Private Gender Scan in London

A private gender scan at London Private Ultrasound is £149, all-inclusive, at both our Central London and St Albans clinics. That covers the ultrasound, the fetal sex assessment where visible, a wellbeing check of the heartbeat, position, growth, fluid and placenta, keepsake images where obtainable and a same-day digital report.

Private gender scans in the UK typically advertise from around £49 to £99 for a quick sexing appointment, up to roughly £150 to £200 when a wellbeing review, images and a written report are included, so it is worth comparing exactly what is in the price.

A dedicated ultrasound gender scan is most reliable from 16 weeks, which is when we offer this appointment. Some clinics advertise an early gender scan from 14 or 15 weeks, but the earlier the scan, the more the result depends on fetal position and image quality, and the more often a rescan is needed.

If you want to know earlier and with high accuracy, a NIPT blood test can determine the baby’s sex from 10 weeks + 4 days, because it looks at fetal DNA rather than the ultrasound picture. There is no reliable ultrasound gender scan at 12 weeks.

The NHS does not offer a scan purely to find out your baby’s sex. Some NHS trusts will tell you the sex at your routine 20-week anomaly scan if the sonographer can see it clearly and local policy allows, but many trusts do not disclose it at all, and it is never guaranteed.

A private gender scan is booked specifically for a fetal sex assessment, from 16 weeks, with a wellbeing check and a report of your own.

You can book a private gender reveal scan directly, with no referral, at a clinic such as London Private Ultrasound in Central London or St Albans. There are two routes to find out: an ultrasound gender scan from 16 weeks, which is the £149 appointment on this page, or a NIPT blood test from 10 weeks + 4 days, which determines the sex from fetal DNA and also screens for common chromosomal conditions.

Both can be kept sealed for a reveal celebration — ask us before the scan and we will write the result down or send it confidentially to a nominated person.

From 16 weeks onwards, ultrasound sex assessment is highly accurate in good scanning conditions, but no ultrasound can guarantee the result with 100% certainty. Accuracy depends on the baby’s position, the gestational age, image quality and maternal body habitus.

If the baby is not lying in a helpful position, the sonographer may ask you to walk for a short time and then rescan. A blood-based NIPT test is more accurate for sex specifically, because it reads fetal DNA rather than the picture.

From around 16 weeks the external genitalia are usually developed enough to assess on ultrasound. The sonographer looks for the specific appearances that indicate a boy or a girl and, importantly, tries to get a clear, unobstructed view before giving you an answer.

Position matters a great deal: a baby facing away, curled up, or with legs crossed or hands in the way can make a confident assessment impossible on the day, which is why a short walk and a rescan are sometimes suggested.

There is very little to do. A moderately full bladder can help the view around 16 weeks, so follow any preparation note given at booking, and wear loose, two-piece clothing so your bump is easy to reach. Bring your maternity notes and any previous scan reports.

If you want the result kept a surprise, decide before the appointment and tell the sonographer at the start. Ask for a female sonographer at the time of booking if you would prefer one.

Yes. If you do not want to hear the result during the appointment, tell the sonographer before the scan starts. We can write the result down and seal it, or send it confidentially to a nominated family member, friend or cake maker for a gender reveal celebration.

Many parents pair this with a reveal at home, and some clinics offer a themed reveal room with pink and blue lights; our focus is on giving you an accurate, clearly explained result to reveal however you choose.

No. The gender scan includes a basic wellbeing and reassurance check, but it is not a full anomaly or detailed anatomy scan. If you need a detailed structural assessment of the baby, the anomaly scan, usually performed around 18 to 24 weeks, is the appropriate appointment.

This scan does not replace your NHS anomaly scan or routine midwife care.

Around 16 weeks a moderately full bladder can help lift the uterus and improve the view, so we usually suggest drinking some water beforehand and not emptying your bladder right before the scan. Follow any specific preparation note you are given at booking.

It is a gentle abdominal scan through the tummy, with warm gel, and it is painless.

If the baby’s position prevents a reliable assessment, the sonographer will usually suggest a short walk and a rescan during the same appointment. If it still cannot be seen clearly, a free or reduced rescan can normally be arranged at a convenient time, subject to clinic policy.

You are never given a guessed answer; a clear view comes first.

Yes. As well as the sex assessment, the sonographer checks the fetal heartbeat, position and basic movement, and reviews the amniotic fluid, the placenta and basic growth measurements within the scope of this appointment.

Findings are explained on the day and set out in your same-day digital report.

Yes. Representative keepsake images are provided where they can be obtained, and a digital report with relevant images is normally emailed on the same day. Image quality depends on the baby’s position, the gestation and technical factors.

It is not customary to include an image of the baby’s genitalia in the report; the sonographer explains the basis for the conclusion during the appointment.

London Private Ultrasound has two clinics. Central London is at 27 Welbeck Street, W1G 8EN, in the Harley Street Medical District, a short walk from Bond Street, Oxford Circus and Marylebone. St Albans is at 54–56 Victoria Street, AL1 3HZ, serving Hertfordshire and North London.

Both offer the £149 gender scan from 16 weeks, seven days a week, 9am to 7pm, with a female sonographer available on request.

No. You can book directly online, by phone on 020 7101 3377 or on WhatsApp, and same-day and next-day appointments are often available at both clinics.

Please continue your routine NHS antenatal care alongside this scan, and bring your pregnancy notes and any previous scan reports with you.