Gender Test at 6 weeks?
Ooh, I’m all topical this week. 
NB: lovely notes on my last entry which made me feel a lot better-thanks!
Really interesting news item on GMTV this morning-a 99% accurate test is now available from DNA Worldwide to determine the sex of a baby from 6 weeks!!! Wow!
I’m not sure how I feel about this. I fear it may vastly increase abortions . as people may use it as a form of gender selection. Personally, I think the current cut-off date for abortions in this country-24 weeks-is ridiculous. How anyone could abort a baby at that stage is beyond me (except in the case of severe defects, I guess).
Next time I get pregnant (hopefully later this year!), if this test was readily available, and safe, I’d use it-but it would never, ever make me abort my baby, whatever the outcome. I’m not the sort of person who can wait til birth to find out the gender. I’m too impatient! I have a very strong feeling no.2 will be another boy, anyway-just as I knew my first child would be a boy, even before he was conceived. I’d still love a daughter but another boy would be so lovely too-and a great playmate for William!
Speaking of my little man-William is teething baaaaaaaaaaaaaadly. 
The last 2 days have been yuck. He’s been fussy, crying, and generally out of sorts the whole day long. I inspected his gums yesterday and the top left tooth is just splitting the gum. Poor sausage. I think the top ones are more painful. Not even Calpol helped and Bonjela is a waste of time. We have swimming this morning so hopefully that’ll take his mind off it.
I’m still in my PJs so I’d better skidaddle. Ooh! It’s Friday! Going to have a bucketload of wine tonight with fish’n’ chips!!!! 
Have a great Friday folks……
love
Cookie xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 
6 weeks?! Wow! I think you’re right though, it probably will increase the number of abortions. The hospital I had Angelo at had a policy of not telling people the baby’s sex at all because, apparently, some cultures prefer boy babies to the extent that some people would abort girls even at 20 weeks. I really hope that’s the hospital being ridiculously over-cautious rather than it being true.
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Poor William with his teething :o( Hope the swimming worked to distract him. Enjoy your fish and chips! Mmmm…
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Not everything in life is so straight forward, sometimes what is beyond us is a reality for a person whose situation (fingers crossed) you will never ever have to be in x
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It’s being defended by people saying that parents to be need the extra time to decorate the room and prepare. I guess the 20 weeks from the gender scan to full term isn’t enough time to paint a nursery *rolls eyes*
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I’m like you–I couldn’t wait to find out the gender when I was pregnant–and I was so glad Ari cooperated and let us see that she was a girl! Finding out at 6 wks would be awesome!
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Being one who DOESN’T find out the gender…I can still see the rationale behind the DNA test thingy at 6 weeks, mainly for families who carry genetic mutations that are linked to sex of the child. At 6 weeks, it wouldn’t be AS painful and horrible to have to terminate as it would be at, say, 17 or 18w when picked up on u/s. But purely for gender selection so you could have one of each? orthose cultures that prefer one or the other? Totally not on.
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why would anyone choose gender selection? Isn’t one baby as perfect as the next? I don’t think *personally* I could abort *my* future child(ren) even if it had a “defect” much less for being a certain sex.
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I’m so going to get that test if i have another baby! I am so impatient, having to wait 18 wks to find out was torture! But I do see where it could lead to a rise in abortions.
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I really dont agree that it will increase abortions at all in the UK. Perhaps in places like China where they prefer boys I could see it happening but not in the UK. The argument for preparation, well, I can kind of see the advantage there though Jess is right about finding out at 20 weeks gives enough time. Some people just want to find out as soon as possible because they are so excitedabout it. I really want to find out the gender as soon as I can when Im pregnant, Barrie doesnt want to, but if there was an option at 6 weeks to know I’d jump at the chance! And as far as the why would you abort at 24 weeks? Well very few abortions actually take place over say 16 weeks anyway, and when they hit the 20 – 24 week mark, then there usually has to be a very good reason to abort and has to comply with the Abortion Act laws which are very stringent. If a person treks up to an abortion place at 20 weeks asking for an abortion because its a girl/boy and they didnt want one..well they wouldnt be given one. And the abortion limit is at 24 weeks for a reason and its for the medical reasons for abortion, birth defects etc. Sorry to go on there! Hope you’re ok hun
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RYN: If it were me, I couldn’t imagine getting vored with it. Heck, I memorize the soundtracks and sing them over and over–so if I were actually in the play and acting out the role for real, that would be like heaven! 🙂
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Abotion at 24 weeks is way too late. Babies born then have been known to survive. A six week gender test is very very risky because of the whole gender selection thing! RYN: I’m 20 minutes outside Bristol. The bar was called Central Chambers and it’s 9-11 St. Stephens Street (near the job centre and the waterfront). The website is http://www.central-chambers.co.uk Thank you for saying I was good at it, I really enjoyed myself and wasn’t as horrendous at it as I though i would be. xxxx
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Whoops. Just occured to me that you probably meant the bar we ended up in… It’s called Joe Publics. http://www.joepublics.com but it’s waaay away from the main centre of Bristol. A cab ride and it’s uphill so you wouldn’t want to walk it. Not bad in there, but I’ve been to better. No doubting the decor was cool though and in the ladies each toilet seat was different. I only went once and I had leopard print, Claire had hearts!! xxxxx
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Yeah, they were talking about those on the surro boards- apparently they really really don’t work!!
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I don’t think it will affect abortion rates, honestly. I just don’t think that many people are willing to abort because of gender. Like a PP mentioned, perhaps in China, except that abortions are illegal in most places for any reason.
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