My Honest Review of the Stori Early Gender Test
I know some people love waiting until their anatomy scan to find out whether they are having a boy or a girl. I am not one of those people.
Especially after experiencing pregnancy loss, knowing more about this baby early on felt really comforting to us. Pregnancy after loss can come with so many complicated emotions, and I have found that learning the gender helps me feel more connected to the baby I am carrying. I am also very impatient, but that’s not what this blog is about!
It helps me visualize this little person more clearly. We can start thinking about names, imagining our family with her in it, and allowing ourselves to picture the future in a way that can sometimes feel difficult after loss.
Of course, finding out the gender does not change the outcome of a pregnancy or make anything more certain. But personally, it helps the pregnancy feel less abstract. It becomes less about simply being pregnant and more about getting to know this specific little baby. Which is a big comfort to me regardless of the outcome.
That is why we decided to use the Stori Early Gender Test and how we found out we were having a girl long before our anatomy scan.
Why I Chose Stori
There are several early gender testing options available (and another very popular brand that I used with my son six years ago!), but as a nurse, I tend to geek out over the actual testing process. The last thing we wanted was to find out the incorrect gender due to lax testing and verification process.
I do not just want to know that a company claims its test is accurate. I want to understand how the sample is analyzed, where it is processed, what quality-control measures are used, and whether the laboratory has standards in place to prevent an unclear sample from becoming a potentially inaccurate result.
That was what initially impressed me about Stori!
Stori is not a prediction test based on symptoms, timing, or old pregnancy theories. The laboratory directly analyzes fetal DNA found in maternal blood to determine biological sex as early as five weeks of pregnancy, with Stori reporting more than 99% accuracy.
For someone who wanted to find out early, that was all really important to me.
The Quality Control Impressed Me Most
Accuracy was obviously important, but what really earned my trust was the process behind the result.
Testing is completed in a CLIA-certified laboratory using validated molecular methods. Samples go through multiple verification and quality-control steps before a result is released, and results are only reported when the laboratory has a clear enough signal to meet its confidence standards.
As a nurse, that is exactly what I want to see!
The impressive part is not simply that the test can produce an answer as early as five weeks. It is that the company has standards for deciding whether the sample provides enough information to confidently release that answer to the parent(s).
Good laboratory testing is not only about speed. Collection, sample handling, contamination control, processing methods, verification, and reporting standards all matter.
Stori’s attention to those details was one of the biggest reasons I felt comfortable trusting the result and has now been confirmed by many, many ultrasounds!
What the At-Home Testing Process Was Like
The entire process was very simple.
The kit arrived at my house right after I turned five weeks, I completed the blood collection at home by following the included instructions, and then mailed the sample back to the laboratory using the provided shipping materials. I think collection took all of five minutes. If you’re nosey about how beautiful their packaging is and how easy the process was, I made a reel outlining the entire process.
Once the lab received my sample, my results were delivered securely within 24 hours to my email.
There was no appointment to schedule, no separate laboratory visit, and no long wait for the result. For something that felt so meaningful to us, the actual process was incredibly straightforward.
My Stori Result
We found out we were having a sweet, little girl.
After walking through pregnancy loss, receiving that result felt like much more than learning one new fact about the pregnancy. It gave me another small way to know her.
I could picture our daughter. I could start imagining our son becoming a big brother to a little sister. I could think about names and envision what our family might look like with her in it.
And now that I know her, it is hard to imagine these past few months without that little piece of information.
The experience was easy and fast, but more than anything, it was genuinely special.
Is the Stori Early Gender Test Worth It?
For me, it absolutely was.
I would especially consider Stori if you:
Want to learn your baby’s gender earlier than an ultrasound or NIPT
Feel that knowing early would help you connect with your pregnancy
Value a test that directly analyzes fetal DNA rather than making a prediction
Want a simple at-home collection process
Care about laboratory standards and verification before results are released
Do not want to wait weeks for the answer
An early gender test is optional, and there is nothing wrong with waiting until an ultrasound- or even until birth- to find out. This is such a personal decision, and every family experiences it differently.
But for me, particularly as a mom carrying a pregnancy after loss, finding out early gave me something comforting to hold onto.
And as a nurse who reads the fine print and wants to understand the methods behind a health-related product, I was SO impressed by the thought Stori put into both accuracy and quality control.
A Note About Early Gender Testing
The Stori Early Gender Test determines biological sex by analyzing fetal DNA in maternal blood. It is not a replacement for prenatal care, diagnostic testing, NIPT, or your anatomy ultrasound.
Always continue with the prenatal testing and appointments recommended by your healthcare provider.
This post was created in partnership with Stori. As always, all experiences and opinions shared are my own. If you want to snag a kit of your own, use MOTHERLAND15 for $15 off.