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There are so many reasons that exist that couples would want to conceive a specific gender. Some women have had their heart set on raising a baby girl, and it might have been something they have been dreaming on since they were a little girl. Some couples might already have a family full of little girls, and are dying to have a little boy, or vice versa. Claim Your 20 Free Pregnancy Tests – Click Here
Some couples might have already come up with a birth order that they want to follow, or some couples might be finishing up their family, and have their hearts set on either a boy or a girl to be their last and final baby
There are so many reasons out there why a couple might have their mind made up that they want to have a certain gender of baby. While most couples will say “we just want a healthy baby,” chances are, deep down, each couple secretly wishes for either a boy or a girl, just a teeny tiny bit above the other one, and that’s okay!
In some families, brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles might already have girls galore, or a bonanza of boys. If you have ever had any experience being the first one in your family to have a baby boy or baby girl, in a family full of the opposite sex, you will know that being the one to have the “first boy” or the “first girl” in the family is a huge honor.
Whatever the reason may be, couples often have at least a little bit of a preference on whether they want a baby boy or a baby girl, no matter how often they say that they just want a “healthy baby.”
However, in the past, gender determination has just been something that couples have had to hope for, without really doing anything about it. However, with the times we are living in now, almost everything is changing when it comes to having babies and “swaying” a baby’s gender to help conceive a certain sex of baby over another.
Well, back in the day, when it comes to gender, it was simply “you get what you get.” There was really nothing that could be done about having either a boy or a girl over the other one. Couples could have their minds made up about what they were hoping for.
Sometimes, women might even have a “feeling” once they get pregnant about whether or not they are having a boy or a girl. However, so many things have changed when it comes to fertility and conception in recent years.
Now, did you know that there are actually medical procedures that can be done to help to improve the chances of conceiving either a boy or a girl? Some of these procedures even say that they have up to 98% or 99% accuracy, which is crazy to think about, considering that a few years ago these things were not even possible.
There are tons of other things that couples can do too, to naturally improve their chances of having one sex or another. These things can be incredibly simple, and things that couples can do when they are trying to conceive to “sway” a baby’s gender either way.
Also, once a woman does actually get pregnant, there are certain things that she can do to determine whether she is having a boy or a girl. Now, these things are usually referred to as old wives’ tales, meaning that they are usually just for fun and do not have any medical or scientific proof that they actually work, but they are fun to try!
In this article, we are going to go over all of the many ways to “sway” a baby’s gender when couples are trying to conceive. We are also going to talk about some of the very high tech ways that couples can actually try to “guarantee” the sex of their baby.
Plus, at the end of the article, we are going to go over some of the wild and wacky old wives’ tales that couples can actually try out once they do get pregnant in order to determine what the sex of their baby is. So, sit down, get comfy, and read on for all the things you need to know about determining a baby’s gender!
There are so many differences in what couples need to do when it comes to conceiving a boy or conceiving a girl. It can be really confusing to remember what needs to be done for which gender, and that is where we hope that this guide will come in handy for helping couples who are interested in gender swaying, or trying to conceive one gender as opposed to another.
For example, boy sperm like one certain type of environment, while girl sperm prefer another. Boy sperm respond better to a certain type of diet, and girl sperm respond better to another. It can all really be quite complicated, but we are here to help you sort it out and remember which is which, and help you to form a plan for what exactly you need to do in order to improve your chances of conceiving either a baby boy or a baby girl!
It is a ton of information, and it can actually be a little bit confusing to keep it all straight, but definitely keep these things in mind, and you will definitely get the hang of it!
When it comes to sperm, it all comes down to X and Y. Boy sperm carry the Y chromosome, while girl sperm carry the X. This is probably the most basic and important information that you need to remember when it comes to conceiving either a boy or a girl.
Each type of sperm have certain different characteristics that make them different from the other, and make them special in their own ways.
Girl sperm – The X chromosome, or girl sperm, tend to be considered “tougher.” They are said to be able to survive longer in the body and are just overall stronger in general.
Boy sperm – The boy sperm, or the Y chromosome, are considered to be much faster than the girl sperm, and can reach the egg at a much faster speed than the girl sperm. However, they are also said to be smaller than girl sperm and have a tendency to die off faster as well.
Now that we know a little bit more about what makes boy sperm and girl sperm different, we can use that to our advantage to try to conceive a specific gender. Read on for more information about how to make that happen.
The Shettles Method is one of the oldest methods regarding gender selection and gender determination that we know of. It has been around for many, many years, and some people swear by it and say that it is actually incredibly successful.
The Shettles method is, obviously, based on the research of a biologist named Dr. Landrum Shettles. Back in the 1960’s, Dr. Shettles was the researcher who found out all the interesting information regarding the differences between girl sperm and boy sperm. Dr. Shettles was well ahead of his time in his research, and was doing something that virtually no doctors had done before.
Dr. Shettles also theorized that based on the differences between boy and girl sperm, that couples could potentially sway the gender of the baby that they conceived by timing sex based off of which gender they wanted to conceive. This was also something unheard of as far as conception goes.
For example, Dr. Shettles’ theory was that if a couple wanted to conceive a boy, they should have sex right on ovulation day. This is because boy sperm swim fast, and only live a short period of time.
Having sex as close to ovulation day as possible will encourage a baby boy, since it will be more likely that a Y chromosome will reach the egg first and fertilize it.
For having a baby girl, Dr. Shettles said that it was best to have sex a few days before ovulation.
This is because X chromosome sperm swims slower, and will have a few days to reach the egg before it is released. The idea is that the faster swimming boy sperm will already be gone by the time the egg is released, and only the girl sperm will remain. This is exactly how the Shettles method works for conceiving a baby girl.
So, does the Shettles method for timing sex actually work? No one can really say for sure, but there are couples that have tried this method and swear by it! Many couples say that following this method completely carefully actually helped them to conceive the gender that they were hoping for.
No harm in trying it, if you are already trying to conceive! If you are using the Shettles method, you are obviously going to need to be tracking your ovulation to figure out when your most fertile days are, since the Shettles method is based on having sex on certain days of your cycle.
There are tons of different ways for women to track their ovulation days and fertile days. You can start by using an ovulation predictor kit, tracking your cervical mucus and cervical position, charting your basal body temperature, and you can even put some fertility tracking apps to use. There are tons of ways for women to know when their most fertile days are, so by using these methods, you can really try to make the Shettles method of gender selection work for you in your particular case.
The Chinese Gender Prediction Calendar is an ancient method of gender determination, and is actually one of the oldest known methods of gender prediction. Much like the Shettles method, some folks swear by its accuracy, while others just think it’s a fun way to guess if a baby will be a boy or a girl.
However, I will say in my own personal case, the Chinese Gender Prediction Calendar has been accurate with both of my babies. So, how does it work? Let’s find out. First, let’s find out a little bit more about what exactly the Chinese Gender Prediction Calendar is, and then we will explain how to use it.
The Chinese Gender Prediction Calendar is a lunar calendar, which means it is based on the moon. It is said to be over 7000 years old, and was discovered on a cave wall by a Chinese scientist back about 750 years ago.
The scientist then drew the chart out to help other people use it. The chart is so simple to use. All you have to do is find the mother’s age at the time of conception, and the month in which she conceived. After that, you will just find the spot on the chart where those two things intersect. This will either tell you whether the baby is going to be a boy or a girl. It’s actually surprisingly accurate in most cases, so give it a try and see for yourself!
The Chinese Gender Prediction Calendar can actually be used to help couples plan to have a certain gender of baby by conceiving in a certain month, or it can be used for women who are already pregnant to determine what the sex of their baby is going to be.
It’s crazy to think something so simple, and so ancient, could actually hold an important key to helping couples conceive a certain gender, but the research is definitely there that suggests that this Ancient Chinese Lunar Calendar has worked in many cases. Try it when you are trying to conceive and find out if it will work in your case!
We already know that diet can be so very important for most every single aspect of our lives. What we put into our body has a huge effect on how we feel and the things that our bodies will do for us. It’s crazy to think that something so simple can really have such a strong effect on our bodies, but it is true.
However, one thing that most people do not know about is the fact that diet can actually affect a woman’s vaginal environment, and the overall pH of her body in general, therefore making it more likely for either a boy or a girl to be conceived.
The thing with diet is that anything where the acidity or pH of a woman’s body can be altered or changed, is where diet can really make a difference. The Y chromosome, or boy sperm, prefer a more alkaline vaginal environment, and that is where they thrive.
Girl sperm, or the X chromosome, on the other hand, prefer a more acidic environment to thrive. An environment that is more acidic can also kill off some of the boy sperm, making it much more likely to conceive a girl. Sometimes, eating a poor diet or excess calories makes it more likely to conceive a boy, and eating a great, healthy diet can make it more likely to conceive a girl. Read on for more information about how diet can affect conceiving a certain gender of baby. There is definitely much to learn about when it comes to this subject, so keep this in mind.
The main point of a “boy friendly” diet is going to be to make the most alkaline environment possible to aid in the conception of a baby boy. This means eating high calorie, salty foods and consuming around 2500 calories per day. Meats, especially red meats, are good for inducing an alkaline environment, as are fizzy, carbonated drinks, bananas, and other “man” foods like chips, crackers, and pretzels.
Experts when it comes to this also say that women who are wanting to conceive a baby boy need to try to stay away from dairy products while they are trying to conceive, since those can increase the chances of having a baby girl. Want a quick list of great foods for women who are wanting to conceive a boy?
• Bread
• Corn
• Peas
• Zucchini
• Mushrooms
• Eggs
• Red meats
• Beans
• Fish
There are many more foods out there that are good for “boy conception” as well, so do your own research and you can really come up with a ton of great options of what to eat while you are trying to conceive your own little bundle of joy. Stock up on these things and you will be well on your way to conceiving a boy!
The diet to conceive a baby girl, as you might expect, is nearly the opposite of the diet to conceive a baby boy. Instead of creating an alkaline environment in the body, to conceive a girl, women are going to want to create more of an acidic environment instead.
This means eating less salty foods, and actually, eating less foods overall. In this case, dairy foods are recommended, and are great for helping to increase the acidity of the vagina. Also recommended are (obviously) citrus fruits, and fruits and veggies of all kinds. The point of this is to up the acidity of the body, so the boy sperm will die off and leave only the girl sperm remaining. Want a quick list of good foods to conceive a girl?
• Milk
• Yogurt
• Cheese
• Broccoli
• Spinach
• Blueberries
• Corn
• Leafy greens
Keep these things in mind when you are trying to conceive a girl. If this isn’t enough foods for you, do some research, and you can come up with enough to last you for a long while, and still up your chances of conceiving a girl by changing your dietary habits. Give it a try!
Some people say that digging into your medicine cabinet can actually help your chances of conceiving a boy. Sounds crazy, doesn’t it? Well, many people, experts included, say that this is actually true.
This is because Guaifenesin, the active ingredient in many cough syrups, can thin cervical mucus in much the same ways that it can also thin out mucus from your throat and chest. Thinning out cervical mucus can help to coat the Y chromosome (boy) sperm, and make it more likely to conceive a boy.
However, be sure to check that your cough medicine contains this as an active ingredient, or it will not work the way it should. Some people say that this can actually work to help with conceiving a boy, so try it if you think it might help you.
There really isn’t much scientific or medical research out there regarding this particular practice, and we have to admit, it does sound a little bit wacky and “out there”. However, if you check internet forums and online message boards for women who are actively trying to conceive, chances are that you will see this one pop up quite a bit. It’s not for everyone, so do your own research and decide for sure whether or not this is something you want to try.
One thing that is actually very important when it comes to conceiving a certain gender, according to some people, is the female orgasm. While it might not seem like female orgasm would matter when it comes to conception, it actually does, well, according to some people.
The truth of the matter is, the female orgasm can really affect the acidity or alkalinity of the vaginal environment.
To conceive a boy: For example, if you want to conceive a baby boy, you should really take into consideration the woman having an orgasm first. This is because the female orgasm creates a more alkaline environment in the vagina, so definitely make sure that the woman orgasms first if a couple wishes to conceive a boy.
To conceive a girl: For conceiving a girl, it’s better that a woman doesn’t orgasm. This doesn’t sound like a lot of fun, but if you want to conceive a girl, some people believe that it is important to keep this in mind. This is because the man’s orgasm will go a long way towards making the vaginal environment more acidic.
So keep these things in mind when trying to conceive a specific gender. Orgasm can really make a difference, so definitely either have one (or don’t!), depending on which gender of baby you have your heart set on conceiving.
One thing that some people swear makes a difference when it comes to conceiving a certain gender is sexual position. That’s right, it might not seem like it, but the way you choose to have sex can actually affect whether or not you conceive the gender you are hoping for.
To conceive a boy: What you need to keep in mind is this: sexual positions that allow for deeper penetration are best for conceiving a boy. This is because this can allow the faster swimming male sperm to reach the egg faster. So, to conceive a boy, opt for positions that will deposit the sperm as deep as possible. Positions like doggy style, woman on top or a modified version of missionary can make it more likely for couples to conceive a boy.
To conceive a girl: If a girl is what you are hoping for, it’s a good idea to try to deposit the sperm as far from the egg as possible. Positions that can help this include side by side positions and standing sex. The point of this is that the fast dying male sperm are often killed off, leaving only the girl sperm remaining.
This one borders on an old wive’s tale, but some people say that it is in fact a useful trick to know. Some say that if your man drinks some coffee or soda before sex, it will give his sperm a super charged burst of energy! This can allow the boy sperm, who are already faster swimmers than the girl sperm, to reach the egg faster, and therefore more likely fertilize the egg.
The theory is that the girl sperm will be too slow to get there in time, and this will result in being much more likely to conceive a boy. Now, is this true or not? We can’t really say, but it won’t hurt to give your man a shot of expresso before doing the deed if you are hoping to have a boy!
As we all know, weight is very important when it comes to conception, pregnancy, and overall health in general. Being too heavy or too thin can really do a number on your fertility, and can make getting pregnant much much harder. However, most people do not know that weight is one of those things that can affect conceiving a certain gender, at least according to some people.
The theory when it comes to this one is that consuming more calories makes it more likely to conceive a little boy, and consuming fewer calories makes it more likely to conceive a girl.
Some people believe that low glucose levels make it more difficult for boy sperm to swim to the egg. So, keep in mind that dieting or losing weight can actually sway you towards a girl if that is something you would be interested in.
Also, keep in mind that dieting is probably not the best way to help to conceive a boy, so you may want to hold off on losing weight if you are interested in having a boy in the near future.
While we can’t be sure how true this one is, some women and some experts alike agree that boy sperm just can’t stand the heat. This being said, some people say that having the woman take a hot bath right before or after sex can raise your body temperature enough to make it easier for the girl sperm to get through and harder for the boy sperm to get through.
This is because heat is actually really bad for sperm in the first place, and being around heat such as hot baths and such can actually lower sperm counts. However, since the girl sperm are overall stronger and more tough than boy sperm, girl sperm are able to “stand the heat” so to speak.
This remains to be seen, as there is no real way to prove this method. However, if you are hoping for a girl, it can’t hurt to try it out. At least you will get a relaxing bath out of it, right? However, keep in mind that hot baths and hot tubs, etc, will kill sperm of both genders. What you are actually hoping for when doing this is that the boy sperm will “die off” first and leave the girl sperm behind, but it’s important to note that sperm in general does not mix well with high temperatures, so this is definitely going to be a “try it at your own risk” type of thing.
This one goes hand in hand with the previously discussed topic about getting the body temperature higher by taking a hot bath. This one is for the guys, however. The way that a man’s body is designed, the testicles are located outside of the man’s body. This is in order to keep them a few degrees cooler than the rest of the body, so that sperm counts stay up.
However, there is a theory involving men’s testicles overheating and this actually being helpful for conceiving a girl. The way that this theory goes is that if your guy wears tight pants, such as biking shorts or compression pants, his testicles will be hotter than they technically should be. This will lead to more of the boy sperm dying out and makes it more likely that the girl sperm will be the ones to make it through. The same thing goes for brief style underwear as well, so if your hope is to conceive a boy, have your guy avoid these things.
However, if your goal is for having a baby girl, go ahead and urge your guy to wear those tighter pants and underwear. It might help, but it might not, so you are going to have to weigh your options when it comes to this one and decide if this is something that you actually want to try or not.
Now that we have covered some of the “lower tech” or “easier” ways that couples can try to sway the gender of their baby-to-be, we are going to talk a little bit about the higher tech, and albeit, more expensive ways to help determine your baby’s gender before you get pregnant. These ways are, obviously, much more successful than other ways to determine baby gender, so keep that in mind as well as you read about these more complex and technical ways to help get a boy or a girl!
None of them are easily accessible to the average patient, unless you have a doctor’s approval to have them done. Also, most of these methods of gender determination are extremely expensive and out of reach for most of us, and most of them are only things that are used in the case of a medical problem or when doctors think that something might actually be wrong.
These various medical tests are ordered by a doctor during pregnancy. The point of these tests is to check for different chromosomal abnormalities and the chance of birth defects of pregnancy problems. However, all of these tests have the ability to determine the gender of a baby, even though that is not the reason that they are prescribed.
These tests should only be done by a doctor’s order in the event that he or she thinks that there could be a potential problem with a pregnancy. These tests are not designed to simply determine a baby’s gender for the heck of it, and couples should definitely keep this in mind. While these tests can technically tell couples the sex of their baby when they are performed, that is not their actual purpose or function, and can only be considered a bonus.
Non Invasive Prenatal Testing, or NIPT for short, is a blood test that is done at week ten in a woman’s pregnancy. It is up to 99% accurate at determining baby gender, although this is not the purpose of the test overall.
This test is actually a screening test, and will indicate either a “normal” or “abnormal” result. This test does not tell for sure whether or not a baby will have any of these chromosomal problems, only if they have a greater or increased chance of having these problems. The test itself is a very simple blood test that is sent off to a lab, and the results are usually returned back within a week or two.
If the NIPT test indicates a potential problem, then a doctor will most likely recommend moving on to a CVG test or an amniocentesis to be done. While the NIPT test can actually tell a baby’s gender as early as ten weeks, so can the two follow up tests, CVG and amniocentesis as well.
The CVS test, or Chrorionic Villus Sampling Test, is done between 10 and 13 weeks of pregnancy, and is done by a doctor removing placenta cells and sending them off to a lab to be studied. This test can determine a baby’s gender while also checking for chromosomal abnormalities, but also comes with a slight risk of miscarriage.
The test can be done by inserting a large needle into the abdomen, or also by inserting a catheter into the cervix. Both methods are equally effective for getting the sample for the test. The CVS test uses a bigger sample size than the amniocentesis test, and actually the results are usually back within the week, which is pretty fast for this type of test.
This test can determine things like whether or not a baby has a chromosomal disorder like Down Syndrome or genetic issues like Cystic Fibrosis. Another thing that most people do do not know is that the CVS test can actually be used to determine paternity for a baby while a woman is still pregnant. It is also a very reliable way to tell a baby’s gender very early on in pregnancy.
The Amniocentesis test is probably one of the most well known pregnancy related tests that there is. This is the test that uses a (big!) needle to remove some of the amniotic fluid to be tested for abnormalities. This test is done between 16 and 20 weeks gestation, and can determine the risk of lots of problems, but also can tell a baby’s sex. The test results are usually returned fully within one to two weeks. This test also comes with a slight chance of miscarriage.
These tests are not designed solely for use of determining a baby’s gender, so it is important for women to keep that in mind if these tests are being discussed by your doctor. Unfortunately, chances are that if you have to have these tests done in your particular situation, you are probably not going to be too worried about the gender determination results. And they do have false positive results, so keep that in mind before agreeing to them.
One of the most common “high tech” ways to give gender selection a boost is by using sperm sorting, also sometimes known as MicroSort. With sperm sorting, the semen sample is literally “spun” to separate the girl sperm from the boy sperm. Sometimes you will hear this referred to as “sperm spinning.”
The way this works is that the sperm is spun (say that five times fast!), and in turn, the x and y sperm will separate. The girl sperm, or the x sperm, are heavier than the boy sperm, or the y sperm. Therefore, the girl sperm will go towards the bottom and the boy sperm will rise to the top.
During the sperm sorting process, abnormal sperm will also be filtered out, and only the healthy sperm will remain. Then, after that, the desired gender’s sperm can be used in conjunction with IUI or IVF procedures. This makes it much, much more likely for a couple to conceive a certain gender.
While MicroSort, or sperm sorting, is usually a successful way to help improve a couple’s chances of getting a certain gender, success rates run from around 80% success for couples who want to conceive a boy and around 75% success for couples who are wanting to conceive a girl.
This procedure is not usually covered under insurance plans, however it is in very rare situations. Make sure to check with your health insurance plan to see what, if anything, is covered when it comes to fertility treatments. Most of the time, you will have to pay out of pocket for Microsorting or sperm sorting procedures.
Couples should plan on this particular procedure costing around $1300-$2500 per cycle that it needs to be done. This cost also does not often include the cost of the IUI or IVF procedures that will need to be done in conjunction with the sorting, so make sure that you keep that in mind as well when you are considering having this treatment done.
MicroSort is also not currently approved for use in all areas of the USA, so that is definitely something to take into consideration as well. While it might be legal and a popular thing to do in some countries, that is not necessarily the case here in the United States of America.
If you are a couple who is dead set on having a certain gender of baby, Preimplanation Genetic Diagnosis, or PGD, is probably going to be your best bet. PGD is a procedure that is combined along with IVF and it is by far the most reliable method of gender determination.
This is because embryos are actually fertilized, and then tested for gender before they are ever implanted in the womb. If you are thinking that this method sounds pretty costly, you would be right. We are talking about anywhere from between $15,000 to $25,000 per cycle when it comes to using PGD, and in some cases that does not even pay for related doctor’s visits, medications, or the actual IVF procedures themselves. Needless to say, you are definitely going to be needing to empty out your pocketbook when it comes to PGD.
PGD is only done in conjunction with IVF, due to the extensive amounts of testing required with these embryos. The embryos are created in a lab setting from a semen sample of the father’s and an egg retrieval from the mother. This way, the embryo can be biopsied before it is ever transferred back to the mother’s body (or to a surrogate carrier in some cases). This method is not used for just any couple who wishes to have a specific gender of baby, however. PGD is often reserved for couples who have a strong family history of genetic disorders or medical problems that could be passed on to the baby. In most cases, couples will be denied for PGD regardless of whether or not they are willing to pay the high price tag, unless, that is, that they have a higher chance of having a baby with a birth defect.
From our research, it seems that the screening processes for PGD are very, very strict, and not many couples make it into receiving this treatment method, unless they have very high risk factors.
Even though PGD is considered to be about 97-99% accurate at determining baby gender, it is still considered to be a experimental procedure, and not very many clinics or doctors are able to perform this treatment method for their patients. In fact, in many countries, PGD is actually banned for personal or social reasons, and it only used in cases where a gender related medical or health issue is likely to be passed down.
However, when it comes to gender determination, this is by far the most effective method and is as close to perfect as you are going to find. However, even by having a medical reason to use this procedure, it is still incredibly expensive, especially when you factor in all of the related medications, doctor’s visits, ultrasounds, appointments, screenings, etc that are needed in the time leading up to and following this procedure.
In fact, some experts say that couples who use PGD to determine the gender of their baby should expect to pay upwards of $35,000 for the entire process, start to finish. Talk about an expensive choice!
If you are lucky enough to be a woman who is already pregnant, good news for you! The hard part is over! Now, you just have to wait patiently, and take good care of yourself while you grow a baby! Yay!
In the meantime, there are some really weird, wacky, and sometimes hilarious old wives’ tales out there to help you pass the time, and possibly even be able to tell if you are going to have a boy or a girl. Of course, most of these are passed down from generations far beyond, but it can be a great fun thing for pregnant women to do to pass the time and to keep their minds occupied while they are waiting for baby’s arrival. Don’t put too much faith in these, but keep them in mind while you are wondering about your baby’s gender!
We all know that pregnancy can be a long, sometimes miserable, exhausting and boring time, so by looking for old wives’ tales about baby gender, it can give a mom to be something fun to do and something to keep their minds clear and enjoying their pregnancy.
Want to have a ton of fun? Make a list of all of these different wives’ tales, and test some out for yourself! You can keep track of what the wives’ tales say about your baby’s gender, and then compare it to the actual result to see if the wives tales were right or wrong. Now, that sounds like a fun way to spend a pregnancy.
But for now, keep reading for the low down on some of the wildest, wackiest, and most commonly known wives’ tales regarding baby gender for pregnant women.
Now, we all know enough to know that morning sickness can affect any woman, regardless of whether she has a boy or a girl growing inside! Plus, morning sickness can hit any woman at any stage of her pregnancy without prejudice!
However, in the “olden days,” women used to say that if a woman was free of morning sickness, she was probably having a boy. Women who suffered from nausea and feeling sick during their pregnancies were said to be having a girl!
What about you? Is your pregnancy filled with morning sickness, nausea and exhaustion, or are you just as perky as you were pre-pregnancy?
Take note of how you are feeling, and see if it matches up with the old wives’ tale once you do find out the gender of your baby. In my own personal case, I had no morning sickness at all, and, believe it or not, gave birth to not one, but two, bouncing baby boys! In my case, the old wive’s tale was correct, now, what about yours?
For moms to be, that pregnancy glow can be a long awaited and anticipated bonus of pregnancy. However, what if that pregnancy glow never comes? It is said in old wives’ tales that little girls “steal their mother’s beauty” during pregnancy, leaving moms to be with dull skin, brittle hair, broken nails and an overall “blah” feeling.
For moms to be who are expecting a little guy, the saying goes that these moms will be the ones with the radiant pregnancy glow, shiny hair and beauty that surrounds their pregnancy.
However, we all know that this has a lot to do with how you are feeling during pregnancy, if you have morning sickness or not, whether you are eating a healthy diet or hitting the drive thru, and of course, whether or not you are getting enough water in your daily intake. As for me, I never felt like I had a pregnancy glow, but I did have two boys. In my case, I don’t think this one worked for me. However, I could just be being a little bit too hard on myself, so I’ll have to ask my family if they think I ever had that “pregnancy glow” during my pregnancies.
This one is a very common one that most pregnant women have heard many, many times. If you are carrying your baby “high,” as in under your ribcage area, right in the center of your midsection, you are more likely to be having a girl, so the saying goes.
For women who are carrying low, down in their hips or pelvic areas, that is said to be a boy. Pay attention to how your bump’s shape lays, as it may have a secret to tell about your baby’s gender!
This one is another old wives’ tale that proved correct for me, as I carried both of my boys very low all throughout both of my pregnancies. I wouldn’t say that this one is a guaranteed tell of having a specific gender, however it did work for me in (both of) my cases!
This one is also a wives’ tale that is very common, and it involves just a ring and a piece of yarn or string. This “test” can also be performed with a key tied to a piece of string as well. Someone takes the ring or key, ties it to a piece of string, and then dangles it over the pregnant woman’s belly. They can’t move the string, however, they just have to “let it do what it wants.”
The story goes, if the key or the ring moves in a circle motion, that means a woman is having a baby girl. However, if the ring or key moves front to back or side to side in motion, that indicates that she is pregnant with a baby boy.
This is one of the most common old wives’ tales out there, and I know that personally about 8 people did this one to me when I was pregnant! Now, I don’t remember what exactly the ring did when people did this “test” on me, but I know it was one of the most common old wives’ tales that I heard during my pregnancy. If you are a pregnant woman, chances are you are definitely going to hear about this one during your pregnant days!
If you have been pregnant before, or been around pregnant women in the past, chances are you have already heard of this one before. The theory goes that when a pregnant women goes to her obstetrician appointment, and listens to the baby’s heart beat, that the heart rate can actually tell whether the baby is a boy or a girl. What to look out for?
Sources say that a heart rate over 140 beats per minute is usually a baby girl, while a heart rate under 140 beats per minute means a baby boy is on the way. Now, is this actually true?
Doctors say no, but I will say that in the case of both of my little boys, their heart rates were in the 130’s every single time I went to the doctor, so in my case, it worked! Most doctors and other experts agree that this is not an accurate way to predict baby gender.
However, if you tell anyone about your OBGYN appointment, chances are they will ask about the baby’s heart rate, and once you tell them, they will most likely have an opinion on whether that number indicates a baby boy or baby girl for you!
If you are aware of your blood pressure BEFORE getting pregnant, it’s easy to figure out this old wives’ tale. The story goes that women who have elevated blood pressure levels prior to conceiving are more likely to have baby boys. Women whose blood pressure is at “normal” levels, or possibly even a little bit below normal are more likely to have a girl.
Again, my blood pressure is always a little bit high, and I have two little boys, so in my case, this wives’ tale was accurate again! However, this may be a little bit difficult for some women. If you don’t already have an idea of what your blood pressure is like before getting pregnant, it might be hard to determine this old wives’ tale in your particular case. This one is mainly for women who are already aware of their blood pressure before becoming pregnant.
We’re talking about pupils, that is. Some old wives tales state that if a mom to be looks in the mirror and sees that her pupils are dilated, it could indicate that she is having a baby boy.
However, if her pupils stay at normal size for the full duration of her pregnancy, it could mean that she is having a baby girl. If you are pregnant, take a look in the mirror. What do your eyes say about you?
This one doesn’t seem to have too much medicinal credit. As for me, I can’t really say much about this one. I didn’t notice that my pupils were any more dilated than normal. I guess that actually means that they stayed the same size, but I didn’t have a girl with either of my pregnancies.
This old wives’ tale is a pretty funny one. The saying goes that if a dad to be is gaining sympathy weight along with this pregnant significant other, chances are that the baby is going to be a girl.
If dad is staying in shape while mom is the one gaining a bump, chances are the baby is going to be a boy.
So, is your guy gaining some weight during your pregnancy? It could be an indication that ribbons and bows are in your near future!
It is pretty common, however, for men to gain “sympathy” weight during their partner’s pregnancy, so I’m not really convinced that this one is true for predicting baby gender. In my own personal case, my partner did not gain any weight during my pregnancies, so according to this wives’ tale, it’s actually true.
How are your pregnancy cravings? Depending on what you are craving during your pregnancy, this could give you a little bit of insight into what the sex of your baby is going to be, or so say the old wives’ tales. Women who crave sweet treats during pregnancy, like desserts, chocolate, ice cream, cookies and cakes, are said to be having a baby girl, because girls like things that are sweet.
Moms who are expecting boys, on the other hand, often crave salty foods like pickles, chips, pretzels, and even burgers, pizza and wings. So, which one are you? What do your middle of the night food cravings say about your baby?
Many experts and pregnant women alike do believe that this one actually works for predicting baby gender. So, did it work for me? Actually, yes! Through the entire duration of both of my pregnancies, I craved things like burgers, tacos and pizza, and what do you know? At the end of the day, I delivered two baby boys, so this one most definitely worked for me!
Chances are, you have heard about the linea nigra, or the dark line that runs vertically up and down a pregnant woman’s belly during pregnancy. It’s completely normal, and completely harmless, and don’t worry if you don’t have one, not all pregnant women will get one. However, if you do have a linea nigra during pregnancy, it can tell a lot about whether or not you are having a boy or a girl, according to old wives tales.
Women whose linea nigra stops at their belly button and does not continue on up are said to be having a girl. If the line continues on past the belly button and up the abdomen, chances are the baby is going to be a boy. Check this out if you are expecting and see what the strange dark line of pregnancy says about you! I actually never had the linea nigra with either one of my pregnancies, so I can not speak to the accuracy of this old wives’ tale!
This one is pretty funny, and could be a little bit dangerous for the people involved in your life. The saying goes that if a woman eats a lot of garlic during pregnancy, but doesn’t smell like it afterwards, then she is probably having a baby girl.
However, if a woman smells like a huge loaf of garlic bread after eating garlic, she is probably having a baby boy. So, ask your loved ones to sniff you after eating garlic and get their honest opinion on how stinky you are- it can help you to determine your baby’s gender!
I didn’t get to try this one during my pregnancies, because I didn’t know about it, but, man if I did! I was a garlic lover during my pregnancies, so this would have been a great one for me to try!
Okay, this one is one of the wackiest old wives’ tales that we have found when it comes to baby gender prediction. First of all, almost all women have one breast that is at least a little bit (if not a lot) bigger than the other. However, this wives’ tale states that if women have one breast that gets bigger than the other during pregnancy, it can help to determine the baby’s gender.
So, if the right breast is bigger than the left breast, it is said to be a baby boy. However, if the left breast is the bigger one, chances are the baby is going to be a girl. Is it crazy? Yes! Does it work? Let us know!
I can’t say for sure if this one is true or not, since my, ahem, girls, have always been a little bit on the uneven side, if you know what I mean! I wish I would have paid closer attention to this during my pregnancies so I could confirm whether or not this one is accurate!
How clumsy are you during your pregnancy? Your answer could be the key to telling if you are having a boy or a girl. If you are graceful as ever during your pregnancy, the wives tale says that you are probably having a baby girl.
However, if you are tripping over your own two feet every five seconds, chances are your baby is a boy. I, personally, was always very clumsy, so I don’t know if this contributed to the fact that I now have two little boys, but I like to think that it had at least a little something to do with it!
Yes, this one is gross, but it’s one of the most common old wives’ tales out there when it comes to baby gender prediction. Of course, how hydrated you are (or are not) is really going to have a lot to do with your urine color, so keep that in mind.
However, if you are regularly hydrated during your pregnancy, and still notice a change in the color of your urine, some people believe that this could actually be something that can help you to figure out your baby’s gender.
Urine that is bright yellow in color is said to be likely to be from a baby girl. Dull yellow urine or light colored urine is said to be from a baby boy. So, pay attention the next time that you go to the bathroom, there could be important information in that potty!
I can’t speak to the accuracy of this one, since I had not heard about it during my pregnancies, but go ahead and knock yourself out with this one, and see how it works for you in your particular situation.
Okay, guys, so this one is actually a little more “scientific” than the other methods, and actually sounds like there might be some truth behind it. This is also one of the wives’ tales that we had not heard of before, so take that into consideration. This one is called the Ramzi method, and is sometimes referred to as the Ramzi theory.
This theory states that you can actually tell if you are having a boy or a girl from very early on in the pregnancy, depending on which side of the uterus that the embryo has decided to attach to. You can usually find this out at your very first OB/GYN appointment, depending on whether or not you have an ultrasound.
While some say that the Ramzi Theory is up to 95% accurate, fertility doctors and OB/GYNs largely dismiss it, saying that the theory is just based on guessing and nothing more. However, just like all the other wives’ tales, it can be fun to take note of this one, and see what it says about your pregnancy.
The Ramzi theory states that if the placenta is growing on the right side of the uterus, then the baby is probably a boy. On the other hand, if the placenta is growing on the right side, the placenta is probably a girl.
As of right now, there are no studies or other evidence to back up the Ramzi theory, only that it was published online in a medical journal back in 2011. So, is it legit? This is another one that I can’t say much about, since the Ramzi method just became mainstream back in around 2011, and my youngest son was born in 2010.
I really do wish that I had known about this theory back when I was pregnant, because I would have loved to try it out and see if it really is true or not. I have a niece who is pregnant right now, and I am definitely going to find out what her doctor says about this at her first OBGYN appointment, so I can put the Ramzi theory to the test in real life!
The Ramzi theory of gender determination is probably not any more legit than any of these other wives’ tales that we have been talking about in this article, but it can still be fun to try it out and see if it works in your particular case. You can ask your sonographer at the ultrasound to let you know what side the placenta is forming on, or, if you have an image from an ultrasound, you can post the image to a gender determination group on Facebook, and they can help you figure it out.
However, it is important to remember that this is only for fun, and that experts don’t believe there is any scientific merit to the Ramzi method. Doctors say that if the Ramzi method was actually real, more studies would be done on this method by now and that you would be hearing about it a lot more than you already have. Chances are, this one is not actually true, but it doesn’t hurt anything to try it for yourself and see.
Want to play (really, really) mad scientist? Then here is a perfect one for you! It might sound gross, but women report that it has about an 80% chance of being accurate. So, to do this nasty science experiment, you need to mix two tablespoons of baking soda with a cup of your urine.
Yes, that’s right, we are talking about your pee again. If your urine remains the same, chances are you are having a baby girl. However, if it fizzes like a volcano science project, a boy just might be in your future.
Just be careful when you do this one, and don’t let anyone walk in on you doing urine experiments in the bathroom! I have to say, I have never tried any urine experiments during my pregnancies, so I have absolutely no clue if this one is actually true or not. I have read on internet message boards that this one is actually pretty accurate, but I have no idea if this one has any scientific basis at all.
Another common old wives’ tale when it comes to gender determination is a woman’s foot size during pregnancy. If your shoe size remains the same while you are pregnant, it is said that you are probably having a baby girl.
However, if your foot gets bigger, between ½ size and a whole shoe size, chances are you are having a baby boy. I can speak to the truth of this one! Before I got pregnant, I wore a size six and a half shoe. Now, two baby boys later, I can sometimes squeeze my huge feet into an 8.
This one was definitely true in my case, what about yours? I have actually heard from many women I know that say that when they were pregnant with boys that their feet grew really quickly and really big. Now, is it true? I really can’t say for sure, but it’s definitely something to pay attention to during your pregnancy.
Although there are a TON of different ways to determine if your baby is going to be a boy or a girl by using these methods listed above, even if they aren’t “scientific” methods, there are also a ton of different ways to “sway” your baby’s gender before you get pregnant, the truth of the matter is, unless you are willing to shell out the big bucks and find a prestigious doctor who just does this kind of thing for couples who prefer one sex over another, this is just one simple thing that we don’t have much control over.
It is strange in this day and age for there to be something that we can’t fully control, no matter the amount of technology we have, and no matter how big our pocketbooks. I have seen so many couples who think they really know what they are having, even after a gender ultrasound, but it turns out, they were really having the opposite gender. The truth remains that baby gender is not a 100% science, and even a very expensive procedure like PGD comes with a (albeit small) chance of being wrong.
The truth of the matter is, there is not a 100% foolproof way for couples to determine the sex of their baby after becoming pregnant. There is not a foolproof way to sway the gender of a baby before getting pregnant, and there are no guarantees when it comes to this stuff. Although we can have a really good idea of what is going to happen, sometimes life does swing some surprises our way. It’s one of those things that you just have to take in stride, and give up control, although most of us are not very good at that, myself included!
Sometimes in life, you just don’t get to know everything, and having a baby is one of those times. We are lucky that there are so many more options out there than they used to be, and I am sure that in the future, scientists and doctors will get this down to close to perfect. I can forsee in the future most every couple being able to have a say in their baby’s gender, and I am not sure if that is a good or a bad thing. I guess both sides of this coin have positive and negative aspects,so we have to keep that in mind.
You can take the things that we have talked about today in this article and you can try them out if you so choose. You can have fun with the wives tales, or try to sway your baby’s gender while you are trying to conceive. There are enough wives’ tales and ways to try to sway baby’s gender out there to keep couples busy for quite some time. Some of them sound wacky and weird, but some of them actually sound like they have a pretty good chance of being accurate. But, please take time to remember that this is all in fun.
None of these theories are proven, and a healthy baby really just remains to be the ultimate goal of all couples who are trying to conceive or who are pregnant. The rest is something that can work itself out. So, with that being said, knock yourself out, and enjoy these different theories and wives tales about baby gender!
Try them out for yourself and keep a running tally of the ones you try, and you can come back later on and see which ones actually worked for you and which ones were just crazy!
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