Pregnancy Pregnancy Development Determining the Sex of a Baby Girl With an Ultrasound What does a baby girl look like on an ultrasound? Here's what to expect at various stages in your pregnancy. By Robin Elise Weiss, PhD, MPH Updated on March 29, 2024 Medically reviewed by Andrea Chisholm, MD FACOG Trending Videos Close this video player Ultrasound has long been used as a way to determine the biological sex of a baby before they're born. This gallery is designed to show you what a baby girl might look like on an ultrasound during the various weeks of pregnancy. Remember that every pregnancy varies, and your ultrasound could look different depending on your baby's stage of development, the weight of the birthing parent, the position of the fetus, the skill of the ultrasound technician, and more. Verywell / Zoe Hansen You likely won't learn your baby's sex until your anatomy ultrasound scan, which takes place around 18-22 weeks. That said, it's also possible to determine their biological sex earlier through procedures like non-invasive prenatal screening (NIPT), chorionic villus sampling (CVS), or amniocentesis. These tests screen for certain abnormalities in the fetus, though not everybody will get them. Editor's Note It's important to note that gender is a personal identity that exists on a spectrum, can change over the course of a person's lifetime, and— most importantly—is something that a person defines for themselves. Biological sex, on the other hand, is assigned at birth based on the appearance of a baby's genitalia. 16 Week Ultrasound S. Smith Ultrasound images are most accurate after 14 weeks of gestation, and this one shows a little girl at 16 weeks. You can tell by finding the "hamburger sign;" the fetus's labia lips resemble a hamburger bun, and the clitoris looks like a hamburger patty between them. 17 Week Ultrasound Verywell In this ultrasound picture from 17 weeks, can see the labia marked as a baby girl by the technician. 19 Week Ultrasound Verywell This 19-week ultrasound also shows three white lines indicating a baby girl; these lines consist of the clitoris between the labia lips. Midpregnancy Ultrasound (20 Weeks) Verywell Although this ultrasound was conducted further along in the pregnancy, it's not as clear as the images shown from previous weeks. Blurry ultrasound images happen sometimes, and they might be caused by ultrasound equipment, the mother's body type, the baby's position, and more. Carrying multiples (like twins and triplets) can also make gender prediction difficult. Another 20 Week Ultrasound Verywell In contrast, this is a non-blurry 20-week ultrasound that depicts the classic "hamburger" sign. The three white lines—which are actually the labia lips with the clitoris in the middle—can resemble two buns and the meat of a hamburger. 22 Week Ultrasound Verywell This image is of a baby girl at 22 weeks. It might be difficult to tell the sex if you aren't sure what you're looking at, but a skilled technician should be able to make the call. When you have your ultrasound done, remember that while the technician is usually right, mistakes happen sometimes. Understanding the limitations of ultrasound technology will give you a better idea of how seriously you should take the results, and how much decorating you should do in the baby's room. 23 Week Ultrasound Verywell This fetus is 23 weeks old. The ultrasound technician has marked the genital area that displays female reproductive parts. You can see that they're more defined here, even just a few more weeks into the pregnancy. Late Pregnancy Ultrasound (38 Weeks) P. Ringo Because this ultrasound image was taken later in gestation, the labia is more defined and easier to see. The clitoris no longer protrudes from between the lips of the labia. 3D Ultrasound RE Weiss This 3D ultrasound shows a baby girl at 35 weeks gestation. Keep in mind that 3D ultrasounds give much clearer shots of your baby, you might not be offered one unless it's medically indicated. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit Sources Parents uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Prenatal Genetic Screening Tests. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. 2020. What is noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT) and what disorders can it screen for? MedlinePlus [Internet]. National Library of Medicine. Accuracy of sonographic fetal gender determination: predictions made by sonographers during routine obstetric ultrasound scans. Australian Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine. 2015. Helping expectant mothers understand inadequate ultrasound images. Ultrasound. 2016.