Amniocentesis Risk

How to Determine the Sex of a Baby in the Womb

When you discover you are pregnant, one of your first curiosities may be the gender of your baby. There are many myths concerning how you can determine your baby's sex such as carrying the baby low in the abdomen indicates a boy, and slow-growing...

What Are the Disadvantages of Genetic Testing?

People consider having genetic testing done for several reasons. People who have a family history of a genetic disease, couples planning to get pregnant and pregnant women concerned about genetic anomalies in their baby may all consider genetic...

How to Tell the Sex of a Baby

For expectant parents, there are few things that are as exciting--or take as much patience--as waiting to find out what gender their baby will be. Regardless of whether you prefer a boy or girl, or would be equally thrilled with either, you...

At How Many Weeks Can You Tell the Sex of a Baby?

Having a baby brings many surprises, many of which cannot be known until your baby is born. One eagerly anticipated discovery is the gender of your child, which you may be able to find out during pregnancy. Once you know the sex of the baby, you...

What Tests Are Done in the First Trimester of Pregnancy?

According to the Palo Alto Medical Foundation, the first trimester of pregnancy consists of the 13 weeks after your last menstrual period. Typically, your first prenatal visit will occur between the 8th and 10th week of pregnancy to start your...

3 Ways to Test for Spina Bifida

During the second trimester of pregnancy, women have the opportunity to have a blood test to screen for birth defects. This is called the maternal serum triple or quadruple screen. This test only involves drawing blood from the mother and does not...

When Can I Learn My Baby's Gender?

Choosing whether to learn the gender of your baby is an important decision for many expectant mothers and fathers. Although some prefer the element of surprise, an estimated 50 percent to 70 percent of parents-to-be decide to find out their baby's...

The Disadvantages of Prenatal Testing

If you're pregnant, prenatal testing may seem like a positive thing, a way to check your baby's health and find out whether you're having a boy or girl. While 97 percent of all prenatal tests deliver good news, according to the University of...

CVS in Children

CVS stands for chorionic villus sampling, which is a tissue test performed to detect and diagnose birth defects in unborn fetuses. If you're pregnant, your doctor might recommend a CVS if you have certain risk factors. Some potentially serious...

Tips on Pregnancy Over Age 35

The March of Dimes reports that one in five women gives birth to her first child after the age of 35 and most have no complications. While there are risks involved with becoming a mother after 35, including gestational diabetes, miscarriage and...

Medical Reasons for Abortions

Many strong opinions exist about how and when abortion should happen. There is general agreement, however, that abortion is acceptable when medical issues justify it. A variety of medical problems may lead to an abortion, including an impending...

How Early Can You Tell the Gender of a Baby?

How early you can tell the gender of your baby depends on the method of detection you use. You might want to know your baby's gender so that you can choose an appropriate name, or you might need to know if your baby is at increased risk for...

Different Pregnancy Trimesters

A normal pregnancy lasts 40 weeks and is divided into 3 trimesters. The first trimester runs from conception to the end of the 13th week. This is when there is the greatest risk of miscarriage and all of the baby's organs must form. In the second...

What Week Can You Find Out the Sex of the Baby?

How early you know your unborn baby's gender is a matter of what method you use to determine it. From advanced medical techniques to old wives tales, there are many ways to predict whether you'll be bringing a boy or girl into the world. If you...

How to Know the Sex of a Baby in Utero

Many parents are anxious to find out the sex of their unborn baby, whether for making name and nursery theme choices easier, or just to satisfy curiosity. There are a few options to assist parents-to-be in determining the baby's gender before...

What Is Paternity Testing?

According to the American Pregnancy Association, establishing the paternity of a child is important for several reasons. One advantage is that the child's doctor will be able to have a more complete medical history for the child, which may help...

How Soon Can I Find Out the Sex of My Baby?

Some parents still want to learn the sex of their baby the old fashioned way, by waiting until it arrives. Others are anxious to take advantage of modern technology to find out as soon as possible whether it's a boy or girl. How soon you can find...

Types of Prenatal Screening

Prenatal screening assesses your health and the development of your baby before she is born. The tests help your doctor or midwife diagnose problems with the baby's growth or development early in the pregnancy when interventions are possible. Some...