# 20 week scan gender confusion



## LittleMack

So during my 20 week scan today the ultrasound tech was nice enough to let us take a peek at our wee one's potty. Here in Nova Scotia, Canada they aren't allowed to tell you the sex of the baby. 

It seemed very easy for her to get a good straight on potty shot, legs were wide open and everything looked crisp and clear (top notch u/s machines). Initially I thought I saw boy parts, but she was pretty quick to point out the umbilical cord haha.. She then readjusted and gave an even more clear shot of a very defined three stark white stick like lines. She then said that when looking for boy parts they generally look for a 'turtle' and for girls they look for the three white lines. It was obviously not a turtle that she was showing us haha. But I noticed that although the three lines all ran parallel and started at the same spot, the middle line was a little bit longer. I've read that a boy can still appear as a girl, displaying the three white lines (with the middle being longer)... Would this still be possible for a 20 week scan? Or is that something to question at an earlier scan?


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## allforthegirl

By 20 weeks it is obvious whether it is a girl or boy. When they are wrong is usually when the gender scan is done too early.


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## xxenigmaxx

If you google gender scan pictures, maybe you can compare? By 20 weeks, the middle bump would be a lot bigger, not just a little bit I would think.


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## Sweedot

Sounds right for a girl!!!


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## SLCMommy

did it look anything like this?


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## Clo

I've seen 20 week scans of the boy parts of all 3 of my boys and by 20 weeks the 'boy parts' are really obvious so i'm pretty sure that if you saw 3 lines and it didnt look like obvious boy parts then it is probably safe to assume girl  x


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## Hope115

This is my babys boy parts at only 17 weeks 3 days and you can clearly see it even this early... So if it didnt look like this, i would go with girl, i work in the NICU and premie girls cliteris stick out pretty far- as they grow and increase their fat stores then the labias can cover it... So if girl you prolly are seeing the middle part that sticks out which is prolly just the cliteris.


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## Kirstiedenman

I am having a similar issue to you my baby had its legs crossed through the scan then for a split second it opened its legs and the ultrasound tech said oh I think it's a boy I'm not 100% but it's looks to big to be swollen girl parts but when I look at the boy ultrasound pics on google they look way bigger than what we saw so I am a bit sceptical as to what we have lol. Like a pp said I would look on google and try and match up what you think you saw. How come they aren't allowed to tell you?


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## Yipee

From what you wrote, it sounds like maybe the tech was trying to hint that it was a girl, without actually telling you.

I had my 20-week scan at almost 24 weeks. At that point it was super obvious she was a girl. It wasn't just white lines, it was fully developed "girl parts"; very easy to recognize. I could tell for myself before the tech even said anything. If you're not totally sure, and want to be, maybe try going back in a few weeks and it should be very clear what you're looking at.


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## ama

It was very obvious that my boy was indeed boy at my 20 week scan :) I'd say you are having a girl x


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## wantb502

No doubt that my little man was a boy! The tech called it at 12 weeks 6 days! And then I had to get every two ultrasounds from 18-22 weeks. No denying!


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## LittleMack

Thanks for the feedback guys! :)

allforthegirl, enigma, clo, ama and wantb502 - I was thinking the same thing. I did a ridiculous amount of snooping around on the net and it does seem as though by 20 weeks there should be a pretty definable protuberance there, especially with such a high tech ultrasound machine. I saw nothing bulky at all, just the white lines. I really thought I was having a boy, so maybe subconsciously that's what I was looking for haha. 

SLCmommy - Yes and no.. it was even more defined. The three lines were longer and a bit thinner. They really did look like sticks haha.

Hope115 - That's a boy alright! lol. That's more or less what I'd expect to see with a boy. Thanks a lot for your comment, it really helped. It crossed my mind that it was just the clitoris but I thought that it would have evened out with the rest by now. 

Kirstiedenman - It's so frustrating isn't it!? It can vary so much depending on the angle and the machine. Do you get to go back and check again later? Most places in Canada don't allow you to know the sex at medical ultrasounds. Too many law suits :( Parents buy blue everything, then end up with a girl. So they finally just made it law that the tech's can't tell you. We do have UC Baby and other clinics to pay for sex determination though. 

Yipee - Looking back.. I think you're right. At the time I didn't know what she meant by 'turtle', it wasn't until I got home and looked it up that I realized. What she was showing us was then VERY obviously not at all a 'turtle', so I think she was shoving it right in our face and I just wasn't picking it up. I saw the longer middle line and was thinking... well maybe since that's sticking out a bit that could be the turtle head? LOL I was so focused on a boy hahaa. I can't go back for another scan, that's it for the rest of the pregnancy (unless I pay for one at a private clinic).


I'm going to cautiously say girl... haha. I won't feel 100% comfortable until I get the private scan in the 3/4D. But after all of the researching I did and after what I now see were obvious hints from the tech... it seems pretty safe to assume girl. I was so convinced it was a boy from my 13week scan (nub theory), it's going to take a little while to get out of that frame of mind lol.


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## LittleMack

UPDATE:


Soooooooooooo I just wanted to let you guys know I had a gender scan the other day. It's a ...... BOY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Worst ultrasound tech ever at that 20 week ultrasound hahaha. He's all boy! 

Still in shock lol


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## capegirl7

Congrats on your little boy!


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## Hope115

Awe congrats!!!!!!!!


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## Lyndzo

Wow. Congrats!


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