Sexing Scan

Many NHS hospitals will offer to tell you the sex of your baby at the 20 week Anomaly scan. If the baby is not in a favourable position during your routine hospital pregnancy scan, the NHS Sonographer may not be able to see. If the sonographer could not reveal the sex of your baby during your 20 weeks anomaly scan, you will not routinely be offered another opportunity within your NHS care.

We offer the sexing scan from 16 weeks, which is earlier than the 20 week anomaly scan. We can also reveal or confirm your baby’s sex if your NHS scan did not determine if you are having a boy or a girl, with longer appointments as routine.

A Sexing scan can be performed from 16 weeks of pregnancy onwards. An early fetal anatomy scan will be performed by our Specialist Sonographers as routine. You will be able to see your baby's heartbeat and movements before you can feel them.

Our Sonographer will assess baby's head, brain, face, heart, stomach, kidneys, bladder, hands, feet, spine, and abdominal wall within the limits of your pregnancy gestation. How many weeks pregnant you are determines how much of baby's anatomy the sonographer can check at this stage. Other pregnancy related structures such as amniotic fluid and the position of the placenta will also be assessed.

Due to the limitations of ultrasound, earlier sexing scans can be less successful for pregnant ladies with a higher BMI, therefore it may be best to wait a couple more weeks until baby is more developed.

• Sexing ultrasound scans are usually performed ‘transabdominally’ which means over the tummy.

• To find out the sex of your baby earlier than the routine 20 week anomaly scan
• To confirm if you are having a boy or a girl if the NHS sonographer was unable to tell you during your 20 week anomaly
• If your NHS sonographer was unsure if you are having a boy or girl and you would like a second opinion
• To reassure that your baby's heart is beating, the baby is growing and developing well
• Our Specialist Sonographers perform advanced detailed ultrasound scans earlier than your NHS 20 week Anomaly Scan
• Baby's movements may not yet be felt or the pattern of movements have changed
• The Midwife was unable to hear baby's heart beating with a stethoscope or perform a good assessment of baby's growth with a tape measure
• If you have a medical history which indicates that an assessment of the cervix should be performed. The Cervical scan can be performed in addition to the Sexing Scan. 

Our Specialist Sonographers are highly skilled and accredited in the performance of this scan. They will be able to talk to you if you have additional questions or concerns.

• In the majority of pregnancies, a Sexing Scan be performed by one of our experienced sonographers. All of our sonographers are fully qualified and accredited, so you are in safe, expert hands.
• If however, you are experiencing complications with your pregnancy or need a second opinion, an ultrasound scan with our Consultant Obstetrician is recommended.

We offer morning, afternoon and evening availability during the week, as well as weekend appointments. A surcharge will be applied for evening and weekend appointments. We have a wide range of availability therefore same day appointments can be easily arranged. Our Sonographers are here to reassure even at short notice. 

The Birth Company is the first clinic in UK to offer this service allowing you to share your pregnancy ultrasound with friends and family wherever they are in the world. This optional recording can be shared via Email, Facebook and Twitter. We will offer this to you routinely at the end of the scan. The transmission is instantaneous. Please note on this system currently there is no sound, only video. It is a national policy not to permit patient or partner's phone recording in a room. Simply tell your sonographer that you would like an electronic transmission of your scan. It will appear on your phone immediately. 

• A moderately full bladder will improve the visibility of the pregnancy by transabdominal scan. 

The next pregnancy scan is the Anatomy scan offered from 20-24 weeks of pregnancy. This important ultrasound scan should be offered routinely by your hospital, or you can book with us at The Birth Company.