A baby’s sex is one of those things every parent wants to know, although it can be hard to tell right away. And since biological birth ratios are a little male-biased, with 105 male births for every 100 females, it certainly seems like a toss-up. That’s why it’s a good idea to learn when/how to determine a child’s sex as quickly as possible. We also have different slang and terms like baby sex, babbysex2021, or babby sex that shed light onto the topic. Here’s what you want to know about differentiating a child’s sex and how it’s done!
What is “baby sex”?
The term Baby Sex refers to the biological sex of a baby. It’s a term used within a family, in biological/medical situations, and gender reveal discussions. Most studies show that a baby’s sex can be identified within 14 weeks, sometimes even faster with the use of blood tests.
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What is “Babby Sex”?
Babby sex is a misspelling of “baby sex” and it entails the gender of a child. The misspelling quickly became an internet meme/slang, mainly due to its child-like speech mocking attitude. Interpretation will vary based on the use case and context; it could be inappropriate, concerning, or friendly.
What is “BabbySex2021”?
BabbySex2021 is a trend that appeared in Saudi Arabia, United States, and Canada, and it focuses on early gender determination for pregnancies. With its help, you can narrow down the baby’s gender in 10-11 weeks at most. It uses prenatal testing, the Nub theory, and traditional ultrasounds to help provide effective and fast gender detection. These methods are used safely in specialized clinics and private hospitals all over the region.
What are the differences between Baby sex, Babby sex, and babbysex2021?
While all of these terms focus on highlighting a child’s gender, they do it differently. Plus, each term is designed to be used in a specific use case:
- Baby sex is a term used in medical discussions, but also on forums, within a home, and it’s the main term to use when talking about a child’s gender.
- Babby sex talks about the same topic, but it’s more of a slang term; it’s used in casual conversations between friends and family. It’s by no means a medical term, something to consider here.
- BabbySex2021 is a term mostly used in Saudi Arabia, United States and Canada, where the focus is on finding the child’s gender faster. It focuses on specialized methods that could help speed up the gender determination process by up to 4-5 weeks.
Each one of the terms can be used when talking about a baby’s gender before being born. However, the difference stems from where or how you can use the term!
Which parent determines the baby’s sex?
Biologically, the father’s sperm is the one that determines a baby’s sex. Female egg cells carry only the X chromosome, whereas the sperm cells carry either a Y or X chromosome. If the sperm that fertilizes the egg also has the X chromosome, then the resulting child is a female. However, if the sperm carries the Y chromosome, the XY combination will lead to a male baby. So yes, it’s the father who will determine the baby’s sex, something to keep in mind here.
When is a baby’s sex determined?
There’s a difference between when the baby’s sex is determined and when you can detect it. For example, the baby’s sex is determined during conception. Once the sperm cell fertilizes the egg, you will know the baby’s sex right away. The challenge is when the baby sex becomes apparent, and that means when you can actually detect it. Naturally, that can happen in around 15-20 weeks, depending on the situation. It becomes apparent once the baby’s external genitalia develop, in which case it’s easier to tell the child’s sex.
How soon can you tell a baby’s sex?
There are different methods you can use to identify the baby’s sex, and they have different timelines, as follows:
- The earliest way to tell a baby’s sex is at 6 weeks of pregnancy. You can identify the child’s sex via NIPT or non-invasive prenatal testing blood tests. These will detect fetal DNA in the mother’s blood. The NIPT procedure is 99% accurate; however, its focus is on screening for genetic conditions. Even if baby sex identification is a byproduct, it’s still very accurate.
- Ultrasounds are usually performed around 20 weeks into the pregnancy, and they can visualize the child’s genitalia. That’s when you will usually know the baby sex. The downside of ultrasounds is that the baby’s position can affect visibility, so detection might not be instant.
- Nub Theory is another method. The nub or genital tubercle can be accessed via the ultrasound at 11-13 weeks. If the nub is pointed upwards, that’s usually a sign that the baby is a male. The nub parallel to the spine shows signs of a female.
Knowing the baby sex is very important not only for the mother, but also for the entire family. That’s why it’s important to know the baby’s sex with the right methods, be it the nub theory, ultrasounds, or non-invasive prenatal testing. Keep in mind that you can only know this info anywhere from the first 6 weeks of pregnancy up to 20 weeks, so you still need to wait a little while until you can know the exact gender!
