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Sur Ways To Tell If You’re Having A Boy Or A Girl

It can be a long nine months waiting to find out if it’s going to be a boy or a girl, especially if baby is being uncooperative at the 20-week scan. Ordinarily, most parents-to-be will be asked, when having an ultrasound, if they would like to find out the sex of their growing baby. It is typically possible to tell the gender from a scan after 16 weeks, sometimes earlier, at 12 weeks, if the “nub theory” is used. But, of course, many little babies are not accommodating and don’t let the sonographer have a good enough look to see if they are a boy or a girl. It can be disappointing to leave a scan with an uncertain gender in mind, especially if you were very keen to know the sex.

There are, however, other ways to find out if you are having a boy or a girl. Many consider these methods to be old wives’ tales. We shouldn’t rely completely on their use in predicting gender as they are unreliable, but they can be fun to do. I know in my case, many of them were true and rightly predicted both my girls.

In fact, just this month, scientists have discovered that a woman’s immunity plays quite a large part in determining the gender of her unborn child. Many women experience pregnancy differently depending on whether they are carrying a boy or a girl. Symptoms such as nausea or certain cravings can give you an inkling about whether you should be searching for a boys or girls name. Researchers have determined that a woman’s immune responses play a role in establishing whether they are having a boy or girl.

According to The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, postdoctoral researcher Amanda Mitchell says, “This research helps women, and their obstetricians, recognize that fetal sex is one factor that may impact how a woman’s body responds to everyday immune challenges.”

So, while many would say that these are old wives’ tales, we now have evidence that suggests our bodies do in fact react differently to pregnancy depending on whether it’s a boy or girl. There seems to always be some level of truth to old wives’ tales but let’s not celebrate just yet unless a scan or blood test reveals the gender for certain!

Morning Sickness:

Morning sickness has long been a significant sign as to whether you are having a boy or a girl. It’s often believed that if you suffer from Hyperemesis Gravidarum, extreme morning sickness, then you are having a girl, reports What to Expect. While there are always exceptions to this rule, several scientists have thoroughly researched this phenomenon and have backed up the claim, according to Springer Link. It would appear that the hormones produced by a baby girl during pregnancy can make moms feel overly nauseated with a higher level of sickness throughout the pregnancy in comparison to baby boys.

Severe morning sickness in the first trimester is often considered an indicator of a baby girl. However, don’t rush out to buy pale pink onesies just yet as this method of predicting a baby’s gender is not fool proof. There are many women who suffered morning sickness at the beginning for it to taper off and come back again, and they ended up having beautiful baby boys.

But let me tell you, I had severe morning sickness with both my girls. The first lasted the entire nine months and the second five months. So, I believe in this one!

Positioning Of The Linea Nigra

Do you have a dark line reaching down over your belly bump? This dark line is called the Linea Nigra and is a very common symptom of pregnancy. They say that if this line reaches from your navel to your pubic bone, then you are having a girl. If it reaches above your navel, reports Refinery 29, and travels from your pubic bone to under your rib cage, then you are having a boy.

I’ll be honest, with both of my girls, I didn’t have a Linea Nigra at all. Sporting no line along my bump meant I would have been left in the dark about my girls’ gender if this was the only method to predict your baby’s sex. So, while this is a cute way to try and predict the gender, it is most certainly not fool proof.

Speed Of The Baby’s Heart Beat

The theory behind using the fetal heart rate as a way to predict the gender of your baby states that if the heart rate is above 140 beats per minute (BPM) then you are likely to have a girl, according to TODAY. If it’s under 140BPM then you’re considered to be having a boy. This prediction method is harmless to try and also quite easy. At your next ante-natal appointment, simply count the number of beats or ask your midwife or doctor how many beats per minute they can hear.

There is no existing evidence that proves this method works, however, and I, for one, am a little dubious. Before my first baby was born, I was attached to the trace machine monitoring my baby’s heartbeat for quite a few hours. Her heart rate was fairly low, never reaching above the golden line of 140BPM, despite her being in no danger or stress. Take what you will from this one, but I wouldn’t use it as a reliable method of prediction since it didn’t work for me.

Carrying High Or Low?

This old wives’ tale says that if you’re carrying low or down in the front then you are having a boy and if you’re carrying high, reports Winchester Hospital, and appear wide in the middle then it’s more than likely a girl. Equally, if you’re bump is neat, and all of your pregnancy weight is around your waist, then this indicates a girl.

I carried high on both my girls and was relatively neat, so this one worked for me. But is this due to my petite stature and good posture or a genuine way to determine if someone is having a boy or a girl? More often than not, the muscle structure around your waist has a tendency to determine how your bump will look. Pregnancy results in your muscles relaxing as your body expands to accommodate your growing baby. The softer and weaker your muscles are, the more likely your bump is to hang lower. Bear in mind, that the more pregnancies you have, the more elastic your muscles become. So, on your third pregnancy you may notice your bump hangs a little bit lower.

Increased Hunger

We all know that during pregnancy we are eating for two, but is it a boy or a girl? They say that if you find yourself reaching into the pantry or raiding the fridge like a teenage boy home from college for the holidays, then you may in fact be expecting a boy. Research suggests that moms-to-be often carrying boys tend to eat more than their counter parts who are carrying girls, according to What to Expect.

This indeed could be related to the level of testosterone which is surging through your pregnant body. Baby boys, even in the womb, may need more energy, resulting in an increased appetite for the mother. As a result, baby boys tend to be heavier at birth than baby girls.

Ordinarily, I eat like a rabbit so any increase in appetite was an oddity to me.

Sugar And Spice And All Things Nice

And on that note of increased appetite, just what exactly are you craving? As the old rhyme goes “Snips and snails, and puppy dogs’ tails, That’s what little boys are made of. Sugar and spice and all things nice, That’s what little girls are made of.” Pregnancy cravings can have an indication as to whether you are carrying a boy or girl. They say that if you crave salty foods like potato chips, popcorn, and pretzels then you are carrying a boy. If your sweet tooth has come into full effect, then it’s a girl, according to Parents.

Your body has a way of getting you to eat the foods it needs you to eat and more so in pregnancy as your cravings can be completely uncharacteristic to what you would normally eat. Some also say that pregnancy hormones change how certain foods taste and smell to you during pregnancy, meaning something you would never have touched before all of a sudden is very appealing.

I don’t have a huge sweet tooth, but with both of my girls, jellies and sugar were my vice!

Hormone Levels

Pregnancy hormones have an awful lot to answer for when it comes to feeling moody during those nine months. Hormones are wreaking absolute havoc with your emotions. One minute you’re laughing, and the next you are crying for absolutely no reason which only makes you cry worse and harder.

Strong emotional mood swings are thought to mean that you’re having a girl, reports Medical News Today. In my case, yes, this was another pregnancy symptom that easily predicted my baby’s gender. But waiting for your newborn and planning for life ahead with a growing family is a very emotional time in a person’s life. It’s no wonder mood swings are unpredictable.

However, they do say that if you have more mood swings and emotional outbursts during those nine months, then you are more than likely having a baby girl.

Increased Breast Size

Apparently, keeping a close eye on your breasts during pregnancy is a sure-fire way to predict the gender of your baby, according to Healthline Parenthood. Naturally, your breasts will get bigger to some extent during pregnancy as your body prepares for the impending arrival of your baby and gets ready for you to possibly breastfeed. It’s claimed that the amount of testosterone released from your growing baby will have an effect on the size of your bosom. The less testosterone, the less your breasts will grow as the hormone will damper your growth. This, of course, indicates that you are more than likely due a baby boy. Additionally, you will more than likely experience sore breasts during pregnancy.

Also, bear in mind that they say if your areola’s become darker during pregnancy then you are more than likely carrying a boy.

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