope that helps.
The simple answer is “about 40 years ago.” However, the principals of ultrasound originate as early as 1826 when, Jean-Daniel Colladon, a Swiss physicist, had successfully used an underwater bell to determine the speed of sound in the waters of Lake Geneva. SONAR is an acronym for Sound Navigation and Ranging and was used in submarines during World War I. All this stemmed from the discovery of high frequency ‘ultrasound’ by Lazzaro Spallanzani, an Italian biologist, when he demonstrated in 1794 the ability of bats navigating accurately in the dark was through echo reflection from high frequency inaudible sound.
Since then there have been many people studying ultrasound for various implementations. In fact, ultrasound imaging is used to inspect parts of the steel roller coasters at your favorite amusement park. Tissue experiments for the medical use of ultrasound imaging was performed by George Ludwig at the Naval Medical Research Institute in Bethseda, Maryland. His work was considered “classified” by the United States Department of Defense until 1949 when the results were published. Around the same time, John Julian Wild took up a position at the Medico Technological Research Institute of Minnesota started his investigations with ultrasound waves on the thickness of the bowel wall in various surgical conditions, such as paralytic ileus and obstruction. Working with Donald Neal, an engineer, Wild published their work in 1950 on uni-directional A-mode ultrasound investigations into gastric malignancies. Donald Neal was soon deployed to regular naval services at the naval air base after the Korean war. John Reid was engaged through a grant from the National Cancer Institute as the sole engineer to build and operate Wild’s ultrasonic apparatus. The device which they first used was an ultrasonic instrument which had been designed by the U.S. Navy for training pilots in the use of radar. Wild and Reid soon built a linear hand-held B-mode instrument, a formidable technical task In those days, and were able to see tumors by sweeping from side to side through breast lumps.
Throughout the 1950’s many developments were made and ultrasound was used in several forms for medical purposes. The “ultrasound boom” occurred in the 1960’s and the use of ultrasound for diagnostic purposes has been steadily increasing since. Originally, obstetrical sonograms were used for simple things like diagnosing the location of the placenta and the position of the fetus. Over several years sonographic obstetrical data was collected and studied so that many fetal anomalies and conditions can be detected while in the womb. The use of ultrasound for dating has become commonplace.
This brings me to your comment about the use of ultrasound for determining fetal gender. Medical sonograms are not performed for the purpose of determining gender, although most institutions in the United States do so as a courtesy to the patient, if desired. Rarely is fetal gender a medical concern. (However, there are certain circumstances where it is medical necessary to determine gender).
I am a Registered Diagnostic Medical Sonographer who specializes in Obstetrical and Gynecological sonography. Through the use of self education via the internet, most patients have become aware that the sonogram is, indeed, a DIAGNOSTIC TOOL. However, I am still confronted daily by patients who do not understand that I am performing what is essentially their baby’s first medical exam and are concerned only about the baby’s gender. This can become a source of great frustration for the sonographer. In the hopes of promoting the education of the general public regarding the purpose of obstetrical sonography, as well as providing additional information about the history of ultrasound, I have included two web links for your convenience. Thank you for the opportunity to answer this question.
A short History of the development of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology
Dr. Joseph Woo
http://www.ob-ultrasound.net/history1.html
What are Obstetric Ultrasound Scans?
A Comprehensive Guide
http://www.ob-ultrasound.net/
How many of these “friends” posted “Am I Pregnant?” questions – as it seems that this is asked SO often, that nearly EVERY girl on the planet has posted this several times already
;););)
We were much later, my mom had 3 kids, I’m the oldest. We were born in 1992, 1995 and 1998.
I had a boy Feb 1976, in the early fall of ’75 they did a sonogram because the baby was low birth weight and I kept having my periods until the 5th month, so they wanted to tell when the baby would come..
first they said November, then December, then actually born Feb 12, 76, and I carried him 10 months as I did all 3 of my sons, and the last one was born 6 weeks late…
I just baked them all longer.
When we were using the sonogram on each of them the nurse or doctor would ask if I wanted to see the sex of each baby, and I said yes.
On my second son, born Dec 1978, when they put the device over the genitals, my son would move his hand gently over his genitals so you cold not see, they would move to the back side to see from the back, and he would gently drop his hand down over his back bottom so you could not see, back and forth several times, and each time he would drop his hands down over the front or again move to the back, very gently, very daintily so you could not see.
I said, that my baby was modest and did not want people to look at his PRIVATES so let him alone, so we did not find out about his sex until he was born.
I was born in May 1981 and my mom had an ultra sound. Doc said I was going to be a boy… But I suprised everyone, i’m a girl… LOL
Well, I was born in September 1989 and my mom did have an ultrasound for me. The doctor told her I was a girl, which I am, BUT he also said we were two, which we aren’t. My mom had everything double, so if you saw me wearing the same thing twice now you know why.
So, in Puerto Rico, there were already ultrasound machines in the 89 but they weren’t that precise. But in case you see me and it’s not really me, let me know.
Shockingly, I’m a bit more curious as to why Yahoo! Answers has failed to post a question just about 24 hours than the sex of your friends’ babies. Maybe you could look into that instead of posting these ridiculous blogs, Mike.
I had my first child in 1974 and ultasound was used to let the Dr. observe the growth, etc, however, the sex of the unborn was predicted by how high or low the abdomen was during the last tri-mester. My second child was born in 1979 and the same procedures were followed. The predictions for both births were correct! I gave birth to a girl, 8lbs 12 oz and my second child was a boy, 10lbs 9oz. Whew!!
How long must we tolerate Yahoo and AT&T’s weak attempt to stop spammers??? Causing their legitimate customers to have to spend more time copying silly strings of letters and numbers just to answer an email is ridiculous. Surely they can do better!!
I think it started in the 1980′s, I’m not sure. My mom didn’t beleive in those, so she wanted it so be a surprise. I think its better that way.
=]
dear mike!I agree with you,my mother didnt know about the sex of her baby & when she underestood she wanted to trough up!…:>