Pregnancy · 4 min read · 7 September 2026
How early can you find out your baby's gender?
A blood test can tell you from 10 weeks. A scan needs longer. Here's an honest comparison of when each option becomes reliable.
Most people find out their baby's sex at the NHS 20-week anomaly scan, if the sonographer can get a clear view and the hospital offers to tell you. There are earlier options, and they become reliable at different points.
From 10 weeks: a gender blood test
This is the earliest reliable answer available. A blood sample is taken from your arm and the laboratory looks for your baby's DNA in it. Ten weeks is the threshold because before then there is often too little foetal DNA circulating to give a dependable result.
It does not depend on your baby's position, on how clear the view is, or on how cooperative they are being that day — which is why it is the most consistent early option.
From around 16 weeks: an early gender scan
A private ultrasound can often identify sex from about 16 weeks. It is less certain than a blood test at this stage: the answer depends on your baby lying in a position that gives the sonographer a clear view. Some clinics will offer a rescan if they cannot see clearly.
From 20 weeks: the NHS anomaly scan
Free, and part of routine care. Not every hospital will tell you the sex, and the scan's real purpose is checking your baby's development rather than answering this question.
Side by side
| Option | Earliest | Reliability | Typical cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gender blood test | 10 weeks | Over 99% with a clinic-taken sample | £109 – £150 |
| Private gender scan | ~16 weeks | Good, but depends on baby's position | £50 – £90 |
| NHS anomaly scan | 20 weeks | Good | Free |
If knowing early matters to you — for planning, for a reveal, or simply for peace of mind — 10 weeks with a blood test is as early as reliable testing goes.
What about old wives' tales?
Bump shape, heart rate, cravings, the ring test: all entertaining, none predictive. Heart rate in particular is a persistent myth — there is no meaningful difference between boys and girls.
Our Blue or Pink Gender Blood Test is £109 in clinic at Widnes or Crewe, with the blood draw included.
See the gender blood test