When is Baby’s Gender Determined?
Although parents may know the sex of the baby in the 10th week of their pregnancy with the help of a blood test, mostly parents wait for the anatomy scan which happens during the 20th week into the pregnancy. And there are times when parents decide to keep it a surprise and continue with their guessing game whether it’s a girl or a boy.
Myths vs Facts – Signs That You Are Pregnant with a Girl
1. High Heart Rate- Myth
As parents, you will never forget the sound during one of those doctor’s appointments when you hear your baby’s heartbeats for the first time. Baby girls have higher heart rates compared to baby boys.
Fact
Heartbeats of baby girls tend to be higher when the mother is in labor, but symptoms of baby girl in first trimester are not at all linked with the higher heartbeats.
2. Mood Swings- Myth
Severe mood swings are indicative that you are pregnant with a baby girl.
Fact
Different studies suggest the contrary to this myth. While some suggest the levels of estrogen are much higher than progesterone when pregnant with a baby girl, which can lead to dramatic mood swings, others suggest no relationship between the unborn’s gender and the mood swings.
3. Belly Shape- Myth
A round belly with a lower womb is a pregnancy sign it’s a girl, while a pointed belly that’s in the middle means a boy is on the way.
Fact
The shape of the belly has nothing to do with the sex of the baby, but with the mother’s body weight, height, and other physical factors, belly size has something to do with the number of babies on the way.
4. Morning Sickness- Myth
Mama’s facing the extreme morning sickness cases are sure to have a baby girl. Are the worst morning sicknesses pregnancy signs it’s a girl?
Fact
While many nauseous mothers give birth to baby boys, the extreme morning sickness cases are not a proven symptom of having a girl.
5. Breast Size- Myth
One of the signs you are carrying a girl is that your right breast looks smaller compared to the left one. Over the years many pregnant ladies have believed in it.
Fact
Changes in the size of breasts are one of the most common signs of pregnancy and it happens for the obvious hormonal changes the body undergoes to prepare the breasts for feeding before the baby is born. Hence, breasts do swell during pregnancy, but it shouldn’t be considered as one of the signs of having a baby girl in the womb.
6. Sleeping Style- Myth
The famous saying of old wives is that if you sleep on your right side throughout your pregnancy then you are surely going to be blessed with a baby girl.
Fact
Pregnant women deal with a rapidly changing body especially a quickly growing tummy, which makes it common for them to have some changes in their sleeping style considering the posture they feel most comfortable. There is no scientific proof that sleeping on the right side means it is one of the “you’ll be having a girl” symptoms.
7. Linea Nigra- Myth
Linea nigra is the dark line that starts from the center of the mother’s belly. It is believed that if the line ends at the belly button, it is another clear pregnancy sign that you are carrying a girl for sure, is it?
Fact
Linea nigra is nothing, but a change in the skin color that is caused due to the sudden, high generation of the melanin pigment. It is not related to the baby being a girl or a boy.
8. Food Cravings- Myth
Remember how the purely vegan Phoebe from F.R.I.E.N.D.S started to crave for ham cheese sandwich when she was pregnant with triplets? Pregnancy comes with a lot of unexpected and untimely cravings. As the old wives’ tales go, if you crave sweet, then it is your little girl who is craving for sweets.
Fact
Cravings can tell you a lot about your body’s requirement, but not the sex of the baby.
9. Skin And Hair Changes- Myth
For decades, this saying has been rooted in the stories that women who tend to have acne and oily skin during their pregnancy are pregnant with baby girls. And it is further justified with the idea that the unborn girl takes a role in her mother’s beauty.
Fact
Another hormone-related result of mother’s pregnancy is oily skin and acne, it is not related to the baby’s sex.
10. Urine Color- Myth
If your urine is clear then it is another sign of a baby girl in your womb.
Fact
Clear urine is a sign of a hydrated mother, on the other hand, the dark and smelly one means you need to increase your water intake! This means that the popular DIY test of baking soda is unreliable.
11. Clumsy vs Graceful- Myth
It is assumed that if you can handle your entire pregnancy pretty gracefully then you are going to give birth to a princess. A messed up and clumsy pregnancy period indicates a baby boy.
Fact
The clumsy part is quite common with pregnancies, after all, the body weight increases and it suddenly gets difficult to manage. Feeling tired and a little irritated happens to almost every pregnant woman and it is not a proven sign of the baby’s gender.
12. Dreams- Myth
Keeping all the signs aside, you have an intuition of the little human growing inside you is a baby girl. It is said that your dreams are not wrong if you see yourself giving birth to a baby girl then so it will be.
Fact
You guessed it right, there’s no proven record to claim it, but we all know intuitions have a strong place in our belief system.
Whether its a boy or a girl, the mother always prays for the health of the baby. Happy Motherhood!