Some families really want a specific sex for their next baby. Whether that is for family balancing, or for tradition, there is really only one way to ensure you know before the first ultrasound. If you are aiming for a daughter, then the way to be absolutely sure before implantation is by using in vitro fertilisation with preimplantation genetic testing.
What is IVF?
In vitro fertilisation (IVF) is a scientific process that involves the fertilisation of an embryo outside of the womb. With regular conception, the sperm meets the egg in the fallopian tubes and becomes fertilised, before travelling into the womb and implanting.
With IVF, all the guesswork and chance is taken out of this process. Several eggs are harvested by use of hormone injections, which stimulate the ovaries to mass-produce the eggs. These eggs are then removed from the donor, and taken to a petri dish where they are introduced to sperm.
The sperm is carefully injected into the egg, to ensure that fertilisation has taken place. The fertilised embryo is then watched closely for several days. When at Day 5 blastocyst stage, several markers for health are screened.
When the embryos are big enough, they will either be reimplanted, or frozen for later. This means that you might not have to go through multiple rounds of egg collection, although this may depend on how many eggs you are able to collect and how many grow successfully.
The reimplanted embryo is then reintroduced to the womb, and allowed to implant and grow as normal, quickly turning into a healthy little baby.
Sex selection
Sometimes, families might be looking specifically for information on how to have a baby boy, or how to have a baby girl. The IVF process does offer the ability to gather this information with one additional test, but it is not always offered in Australia.
The test is called pre-implantation genetic testing (PGT), and it works by taking one cell of the developing embryo and testing the genetic content of that cell. This allows us to find out both the sex of the embryo, and if there are any genetic abnormalities such as diseases that we can discern.
In Australia, PGT is only legal if you have a particular disease or genetic condition in your family history that you are concerned about passing down. For the average person simply looking to find out the sex of their developing child, the test wouldn’t be available.
There are some risks for PGT which might be worth considering here, especially if you are interested in it purely for family planning reasons. Because the process removes a cell from the developing embryo, it can be harmful and even dangerous to the developing embryo.
The cells of an embryo can also be in a state known as chimeric, where a single cell may not be representative of the entire embryo. This means there is a slight chance that the information gained from the PGT may not be true of the actual child that develops. For instance, you could have a boy from the PGT test that turns out to actually be a girl.
Complications from the PGT test are rare, and the embryo being in a chimeric state is particularly rare. However, it is something worth keeping in mind, especially if you are looking to go outside of Australia for a PGT test.
How to access PGT in Australia
If you have your heart set on using PGT for family planning, and you need to know how to have a boy or a girl, then there is one way you can do it. Gender Selection Australia offers you the chance to undergo the IVF process, with the ability to fly out to Los Angeles to undergo the actual procedure.
This means that you can have all your hormone treatments and pre-procedural care at home and in comfort, before flying out to a predetermined team in LA, where you can be quickly transferred to having the IVF procedure. America doesn’t have the same restrictions as Australia, meaning that while you are in America you are free to have the PGT test to choose the sex of your child.
If you decide you want a daughter, then ask for a female embryo to be implanted (if you have any). It is important to note that your options may be limited by how many embryos you are able to get out of the fertilisation process, and the health of those embryos.
You can then fly home and undergo follow up care with Gender Selection Australia, safe in the knowledge that you have continuity of care. For an amazing IVF experience, get in touch with Gender Selection Australia now.