Are Early Gender Scans Worth It? – What To Know Before You Book

Early gender scans are probably the most popular for private scan companies, due to us all wanting to have the information, the shopping spree and of course those wonderful gender reveals. No matter your reason for wanting a gender scan there are still some things you might want to know and plan for.

As our personal experience almost didn’t work out as we planned and it was something we feel we could have thought about more, planned better and thought maybe we should have waited a little longer to find out.

Gender Scans are worth having if you want to find out the gender early or if you are over the 16 weeks and want to know the gender. They are not worth having if you don’t want to know the gender or your baby or if you are working on a budget.

Here are some things you might want to know and things you may not have thought about when looking at booking a gender scan so you can decide if they are worth it.

What Is A Gender Scan?

A gender scan is basically a normal ultrasound scan operated within a private scan agency that determines the sex of your baby. They are solely to have a look at your baby and to determine the sex. There aren’t often any medical procedures taken such as measuring or looking for anything in particular.

The gender scan is for those who are 16 weeks pregnant and over and looking to know the sex of the baby. You can have this done in a number of ways, most places will offer to write it down and place in an envelope if you are wanting to be surprised, some arrange to tell a family member or friends to arrange the surprise.

Most places will ask in advance to your appointment or going in how you would like to be notified as to not spoil the secret if you wish it to be. We were very boring and just went in and asked the sonographer and she was surprised she didn’t have to write it down or anything.

How Much Do Gender Scans Cost?

We personally paid £45 for our gender scan, though costs can vary depending on where you are based in the UK and the private scan company you are using.

Typically you can be looking in the range of £40 – £80 for the gender scans, this will also depending on where you go, the service you are getting and any extras within the package. Some places may offer more such as a video, collection of images, images on a USB or something else.

This essentially can up the cost of the scan so make sure you look at what is included before you book so you are sure you are getting what you want and not paying for something you aren’t overly bothered about.

Can You Get Gender Scans Cheaper?

Yes you can actually, there are a number of ways in which you can save money on getting a gender scan and not having to pay the full price. There are lots of voucher companies such as Groupon that offer deals on scans and you can pick and choose which you prefer and go from there.

You can also ask a friend or family member if they wouldn’t mind getting it as an early baby gift for you or even splitting it between you to save the expense.

You can also just keep an eye out on the private scan companies pages such as instragram and facebook to see if they have any deals that you can take advantage of when the time comes.

What Are The Advantages Of A Gender Scan?

If you are sitting on the fence and not sure if a gender scan is worth having or not then here are some advantages that might help you decide.

• You get to see your baby and find out the gender before the 20 week scan
• You can then go on to get more prepared with baby items, purchases and planning which can save you money if you are able to buy in sales etc
• It can help you detemine a name list ready for babies arrival (this was something we really appreciated as we struggled with names for girls)

What Are The Disadvantages Of A Gender Scan?

While there are plenty of positives to getting a gender scan there are also some downsides, this can mostly depend on your situation and personal preference.

• They are an added cost that not everyone can afford and often can feel like they aren’t worth having especially as you can wait for the 20 week scan and get the same results
• You may feel underwhelmed, especially if you are unable to find the gender and have to rebook for another day
• You may not want to know the gender of your baby and so this would not be worth having

Are Gender Scans Worth It?

Personally gender scans are only worth it if you are looking to find out the gender of your baby and wish to do so before the 20 week NHS scan. There are a number of reasons why you might want to find out early, curiosity and wanting to know more about your baby and who you are carrying is very normal.

We chose to have an early scan as we both felt so sure we were having a boy and had our name ready, we were kind of ready to know if we were having a boy or girl as we were getting to know this growing person.

You may also find them worth while if you want to have another scan between your 12 week NHS and 20 week NHS scan, this can again be for security, curiosity and just to kind of check in with your baby and progress.

There is also the financial aspect of knowing the gender (be aware that no scan is 100% positive and your baby can still be born the opposite sex) as we were ready to buy some of the bigger items we wanted to know if we were having a boy or girl for getting everything ready. Many couples and expectant parents like to be able to save money on the big purchases and sometimes you need to allow time for those to happen.

With many deals on prams and pushcahirs along with co-sleepers and car seats you might want to know the gender to tailor those items to that baby.

On the other side gender scans are not worth having if you wish to wait until the NHS 20 week scan, you do not wish to find out the gender of the baby at all or if you are working on a budget and see this as an unecessary expense.

There are also other downsides such as you can feel underwhelmed if the scan doesn’t go as smoothly, we personally had a lot of trouble finding the gender and thought we would have to go away and come back another day. While this wasn’t the end of the world and the baby was in good health it was something we had built up in our minds and was excited to find out straight away.

You may also find gender scans a waste of time if you personally don’t believe in genders and are open to your child being who they are as a person and not a gender specifically.