Determining the gender of your baby is the topic of baby shower games and old wives tales. Parents don’t have to wait very long to find out their baby’s gender anymore. Prenatal blood testing can reveal your baby’s sex at 11 weeks gestation.
Some parents don’t want to wait that long or leave biological gender to chance. They desire to determine the baby’s gender at the time of conception. With advancements in reproductive technology, it’s entirely possible to choose your baby’s gender.
At California Center for Reproductive Health, our specialists help parents who want to select their baby’s gender for medical or personal reasons. Here’s how the process of gender selection works.
Reasons for gender selection
Many parents look forward to the 20-week (or so) ultrasound at which gender can be determined. Others wait until delivery day to get the ultimate surprise.
But, many parents don’t joyfully anticipate this surprise. Choosing a baby’s biological gender allows parents to enjoy knowing the sex of their baby long before delivery day.
Parents may want to select their baby’s gender to:
- Determine the biological gender of their only or firstborn child
- Have ample time to prepare for baby
- Balance the sexes of children in the family
- Eliminate the chance of sex-linked diseases
Talk to our team about your family goals to determine if gender selection is right for you.
Methods of gender selection
Our team offers two methods of gender selection. Each type varies in accuracy.
Ericksson sperm washing
Ericksson sperm washing involves taking a sample of the male’s sperm and “washing it in a special solution. We then spin it in a centrifuge for several minutes. This process separates X-bearing (female) sperm from Y-bearing (male) sperm. The sperm with the desired gender is then artificially inseminated into the mother with hopes of fertilization and implantation in the uterus.
The Ericksson method gives you a better chance of having a baby of one sex over the other, but is no guarantee. There can be overlap between X-bearing and Y-bearing sperm.
Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD)
Parents undergoing in vitro fertilization have embryos created in a lab. The sex of each embryo is determined using PGD, a type of preimplantation genetic testing. PGD also detects any genetic abnormalities, which allows us to select the healthiest embryos of your desired sex.
We then place the embryo(s) in your uterus with hopes of implantation and a healthy pregnancy. PGD has a 100% success rate in sex determination. While PGD does come with some risks, our procedure is quite safe and effective.
PGD can also detect abnormalities in an embryo that could lead to pregnancy loss, especially in women of advanced maternal age or those who experience recurrent pregnancy loss. The testing makes it more likely that you’ll have a successful IVF cycle as well as a baby of the gender of your choosing.
Our team at California Center for Reproductive Health wants to give you the best chance to have the family of your dreams. Whether you’re struggling with infertility, desire gender selection, or need egg or sperm donation, we have the technology, expertise, and compassion to help. Call one of the offices in Encino, Valencia, or West Hollywood, or reach out via this website to schedule your appointment with our specialists.
