When it comes to determining the sex of a baby, there is no sure fire way aside from delivery. Even ultrasound comes with its own percentage of falsehoods, due to human error. People – namely, other women and mothers – have been known to come up with some creative and perhaps ridiculous ways to determine the sex of a baby while it’s still in the womb. Some of these ideas have been around so long that we refer to them as Old Wives Tales. Let’s take a look at the most popular of them:
Linea de Negra: Many women get the linea de negra, which is a distinct line running down the middle of her stomach. It has been said that if a woman bears this, she is having a boy, and that the absence of one indicates a girl. I have two girls and wore this line during both pregnancies, so that idea is bunk.
Activity of the Baby: It has been said that an unborn baby who is very active, kicks, and moves a great deal in the womb is far more likely to be a girl than a boy.
Kicking Pattern: If the unborn kicks on the right side of the mother’s womb, he’s a boy; if on the left, she’s a girl. My second baby did just this, as she was firmly planted with her feet in my left ribcage.
Position of the Baby: I can’t tell you how many times a person commented on my stomach during my second pregnancy. It’s high, it’s low, it’s round, it’s flat in front, etc. The whole thing is exhausting, because no two comments coincided with each other. Many contend that if a woman carries her baby “high” and her stomach has a round appearance, she is expecting a girl. Likewise, a boy is carried low and relatively more “sideways”. However, many others would say the exact opposite. Perhaps they got it backwards on accident? And remember, babies tend to come out the same way eventually, so at one point or another, the baby will look low in the uterus regardless of sex.
Hand Position of Baby: If the ultrasound shows the baby’s hands are raised, the child is a girl; if they are down, the child is a boy. If you’re lucky though, you could just look a little south and get a glimpse of the truth while you’re looking around in there.
Heartbeat: Girls are said to have higher heartbeat rates than boys, often times closer to 140 beats per minute. Mine sure did! Maybe boys are just more relaxed in there? My girls slept a lot but when they were up they made themselves known.
Sweet, Sour or Spicy: A woman who craves sweets must be bearing a boy, while a craving for sour foods indicates a girl. I had sour cravings during my first pregnancy (sauerkraut) and sweet the second (ice cream daily). Additionally, a mom-to-be who desires a diet of spicy foods is expecting a boy.
Heartburn: An expectant mom who is especially troubled by heartburn and indigestion is having a boy. I will tell you right now that this is terribly false. I suffered more from heartburn as my pregnancy progressed, so I believe this has more to do with the position and the size of the growing of the baby.
Clingy Older Sister: If the unborn baby’s female sibling becomes especially clingy towards her mom throughout her mom’s pregnancy, a boy is on the way. Well, I would expect any child to become clingy when a baby is on the way. Mine did, and she got a sister.
Hairy Legs: An expectant mom who has to shave her legs more frequently during her pregnancy is said to be awaiting the delivery of a girl. I’m not sure about the growth on my legs since I could hardly see them, but my stomach definitely needed a shave by month nine!
There are a few fun things to do to determine sex as well, and they include:
Pins and Needles: Dangle a pin, needle or nail, tied to a piece of thread, over the expectant woman’s wrist (some say stomach). If the pin swings back and forth, it’s a boy. If it twirls in circles, it’s a girl.
Wedding Rings: Tie the mom-to-be’s wedding ring to a strand of her hair and dangle it over her stomach. If the ring rotates counterclockwise, it’s a boy. If it rotates clockwise, it’s a girl. Whoa be it to those of us who aren’t married yet!
From what I’ve listed here, how did your baby hold up to the tests? Do the Old Wives Tales hold water?