Whilst waiting for your 20-week NHS scan, it can be tempting to book a private scan to find out whether you are expecting a boy or girl, but how accurate are early gender scans and when is the best time to book one? Here we explain everything you need to know, whether you are a first-time parent-to-be or have been there and done it all before.

When can you find out the gender of your baby on the NHS?

Your 20-week, mid-pregnancy scan is generally the only opportunity you will have with your NHS antenatal care to find out the gender of your baby. Although the scan is not designed to be a gender reveal scan, focusing instead on detecting any abnormalities that might be of concern, you will often be able to find out during this scan whether you are expecting a boy or girl.

Why might you want an early gender scan?

Most parents-to-be will have their own personal reasons for wanting to find out the gender of their baby as early as possible, but in many cases, it is simply because they want to start the bonding process early. If you already have other children, you might like to find out whether you’ll be having a boy or a girl next to get a head start on the nursery decor, or as first-time parents you might just be super excited and unable to wait to find out about the new addition to your family.

When can you book an early gender scan?

At Early Life Ultrasound Centre we offer early gender scans from 15 weeks and 4 days into your pregnancy because we understand the importance of waiting until your baby is at a particular stage of their development to ensure that the genitalia are recognisable.

Are gender scans always successful?

Whilst we would like to say that we can always give you the answer you are looking for, we know that it isn’t always possible to determine the gender of your baby. Some scans are not successful, usually because your baby isn’t in the right position for us to see the genitalia. Sometimes we can wait for your baby to move into the right position. If we need your baby to change their position we will encourage you to get up and move about or have a drink. Often this does the trick and we can try the scan again. In some cases, however, we just can’t see what we need to, so we’ll offer you a return appointment free of charge, but this doesn’t happen often.

Should I just wait for my NHS scan?

Leaving your gender scan for a couple of weeks after the 15 week and 4 day minimum can result in a better scan with more accurate results, so you might just be tempted to wait until your 20-week NHS scan, however there are lots of other benefits to booking a private gender scan, including:

• 2D and 3D scan images to take home with you
• 4D scan viewing
• Gender reveal balloon with appropriate colour confetti inside if you want to wait and find out with everyone else - choose our gender reveal scan package.
• Bring up to 6 guests with you - depending on current Covid-19 restrictions

Book now for your early gender scan

If you can’t wait to find out the gender of your baby or want to get a look at how they are developing, we offer a range of early gender scan packages.  Please follow the link to choose your preferred package or call our team on 01242 300810 for more information.