Tips for Ultrasound Techs to maintain professionalism and keep the baby’s gender a secret when the parents are planning a gender reveal or want to be surprised when baby arrives.

You will find the topic of ‘accidental gender reveals’ on every pregnancy social media community. All too often, an ultrasound technologist accidentally lets the gender slip during an appointment. It can turn ugly quick when the couple decidedly did not want to know this information. You want to avoid this situation at all costs by keeping your professionalism and honoring families’ wishes.

Three Tips for Keeping the Gender a Secret

Use Gender Neutral Terms

Throw away “he” and “she” from all appointments. Instead, use ‘the baby’ or ‘it.’  While you would not commonly call a baby an ‘it,’ doing so will help lower the chances of you slipping with an unintentional pronoun.  

Ask Every Couple What They Want

Before recording the gender in the mother’s file, make sure that she wants you to do so. Doing this will allow for a doctor or midwife to share the news unexpectedly. This can be worse than you slipping with the reveal! Make a note in the file letting the birth provider know exactly what the mother would like. 

Help Make Every Reveal Special

Ask clients before beginning the ultrasound if they would like to know the gender. If they do, ask them how they would like to know. Offer them options like a gender reveal box from My Baby’s Heartbeat Bear, a sealed envelope they can open together later, or a simple look-and-see on the screen. Ensuring that your clients have the experience they have been dreaming about for the past four months will help your business grow.

Things to Remember:

Always Turn the Screen

Women are sneaky! They spend hours googling ultrasound image pictures. They say they don’t want to know, but they will analyze the ultrasound until the cows come home for a sign that you spilled the beans. Any time that you are near the genitals, turn the screen.

Ask Parents to Turn Their Heads

If you can’t turn the screen, or if you feel a couple would benefit from the added screen blockage, ask your clients to turn their heads quickly when performing parts of the scan. 

In many appointments, you will be the only one to know a baby’s gender. If you can remind yourself what an honor it is that couples are visiting you and trust you not to let the secret slip, it can help you maintain your composure. Once they have left, you can giggle, cheer, and let all of your excitement for the family be released. But again, remember to leave those emotions behind before your next appointment begins.