When we decided not to find out the gender of our child during our first pregnancy, there was one thing that we didn’t expect. We soon learned that everyone; quite literally EVERYONE that we met, had a theory on whether we were having a boy or a girl. It turns out there are a whole host of old wives’ tales, semi scientific theories, and some downright absurd methods of attempting to predict a baby’s gender and during the 9 months waiting for our child’s arrival we had pretty much heard them all.
If you’re expecting a baby and the gender is yet to be established, why not put a few of these theories to the test and see how accurate they can be!
Carrying Low or High
This old wives’ tale states that if you are carrying high it’s a girl, and carrying low it’s a boy. During my pregnancy I was regularly met by people who would take one look at my bump and feel that they could establish, by sight alone, that my baby was quite clearly a boy. Obviously, they were wrong as I went on to have two daughters! The reality is, the shape and height of your bump can change regularly throughout your pregnancy (and even throughout the day!) as your baby changes position inside your tummy and as your muscles relax and contract. If you suddenly start carrying low, this is also more likely to be that your baby is becoming engaged and ready for delivery than it being a solid prediction of a boy!
The Ring Test
Another popular method to predict the gender of your baby is to use a wedding, engagement or other sentimental ring and a piece of string. Attach the ring to the string and ask someone to hold it over your bump as you lie flat on your back on the floor (although getting on to the floor in the first place in the later stages of pregnancy however is easier said than done!) If the ring swings in a circular motion this insinuates you are having a girl, whereas if it moves back and forth you are predicted to be having a boy. I have NO idea how this works, and we tried it a few times with a different outcome for each, but it’s a fun game to play regardless!
Heartbeat Speed
The pace of your baby’s heartbeat inside the womb is somewhat scientifically proven to be a good predictor of gender, with heartbeats of under 140bpm expected to be a boy, and over 140bpm representing a girl. In both my pregnancies, the heartbeats tended to be around the 150bpm mark – coincidence or not, this one seemed to work for us.
Chinese Birth Chart
Legend has it that the Chinese birth chart was discovered in a royal tomb over 700 years ago. This method tracks your age at conception against the month you got pregnant on a grid, in order to predict whether you’re expecting a boy or a girl. With a 50/50 chance of it being right, the jury is out on this one!
Level of Morning Sickness
Rumour has it that the more morning sickness you experience during pregnancy, the more likely it is you can expect an arrival from team pink. I was quite lucky to experience very little actual sickness during both pregnancies, so either I was very lucky or this theory didn’t quite fit the mould for me.
Cravings
The food that you crave during pregnancy is also rumoured to be determined by the gender of your baby. Craving sweets, cake and ice cream? Your bundle is likely to be a girl. Longing for crisps, cheese and savoury snacks? You can expect a boy instead. Craving anything and everything? Who knows, you’re just hungry.
Ramzi Theory
A slightly more scientific method for predicting your baby’s gender is that of the Ramzi Theory. Ramzi Theory suggests that the placement of your placenta in the uterus on your ultrasound can be used to predict whether your baby is male or female. If your placenta is forming on the right side of the uterus, the baby is most likely a boy, where as this theory claims the left side is more likely to be a girl.
Nub theory
The nub theory is a detailed look at the nub section on your baby’s ultrasound scan. The nub is the part of your baby’s body that prior to 16 weeks is just a genital tube, from which a boy or girl genitalia will develop. Nub theory states that if the nub is at an angle of 30 degrees or higher than your baby’s spine, it is more likely to be a boy. If the nub is more of a straight line, the baby is expected to be a girl.
Acne breakouts
Has your normally flawless skin suddenly broken out into a mass of spots and pimples? You can blame your daughter for that, with acne break outs often being linked to team pink. On the contrary, if your skin is glowing and radiant, with a natural rose blush, you can raise a thank you to your son.
Finally, and probably the most bizarre gender prediction we heard to date was determined by how the Mom to be picked up a key. Yes, really.
When asked to pick up a house key, the side from which she places it in her hand is deemed to be a prediction of the gender of her unborn child. Pick it up by the narrow end, she is destined to be Mom to a daughter. By the larger rounded end, and she instead is carrying a son.
From the scientific to the out right insane, there definitely seems to be no shortage of suggestions for predicting your baby’s gender. Whilst for me the majority of these tests showed no level of accuracy what so ever, they were a fun game to pass the time whilst waiting for the girls’ arrival! Why not give it a go and see what they predict for you?
