Gender Reveal Test - Is your baby a boy or a girl?

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Early pregnancy baby sex determination test

Congratulations on your new pregnancy! Every parent's primary wish is that he or she is healthy. Our next thought is almost always "I wonder if it's a boy or a girl?". Our Gender Reveal test can answer that question very quickly and early into your pregnancy. If you are curious to know the biological sex of your growing baby then this test is for you. Completely safe for both you and the baby, this non-invasive test screens your blood for tiny pieces of your baby's DNA. One of the first things to develop in a new pregnancy is the placenta, which connects your baby to you. The placenta releases your baby's DNA into your blood. If your baby is a boy your blood will contain fragments of a chromosome only found in males, the Y-chromosome.

Girl or Boy - XX or XY ? - 99.9% Accurate

Even though the differences between men and women are obvious, the only real genetic difference between the sexes is that males have a Y-chromosome and women do not. Many years ago it was discovered that a pregnant mum had small amounts of her baby's DNA floating in her bloodstream, released directly from the placenta. Simply put, if a pregnant mum has a Y-chromosome in her own blood then she is carrying a baby boy. Unlike most DNA, which is found inside a cell, these fragments are free in the circulation and called circulating cell-free DNA (ccfDNA). By around 6-8 weeks of pregnancy there is usually sufficient ccfDNA in the blood to detect if Y-chromosome DNA is present. If no male Y-chromosome DNA is identified then the baby its more likely to be a girl.

TEN little fingers, TEN little toes, TWO little eyes, ONE little nose, BOY or GIRL, nobody knows!

You are proof that love before first sight does exist!

How to do your Gender Reveal Test

Our Gender Reveal test is completely safe for you and your baby and only requires a single tube of blood from your arm. This requires the services of a qualified practitioner. We do not offer or support at home finger-prick testing for this test. We recently partnered with a national phlebotomy group - Bloods & Beyond. Use their postcode finder to find your closest practitioner and their charge to take your blood. 🩸 Find Your Mobile Phlebotomist: https://www.bloodsandbeyond.co.uk We also offer a list of other national providers.

Getting your blood taken

A list of phlebotomist services available nationally is provided here. Whilst this list has been collated for your benefit, we recommend you understand all information before booking/attending your appointment (such as relevant insurance, certifications, experience, and cost). For reference, the price for this service is usually between £30 to £100.

How and where to get your blood taken

Test Eligibility Calculator - click here to see how many weeks pregnant you are. Remember that you need to be at least 6 weeks pregnant to do the test. Click on "Calculate Based On - Last Period".

1. Order your kit

Order online and we will send your Gender Reveal Test Kit to you. It contains everything you need for the phlebotomist to take your sample.

2. Arrange your blood test

After your blood is taken post the sample in the prepaid postage box back to the lab.

3. Blood sample is processed in our UK Genomics Lab

Circulating cell-free DNA is extracted from your blood and analysed for the presence of a Y-chromosome.

4. Results emailed

Your Gender Reveal result will be emailed to you the SAME day where possible or within 2 working days from sample receipt in our UK lab.

Watch how our test works

What's included in the Gender Reveal Test Kit?

Your kit includes everything the phlebotomist needs to take your blood and safely send it back to the laboratory. It contains a special barcoded tube for collecting your blood which stabilises your baby's DNA in your blood.
Do not open this tube.

A) Barcoded ccfDNA stabilising blood tube
B) Instructions on how to take the sample (for the Phlebotomist)
C) Gender Reveal Test Request Form (barcoded)
D) 95kPa protective pouch for blood tube
E) Prepaid postage return box

Please make sure the Test Request Form is completed in full during the phlebotomy appointment (not before) and returned in the box with your blood sample before posting it back to the lab to avoid delays in receiving in your results.

What will your report tell you?

There are two possible outcomes: BOY (XY) or GIRL (XX) - If we find male Y-chromosome DNA in your blood then the baby is a boy. If we do not find any male DNA then the baby is a girl. This is an extremely sensitive and accurate but as with all screening tests there is always a small chance of an incorrect result.
No test that uses mum's blood to predict a baby's sex will ever be able to determine the sex with absolute certainty, as they not diagnostic. All tests look at the DNA from the placenta, not the baby itself. Only invasive tests can provide a diagnostic sex determination. We use the information provided by you on the estimated number of weeks pregnant. Taking the test too soon could result in a Y-chromosome being missed.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION: It is advisable to only order this test once you reach 6 weeks pregnant. If you do order before 6 weeks please keep the unopened kit at room temperature. Only book your blood test for a date after you are 6 weeks pregnant. The test is simply for curiosity purposes and must not be used for gender selection. There are factors that can affect all baby gender screening tests currently available. Please see our FAQs for more information.

Download Factsheet

When will my results be ready?

As the Forensic Genomics Innovation Hub has validated the test in our UK laboratory your sample does not get sent overseas and you will receive your results by email either the same day or within 2 working days of it arriving in the lab.

What kind of sample do you need?

We only need a blood sample from mum. Foetal DNA cells are found to be circulating in mum’s blood from as early as 6 weeks of pregnancy and between 6-8 weeks is there usually foetal DNA present to identify the baby’s sex. As the amount of foetal DNA in mum’s blood increases as the pregnancy continues testing from 8 weeks is more advisable.

How does the Gender Reveal test process work?

Order and pay £99 for the Gender Reveal test.
We will then post the kit, containing everything needed for the sample to be taken and sent back to our laboratory, to the shipping address provided in the order. The sampling kit will be sent First Class Signed for via Royal Mail.
Upon receipt of the sampling book an appointment with your chosen phlebotomy provider. The cost for this service is additional and must be paid to the provider directly.
Take the sampling kit to the appointment.
Once the blood has been taken the tube is put into a protective pouch by the phlebotomist and back into the box it was delivered in with the completed and signed form included in the kit.
The box must be posted back to the laboratory IMMEDIATELY after the appointment.
Results will be emailed on the same day the test arrives in the laboratory, if received before 10am. Samples received after 10am will be resulted the next working day.

How does the test work?

Unlike most of our DNA, found inside a cell’s nucleus, when a woman is pregnant tiny pieces of the DNA from her developing baby are present in her bloodstream. These fragments are free in the circulation and called cell-free DNA (cfDNA). Our sex chromosomes determine whether we are male or female. Females have 2 X-chromosomes (XX) and males have an X-chromosome and a Y-chromosome (XY). As a woman has only female sex chromosomes in her blood if we analyse the blood of a pregnant woman and find a Y-chromosome then we can assume the baby she is carrying is a male. The test cannot, however, identify a possible sex chromosome abnormality. Sex chromosome abnormalities are very uncommon, but could affect the result.

Does the test work if I am expecting twins?

If both babies are female, no male DNA will be found, and we can assume that both babies are girls.
If male DNA is found in mum’s blood then either one twin is a boy, or both are. It will NOT be able to tell the difference between a girl and boy, and two boys.

How accurate is the test?

The presence of the Y-chromosome in the mothers blood can be detected at extremely low levels but no molecular test will ever be 100% accurate. There are a few rare circumstances where the test will not work. They include: placental mosaicism, a sex chromosome abnormality, a bone marrow or organ transplant by a male donor, or testing too early in pregnancy. It is essential we know the date of when mum’s last menstrual period started. To make sure there is enough foetal DNA in the sample the test should ideally only be ordered when mum is at least 6 weeks pregnant.

Please note, it is a fact that mum’s weight can affect how much foetal DNA is in her blood. Mum’s over 85kg should only do the test after 10 weeks pregnant, as there is a slightly higher chance that there will not be enough male DNA in her blood to be detected between 6 – 10 weeks.

How early in pregnancy can the Gender Reveal test be done?

Ideally ten weeks from the date of your last menstrual period. It can be done from as early as 6 weeks when giving a full tube of blood from mum’s arm but we recommend only doing the test from 10 weeks as there are other factors, other than how many weeks pregnant which can affect the amount of baby DNA in the blood. If there is insufficient baby DNA in the blood there is a chance the test will not detect the Y-chromosome and the result could be wrong.

Can I order my Gender Reveal Test before I am 6 weeks pregnant?

Yes, you can order it and keep it until you are at least 6 weeks, but not schedule your phlebotomy appointment prior to 6-8 weeks.

How much does the Gender Reveal Test cost?

£99.00. The phlebotomy fee is additional and paid directly to the provider of this service. The sample is then sent back to the lab in postage prepaid box, included in the £99.

Is there any risk for mum or baby?

Not at all. It is completely safe for both. The test only requires a single blood tube from the mum’s arm, no different to going for a routine first or second trimester blood test.

What if the ultrasound shows something different?

In this situation the only way to really know the baby’s gender is waiting until birth. There are two reasons why they may differ;

the ultrasound relies on looking for a penis or a vulva, alongside other subtle changes. These can be highly dependent on the position of the baby at the time of the scan. Whilst scans have improved over the years they are still much more subjective than DNA.
The DNA test result is incorrect as not enough DNA of the baby was present in mum’s blood at the time the blood was taken. See “how accurate is the test” for more information.

Can I do the test if I am still breastfeeding?

Yes! Breastfeeding does not affect the test results. The Gender Reveal test looks for male chromosomes in mum’s blood. Breastfeeding is a hormonal change, which has no impact on genetics, and therefore it has no impact on the Gender Reveal test accuracy or results.

What if I had a boy in a recent previous pregnancy or miscarriage, will that affect the result?

It won’t affect the Gender Reveal test results. Foetal DNA is eliminated from mum’s blood stream within a few hours after birth and disappears completely after 2 days.

Can the Gender Reveal test be used as a pregnancy test?

Gender Reveal cannot confirm a pregnancy. The test is only looking for male DNA in the blood. You must confirm your pregnancy with a doctor before doing the Gender Reveal test. It is essential to know dates of mum’s last period before doing the test.

Does Gender Reveal Test replace an ultrasound?

No, ultrasounds are essential to monitor a babies development during the pregnancy.

If you have any other questions then please contact us by email lab@fgih.co.uk or phone the lab on 02380 118980 between 8.30am and 4.30pm.

Gender Reveal Test – From 6 Weeks Pregnant

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