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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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 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...
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...
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 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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...