Can you guess by looking at the above ultrasound image? The gender of the baby can be determined using ultrasound from about 13 weeks of gestation with a high certainty of about 95%. From 14 weeks, the gender can be determined with close to 100% certainty using ultrasound.
Another way the sex of the baby can be determined is through Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing (NIPT) from 10 weeks of gestation – however results typically take 5-7 days to come back from the lab.
At City Ultrasound, we can determine the gender of your baby from 13 weeks upon request. This is included organically in the cost of the scan, however the primary focus of our specialist would be to check the wellbeing and development of your baby. We don’t offer a quick ‘gender scan’ just to determine the sex of the baby
On our website, we have in-depth information about our process and types of scans, but if you do have any questions at all, please feel free to get in touch with us!
In today’s post we’s like to deviate a bit from the usual ultrasound pregnancy scan content to talk about birthdays! As the world is celebrating the birth of 2021 we decided to look at some stats on the ONS website. Ever wondered how common is your birthday?
We looked at some stats from the ONS and about average daily births in England and Wales from 1995 to 2014. It’s not a big surprise that the least common birthdays coincide with national holidays: 26th Dec, 25th Dec and 1st Jan are the least popular birthdays according to ONS data (in this order.)
The curious thing is that the most popular birthday period comes towards the end of September, and in particular September 26th being the most common birthday (followed by September 25th and 24th.) September 26th is 39 weeks and 2 days after Christmas, which is approximately 9 months… Hmmmm, looks like a lot of babies are being made right now during the festive season!
City Ultrasound was born on 12th of April which is the 305th out of 366 in the list. How popular is your birthday? Visit the ONS website to find out!
Source: ONS website. Note that February 29th is actually the least common birthday, but since it only occurs every 4 years the data was adjusted to account for that.
How is your Christmas break going? We have been going through some of the ultrasound images we took this year and found some awesome images with you! Here’s a fetus in 3D in his mother’s womb at 12 weeks taken on our GE Voluson E10 ultrasound machine. How amazing is this? You can clearly see the baby’s tiny ears, fingers, and the umbilical cord. This particular baby measures less than 5.5cm (~2.1 inches) in this image.
Twin pregnancies can be detected as early as 6 weeks in some cases. However, if you would like to know for sure as well as hear the baby’s heartbeat, you can book a Viability Scan with us from 8 weeks, to:
Estimate the Gestational Age (GA) or the Estimated Due Date (EDD) Confirm the baby’s heartbeat Check for twin pregnancies Verification of normal development of the pregnancy and the baby (embryo)
In the images below you can see:
Twins in a womb at about 8 weeks GA via a standard 2D transabdominal scan. Note that both embryos are about the size of a blueberry at this stage! A transvaginal (TVS) 3D image of twins in the womb at about 9 weeks GA A model we have at the clinic to demonstrate the development of twins in the womb at later stages in the pregnancy.
On our website, we have in-depth information about our process and types of scans, but if you do have any questions at all, please feel free to get in touch with us!
COVID-19 Guidance: Suspected or confirmed COVID-19 after giving birth
Risk to my baby
There is insufficient evidence to suggest that women with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 can pass on the virus to their babies. There has been some evidence of babies born to mothers with COVID-19, but in these few cases the babies are all well and seem to recover well from the virus. However, in most new case studies, babies born to symptomatic mothers were all well and tested negative for the virus. Uncertainty can always be unsettling, and the evidence is rapidly evolving, thus we recommend that you discuss any of your concerns with your healthcare team as they will be able to provide you with individualised advice and support.
Skin-to-skin contact and breastfeeding
After delivery, the healthcare team will examine you and your baby, after which you will be able to head home together. At this point if you have suspected or confirmed COVID-19 it will be your choice whether you wish to have skin-to-skin contact with you baby. On one hand, some countries are advising to isolate from your baby for 14 days; however, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists highlight that this time spent away from your baby can hinder feeding and bonding. Every case is different, which is why it is important to have a conversation with your healthcare team regarding your situation.
There is insufficient evidence to suggest that the virus can be passed on in breastmilk. Furthermore, the well-documented benefits of breastfeeding, including the building of the baby’s immune system, outweighs the risk of the virus, with the evidence that we currently have. The main risk of transmission to your baby would be the close contact. If are worried about this, there are a few precautions you can take in order to reduce the risk:
Wash your hands before touching the baby or anything in the baby’s environment (such as the breast pump),
Try to avoid coughing and sneezing while the baby is feeding,
Some women have been wearing masking while breastfeeding, if available,
Consider asking an asymptomatic household member to feed the baby with the breastmilk you have pumped.
We understand that caring for your child, especially if you have suspected or confirmed COVID-19 can be incredibly stressful. There has been no evidence to suggest that women who have recently had a baby to be at an increased risk of contracting the virus or being seriously unwell from it. Ensure that you take care of yourself and stay well hydrated and nourished. As every case is different, it would be beneficial to have a conversation about caring for your child if you have suspected or confirmed COVID-19. Your healthcare team will be happy to answer any of your questions and reassure you wherever possible.
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Call us on 020 3687 2939
Estimate the Gestational Age (GA) or the Estimated Due Date (EDD)
Twins in a womb at about 8 weeks GA via a standard 2D transabdominal scan. Note that both embryos are about the size of a blueberry at this stage!
A transvaginal (TVS) 3D image of twins in the womb at about 9 weeks GA
A model we have at the clinic to demonstrate the development of twins in the womb at later stages in the pregnancy.
