Fetal heart rate and gender predictions are being done as early as 9 weeks of fetal growth. All of these predictions are not based on scientific practices but on heresy and misconceptions. It is said that the gender of the fetus can be accurately predicted by calculating the beats per minute of the fetus. If the BPM is higher than 140, then the fetus is supposed to be a female and if it is less than 140, it is supposed to be a male. There have been scientific experiments done about this theory and it has been conclusively proved that there is no relation between the heart rate and gender of the fetus. The best way to monitor heart rate is via a fetal Doppler unit.

Fetal Doppler uses ultrasound technology to stimulate the heart beat of the fetus. It also projects this sound electronically, which can be heard by surrounding people. There is a probe that emits ultrasonic waves into the womb. The returning waves are picked up by the probe and passed on to the body of the machine. The waves are then analyzed and heart beat is stimulated and outputted acoustically. The fetal Doppler is generally used by medical practitioners but its usage is becoming prevalent in the public world too. Many parents want to experience the thrill of listening to their offspring’s heart beats many times and that too from the comforts of their homes. As a result, sales of fetal Dopplers and also their rental numbers have been consistently shooting up.

The gender of the fetus can be accurately determined during the second trimester of the pregnancy. During the first three months, the embryo and fetus are in a formative stage and will be undergoing the process of development of internal organs like lungs, digestive system, heart, etc. It is highly unlikely to have visible indications of gender at this stage. So, predicting the gender of the fetus at this early stage becomes impossible. It is only after 12 weeks that the fetus starts developing genitals. Even these are visible after 16 weeks or so. After 16 weeks, there is no need to rely on unconfirmed predictions; the baby’s gender can be accurately determined by their genitals which are visible. There is no relationship between a fetus’s heart beat and gender. Each has to be determined separately and accurately.