Ask any expectant mother what her thoughts are about pregnancy and she may have varying opinions (depending which way her hormones swing). From a miracle to a painful journey, a lot of things might come to her mind. However, for people surrounding her, it also becomes an amusing guessing game regarding the gender of the baby she’s carrying. Why? Because in some countries like India and China, revealing a baby’s gender is banned due to its rampant misuse. It is a crime and can amount to serious legal punishment. With no access to the technology that reveals the baby’s gender, people fall back on old wives’ tales to predict a baby’s gender before birth. Here are 7 such old wives’ tales. Read along and amuse yourself.
1. How You Carry Your Bump
This is a very popular old wives’ tale when it comes to predicting the baby’s gender. It is often believed that the way you carry your baby bump can give away a lot about the baby’s gender. If your baby bump happens to be low, you might probably be carrying a baby boy. However, if your baby bump is slightly higher or in the middle, in all likelihood it might be a baby girl.
2. Pregnancy Glow V/S Pigmentation
The way you look during your pregnancy is another popular predictor of the baby’s gender for old wives. Of course, logically we’d want to believe that the pregnancy glow and pigmentation are caused by the hormonal upheavals. But old wives believe otherwise. If your face glows even during the fag end of your pregnancy, it means you’ll have a little baby girl. But if you have excessive pigmentation, then blame it on the little boy growing inside your belly. Oops! Did we just reveal something??
3. Choice Of Pregnancy Food Cravings
With pregnancy changes come the inevitable pregnancy food cravings. They can be different for each woman. But under a broad category, they are usually spicy or sweet food cravings. So, if you crave something sweet, it could be a sweet little baby girl. And a spicy food craving would mean there’s a naughty little boy in your belly!
4. Intensity Of Morning Sickness
Some women may or may not experience morning sickness during their first trimester. However, the old wives suggest that if you have intense morning sickness and vomiting, you’ll give birth to a baby girl. But if you had little to no morning sickness at all, then surely it’s a boy!
5. Extent Of Swelling In Legs
The swelling of the legs and ankles is pretty common during pregnancy. Some women might get it due to hormonal changes whereas others might get it as the baby’s weight begins to increase. Then again, some pregnancy health complications like preeclampsia can increase the swelling too. However, according to one old wives’ tale, if you experience excessive swelling of the legs, then it is probably because you are carrying a boy. And if you don’t, quite obviously, it is a baby girl!
6. Pregnancy Dream Predictor
Pregnant women might discover sooner or later that their dreams are different too. They might even have frequent nightmares and anxiety-inducing dreams too. This is associated with changing pregnancy hormones. However, as per an old wives’ tale, dreams during pregnancy can also predict the gender of the baby in a very curious way. According to the tale, if you dream about a baby boy, chances are that you’ll deliver a baby girl. And vice versa.
7. Baby’s Heart Rate
Another old wives’ tale to predict the gender of the unborn baby is related to the fetal heart rate. For this, you’ll have to wait until your first ultrasound. As per the old wives, if the heartbeat of the baby is above 140 beats per minute, then there is a high chance that you’ll be delivering a baby girl. However, if the heart rate is 140 beats per minute or below that, then in all probability it’s a boy.
Aren’t these old wives’ tales of predicting the baby’s gender before birth quite amusing? What old wives’ tale did you get to hear during your pregnancy? Did it turn out to be true? Share with us in the comments section below.