During gestation, some anticipated parents enjoy speculating about the biological sex of their soon-to-arrive baby.
Parents perhaps pondered what future family might encompass even before those telltale lines came on a pregnancy test, earnestly monitoring every manifestation in hopes of a hint.
If spending time with an older relative, they might examine "signs" signifying whether you are carrying a boy or a girl: Are you carrying high or low? Is the baby's heart rate around 140 beats per minute? Are you encountering severe nausea?
This curiosity stems from numerous old wives' tales passed down over generations, each claiming to indicate the gender of the baby. But do any of them hold the truth?
According to experts, not really. Nevertheless, debunked as they may be, these myths still amuse expectant parents. Moreover, some may resonate with your experience. After all, there's a 50% chance, right?
Listed below are several traditional old wives' tales used to predict gender, alongside scientifically validated indicators that suggest might be expecting a boy.
Old Wives' Tales for Predicting a Boy Baby
- Carrying Low: According to folklore, carrying the baby low is recommended when pregnant with a boy. However, medical experts explain that this is more affected by considerations like the baby's position and the number of preceding gestations, rather than gender.
- Weight Gain Around Belly Only: If gestation weight gain is mostly in the belly area, it's believed having a boy. Conversely, if weight gain extends to the hips, waist, and rear, it may signify a girl. Yet, this theory lacks scientific backing and is more connected to the women's size and shape.
- Partner Isn't Gaining Weight: The fiction recommends that if the partner doesn't gain weight alongside the childbearing person, it's a sign of having a boy. However, experts dissolve this, noting that weight gain in partners isn't exhibitive of the baby's gender.
- Clear and Glowing Skin: The notion that "girls steal your beauty" implies that clear, glowing skin indicates a baby boy. While glowing skin may be associated with boys, it's primarily linked to increased blood flow during pregnancy, rather than gender.
- Mild Morning Sickness: According to some beliefs, manageable morning sickness signifies carrying a boy. However, research on this is inconclusive, with nausea levels varying widely among pregnant individuals regardless of the baby's gender.
- Urine Color: A sluggish urine color purportedly recommends a boy, while a brighter hue signifies a girl. Medical experts disprove this, citing that urine color is affected by hydration, diet, and other factors unconnected to the baby's gender.
- Cold Feet: Consistently cold feet during gestation are thought to signal a boy. However, hormonal fluctuations, rather than gender, are more likely responsible for temperature changes.
- Craving Salty Foods: A strong desire for salty and savory foods is believed to signify a boy. Conversely, cravings for sweets are related to having a girl. Nevertheless, there's no scientific proof associating food cravings with gender.
- Baby's Heart Rate: Some recommend that a heart rate lower than 140 beats per minute displays a boy, while a greater rate signifies a girl. However, research has invalidated this correlation.
- Dry Hands: Dry hands are thought to indicate a boy, while soft, moisturized hands recommend a girl. However, dry skin during gestation is typically and unconnected to the baby's gender.
Scientifically Proven Signs You're Having a Boy
Despite the appeal of old wives' tales, there are reliably proven ways to identify a baby's gender:
- Noninvasive Prenatal Testing (NIPT): A genetic screening test, typically offered after week 10 of gestation, can disclose the baby's sex through a blood report.
- Nuchal Translucency (NT) Scan: Although mainly for screening chromosomal abnormalities, this ultrasound scan about weeks 11-13 may sometimes give a glance of the baby's sex.
- Mid-Pregnancy Ultrasound: Commonly administered between weeks 18 to 22, this detailed ultrasound scan often discloses the baby's sex with high precision.
- Chorionic Villus Sampling (CVS) or Amniocentesis: These tests, executed between particular weeks of gestation, can screen for genetic abnormalities and may accidentally disclose the baby's sex.
- In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) Genetic Screening: In cases of IVF, genetic screening of the fetus may permit couples to learn the sex before fertilization.
