Can old wives’ tales really predict your baby’s sex, or are they just myths? Here’s what science, and popular belief, have to say about whether you’re having a boy or a girl.
After you share the good news with your friends and family, you’re bound to start getting the question: “Do you know what you’re having?”
These days, a simple blood test can tell you the sex of your baby as early as 10 weeks into your pregnancy. And even if you wait a bit longer, you can find out sometime around week 20 with your anatomy ultrasound.
Regardless, you may still enjoy a little fun and games with guessing. People have been attempting to predict the sex of their babies for centuries using popular myths and urban legends.
Do these tales have any bearing in science? Let’s take a closer look!
Before the time of writing or print, people shared stories in what’s called the oral tradition. Tales about anything from pregnancy to child-rearing to illness and beyond were shared as a way to pass along wisdom, and sometimes to give people a sense of control in uncertain situations.
Pregnancy myths originated from all over the world and have been passed down from generation to generation. And you’ve likely heard many throughout your lifetime (whether you realize it or not).
Truth time: Most old wives’ tales, like predicting your baby’s sex based on cravings, heart rate, or bump shape, have no scientific basis.
There is a slight exception: some research suggests that women who experience more severe morning sickness may be more likely to be carrying a girl, though this is only a statistical trend, not a guaranteed predictor.
Overall, your chances of guessing your baby’s sex remain about 50/50.
One of the more popular myths surrounds a baby’s heart rate in the womb. As the story goes, if it’s over 140 beats per minute (BPM), you’re having a girl. If it’s slower than 140 BPM, you’re having a boy.
Verdict: A 2023 review found that first-trimester fetal heart rate is not a reliable predictor of sex.
While male fetuses may show slightly faster heart rates on average, the difference is minimal and varies too much to be used for prediction. So, your baby’s BPM in early pregnancy won’t tell you whether you’re having a boy or a girl.
Is your bump sitting high near your rib cage? You might hear that it means you’re having a girl. If your belly hangs low, the old tale says it’s a boy.
Verdict: How you carry your pregnancy has nothing to do with your baby’s sex. It’s actually influenced by factors like:
- how many pregnancies you have had
- your height, weight, and age
- your muscle tone
Does your belly stick out straight like a torpedo? Some may say you’re sure to have a baby girl. If you’re looking thicker around the edges or carrying wide, you may have a baby boy in there.
Verdict: Again, your belly’s shape has more to do with your body type and shape pre-pregnancy than it does with your baby’s sex. People who have short torsos may tend to see their bump stick out because there’s nowhere else for baby to go. And if your bump is wide-set, it might just mean your baby is lying sideways in there.
You may notice as the weeks tick on that you absolutely must have certain foods — like, now! Yes, those are your pregnancy cravings. Can’t get enough of the sweet stuff? You might be having a girl. If salty snacks are what you’re always after, you might be having a boy.
Verdict: Cravings during pregnancy are very real and have been studied, but no recent study shows they reliably predict a baby’s sex. They’re influenced by hormones, nutrition, and physiology, not fetal sex.
Scientists also note that cravings tend to be different depending on where you live in the world, so there are cultural factors at play as well.
Maybe food is the last thing on your mind these days. One of the earliest signs of pregnancy is morning sickness, but not everyone will experience the nausea and vomiting.
If you’re feeling quite ill, the tales say you’re having a girl. If you’re feeling fine, you may be having a boy.
Verdict: Morning sickness impacts the majority of pregnancies to some degree. What’s interesting is that very recent research shows there may be something to this tale.
Using an international web-based survey, scientists collected self-reported data regarding morning sickness and the sex of the baby. Those carrying girls tended to report “significantly” higher levels of sickness in the first trimester.
More research is needed to establish exactly why the two things are linked.
More severe morning sickness may also mean you’re carrying twins or higher-order multiples. This may be because of an additional dose of hormones circulating the body when carrying more than one baby.
You may have heard that lots of heartburn during pregnancy may indicate your little one has a full head of hair. Well, it may also mean you’re having a girl, or so the legends say.
Verdict: Heartburn is a relatively common pregnancy symptom, especially in the weeks leading up to delivery.
One
Baby girls supposedly “steal their mothers’ beauty.” Baby boys, on the other hand, may give you the best skin you’ve seen in ages. Yes, that’s the pregnancy glow you hear all about.
Verdict: There doesn’t appear to be any scientific research supporting the idea that your baby’s sex affects your complexion. Changes in skin during pregnancy, like glow, breakouts, or pigmentation, are driven by hormones, genetics, diet, and skincare habits, not whether you’re carrying a boy or a girl.
Along the same lines, if your hair and nails are thin and brittle, a girl may be to blame. But if you have luscious locks and long nails you may soon have a baby boy in your arms.
Verdict: Hormone levels during pregnancy don’t differ enough between people carrying girls and boys to make a difference in your appearance. The condition of your hair, skin, and nails may be influenced by the hormones circulating your system, but it also has to do with other factors, like your age.
Are your breasts fuller? It’s one of the more universal early pregnancy signs, that’s for sure. But if your breasts seem particularly large, it’s possible you may be having a boy.
Verdict: A
However, the effect was modest, the study sample was small, and breast size alone does not reliably predict your baby’s sex.
The researchers also noted that breast size changes are influenced by many factors, including hormone levels and maternal physiology, so this is far from a definitive method.
You may have noticed that your breasts are more tender during pregnancy. Your nipples and area surrounding them (areola) may also appear larger. But darker than usual nipples may mean you’re having a boy, according to some.
Verdict: This is false. During pregnancy, the placenta secretes hormones that regulate skin pigmentation. You may notice that anything from your nipples to your birthmarks, moles, or beauty marks all look darker with the extra dose of melanin.
You may see a line over your bump that extends to your pubic area. Don’t fret. This new mark is called the linea nigra, and it usually fades after delivery.
The myth: If it extends from below the belly button down, you may be having a girl. If it extends all the way from below your rib cage down, you may be having a boy.
Verdict: Many people have a linea nigra during pregnancy. The length of the line doesn’t seem to correlate with a baby’s sex. Instead, its presence goes back to the extra pigment going through your body from hormones.
Some old sex prediction theories suggest tying your wedding ring to a string and holding it over your belly: if it swings in a line, it’s a girl; if it spins in a circle, it’s a boy.
Verdict: There is no scientific evidence that the ring test can predict a baby’s sex. Like most folklore-based methods, it’s purely random. Your chances of being correct are still about 50/50.
For this one, you’ll need a sample of your urine to mix together with liquid Drano. If the liquid turns green, you’re having a girl. Blue, you’re having a boy. Note: Use caution if you decide to try this test in your own home.
You might be surprised to hear that scientists took this one on decades ago! A
Verdict: the women’s results were not consistent, and many would have one color one month and another color the next.
Similar test, but possibly a bit safer to perform. This time, you’ll want to pee in a cup and then pour it into another cup that has some baking soda inside of it. If you hear/see a fizz, you’re having a boy. If nothing much happens, you’re having a girl.
Verdict: Again, this test isn’t a reliable indicator of your baby’s sex. The baking soda is reacting with the pH of your urine, which can change by the day depending on what you’re had to eat or drink, whether or not you’re dehydrated, or possibly if you have a urinary tract infection.
Has your significant other packed on some pounds along with you? One theory says this may mean that you’re having a baby girl.
Verdict: Logically, it really doesn’t make much sense that your partner’s weight would have any bearing on the sex of your baby.
Experts have uncovered that partners can experience something called a sympathetic pregnancy (Couvade syndrome), though. While it has nothing to do with your baby’s gender, your partner may:
- gain weight
- have morning sickness
- deal with mood swings
- have back pain
The cause of this syndrome needs further study.
It’s fun to test pregnancy myths. After all, some of them may even hold some truth. Just don’t have your heart set on what they tell you to expect.
The most accurate way to find out your baby’s sex is through medical testing, like fetal ultrasound or a cell-free DNA blood screen.
Your doctor can give you more information about these tests, when they’re usually performed, and anything else you might want to know about your bundle of joy.