It is safe to say that pregnancy and gender predictions have been complementing each other since the beginning of time. Old wives tales of gender prediction have been analysed, shunned, debunked, only for them to keep making a comeback. Whether one believes in them or not, these stories are quite entertaining to behold.
Amazing Pregnancy Old Wives Tales
Here is a compilation of some of the best old wives tales about pregnancy.
- High or low: How you carry your belly is one of the most widespread old wives tale for baby boy gender prediction. If you are carrying low, it is said that you can expect a boy and if you are carrying high it is said that you’ll have a girl.
In truth, how you carry depends on your muscle tone, strength, and the shape of your belly. Women who have had previous pregnancies also tend to carry lower due to increased elasticity of the muscles in the stomach.
- Sweet or salt: If you crave for sweets like chocolates or desserts, it is said that you’ll have a girl. If you are more inclined to salty flavours, it is believed that you will have a boy.
Pregnancy cravings are normal and the kind of food you crave has absolutely no link to the sex of your child.
- Baby’s heart rate: A heart rate of over 140 bpm indicates a girl and if it’s below 140 bpm it indicates a boy.
The foetal heart rate is between 120 to 160bpm for a healthy baby and is not determined by the sex of the baby.
- Extra weight measure: A woman with extra weight out front is believed to be carrying a boy. A woman with extra weight around the hips and bottom is believed to be carrying a girl.
Where a pregnant woman carries extra weight is based on her anatomy and not on the sex of the baby.
- Linea Nigra and the colour of the nipples: A dark line called Linea Nigra extending from the pubic bone to the navel region means that you will be having a girl. If the line extends from the rib cage to the pubic bone then you are likely to have a boy. Likewise, if your nipples are getting darker, you may have a boy, if not, a girl.
The dark line is a result of hormones, so is the darkness of the areolas and have no bearing on the sex of your baby.
- It’s all in the hair: Another popular Indian old wives tales is that if your hair has gained volume, looks lustrous and you simply can’t stop admiring it, then you may be having a boy. Dull, thin hair is said to be courtesy a girl child.
There is no scientific backing to this. Some women see a boost in keratin that improves hair and nail quality during pregnancy; others seem to get a slightly worse end of the deal.
- The bigger breast: It is said that a bigger right breast means that you will have a boy. If your left breast is bigger you are more likely to have a girl.
Increase in breast size is natural during pregnancy and there has been no evidence to prove this link.
- Girl steals beauty: If you are having a girl, it is said that your looks may take a turn for the worse! It is also said that if you have an acne breakout, you’ll have a girl. However, if you feel more attractive then you may be having a boy.
There is no evidence to prove this tale.
- Morning sickness: Do you have the worst morning sickness? Old wives say that you may have a girl. If you face no bitter moment of morning sickness, then you are likely to have a boy.
Morning sickness is a common symptom of pregnancy and the excess or lack of it does not indicate the sex of the baby.
- Your sleeping position: If you prefer sleeping on your left side, you can expect a baby boy, if you feel like sleeping on your right, you may have a girl.
While this has no true backing, sleeping on the left is deemed to be the best position during pregnancy as it increases the blood and nutrient flow into the placenta.
- Mood swings:Â Recurrent and severe pregnancy mood swings are linked to having a girl. If you have a generally pleasant pregnancy, you may have a boy.
Mood swings are caused due to hormonal changes in the body due to pregnancy, which has no relationship with the sex of the baby.
- The cause of your heartburn: If you experience a lot of heartburn during pregnancy, it is said that you’ll have a girl. Heartburn is also linked to the baby having a lot of hair.
While the link between heartburn and sex of the baby has no real scientific backing, researchers at John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore may have surprising found a link between heartburn and hair growth. Although not completely confirmed, the researchers believe that excessive pregnancy hormones are the reason for gastric reflux which causes heartburn and is also responsible for hair growth in the baby.
- Partner’s weight gain: This one is definitely one of the most entertaining out of all old wives tales. If your partner puts on some extra weight during the course of your pregnancy, it is believed that you will have a girl.
As expected, this theory has no scientific backing to it.
- A long, strenuous labour: It is believed that if you have a long and painful labour you will be having a boy.
While not entirely proven to be true, it is found in an Irish study that women who gave birth to baby boys had a longer labour time, saw more complications and needed emergency C-sections. This is attributed to the larger head size and the heavier weight of baby boys at births, in comparison to girls.
- Cold feet: If your feet are always cold during your pregnancy, then you may be having a boy. If you enjoy warm and cosy feet during pregnancy, it may be a girl.
There is no evidence to prove the validity of this statement.
- The colour of your urine: Bright yellow urine indicates that you are carrying a girl. Clear coloured urine can indicate a boy.
The colour of your urine has no link to the sex of your baby. Light coloured or clear urine may be the result of a good amount of water.
- Pupil dilation: Do your pupils dilate when you stare into the mirror for over a minute? You may be having a boy as per the old wives tale.
Pupils dilate in low light or are aroused by something we see. It has no correlation with the sex of the baby.
Old wives tales have been around for a really long time. While none of them has been proven scientifically, some of them have been considered to be possible based on research. True or false, it sure does make for an interesting ensemble of predictions that you can enjoy while waiting for your baby.