“You are glowing! You must be having a boy” is probably a sentence you’ve heard more than once since you became pregnant. This obsession over the gender of the baby is understandable. It determines which name you’re going to use, the clothes you’re going to buy, and even going as far as imagining what the future lives of your baby will be.
The frustrating thing is the earliest you can tell the baby’s gender is 10 weeks. Until then, it’s a guessing game, ergo the different old wives’ tales about the “signs” that show the gender of your unborn little one: if you’re carrying low it’s a boy, if you get terrible morning sickness it’s a girl, when you have severe acne it’s a girl, and the list goes on.
The bottom line is: can we trust these old wives’ tales? Do they have some truth to them? Or, should we leave it up to science to tell us the signs? Find out all about that by reading on.
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Debunking Myths about Baby Sex Predictions
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First, let us debunk the myths surrounding baby gender prediction. In all fairness to those old wives, they gave a LOT of signs. But, the question is if they’re true. Let’s find out:
1. Extreme mood swings mean it’s a girl
If you already had mood swings pre-pregnancy and haven’t experienced them yet, just you wait. Mood swings can become really intense during pregnancy. And, there’s hearsay claiming that if you have been experiencing erratic mood swings, then you might be having a girl.
The truth is that those mood swings have no relevance to gender at all. Some women have little to no mood swings and end up having girls. A woman’s threshold becomes much more delicate and sensitive during pregnancy regardless of the baby’s gender. So, is this sign a myth? Definitely, it is.
2. It’s a girl if your baby is laying high in your tummy
How those old wives got to making these assumptions is more interesting than finding out that this statement is another myth. Where your baby lies inside of you does not determine the sex of your baby. They hang low or high depending on your body type and diet. The baby gender prediction of the baby has nothing to do with it.
3. It’s a girl if your pee is yellow
The only good thing about this sign is that it is one that no one else will see and harass you for. No peeping mother or mother-in-law will come storming into the bathroom to check on the colour of your pee. The bad news, however, is that it is another myth. No body of research can confirm this claim, and therefore, we can rule it out as a hoax.
Another bad news is that yellowish pee could be a sign that you are dehydrated. And, dehydration is not a condition you want to find yourself in when you’re pregnant. So, drink up, and wish for it to turn clear.
4. Beautiful glowing skin means it’s a boy
This is the type of sign that might be bordering on being judgmental, because what is the basis of old wives saying glowing has anything to do with baby gender prediction? Plus, what a sly way to tell a mum they’re looking as haggard as a mop when you tell them they must be having a girl based on this myth. Thank goodness science is not backing up old wives on this one.
5. Salty and savoury cravings mean it’s a boy
If old wives’ tales are basing the baby’s gender prediction on the adjectives used to describe these types of food, then we can officially confirm that these old wives think of gender in the traditional sense. Salty and savoury cravings mean the baby is a boy and sweet cravings mean the baby is a girl. You can’t get more traditional than that.
Fortunately, no body of research can confirm that cravings are indicators of a baby’s sex, as cravings say more about the nutritional needs of pregnant women than the sex.
Alright, so now that we know which myths to throw out the window, let’s signs that are actually backed by research and are reliable in determining the sex of the baby. Let’s start with what science has to say about the signs you’re carrying a boy:
Science Says Your Baby is a Boy When . . .
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1. When you consumed high amounts of calories during conception
If you were that gal who ate at steakhouses, ate meat after meat, then ate them with huge bowls or plates of pasta and potato wedges right before conception, there is a likelier chance you are having a boy. The only explanation for this is that baby boys need more calories. This statement is relatively reliable as a baby gender prediction.
2. When you are eating more than usual
So you ought to note not only what you eat before getting pregnant but also the amount of food you eat during pregnancy. If your appetite is already being likened to a bottomless pit, you could be getting yourself a baby boy.
What’s the reasoning behind it? The amount of testosterone that male fetuses produce may be sending a mum signals to eat more.
3. When you’ve found yourself rejecting your favourite foods
Ah, the food aversions. According to science, aversions are the mums’ bodies’ way of telling which foods are potentially sketchy substances. So, in other words, aversions actually save you from food poisoning. Such squeamishness is used to protect a male fetus, considered to be especially vulnerable. Aha, another baby gender prediction went right.
ALSO READ:
Is It a Boy or a Girl?: When Can You Find Out Your Baby’s Gender
How to Know if Pregnant With Twins? 9 Ways to Tell if You’re Having a Multiple Pregnancy
“You’re Not What I Wanted:” Truth Behind Gender Disappointment
Science Says Your Baby is a Girl When . . .
1. Your morning sickness is intense
2. You have a bad memory
3. Your baby is in a breech position.
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