Old Wives Tales That Predict Gender

It’s every mother’s wish to know whether her baby is a girl or boy. It’s an age-old question, and until recently, one of the only ways to find out was waiting for the day your newborn finally arrives. But that never stopped anyone from coming up with fun guessing games, such as the old wives’ tales that predict gender.

For centuries, people have been attempting to predict the gender of unborn babies using urban legends and popular myths. While some old wives’ tales are way too farfetched, others flirt around scientific correctness. However, no matter the guesswork, your predictions will always have 50/50 chances of coming right. That’s because of the ratio of boys to girls in the world 107:100.

As you wait for your appointment for a gender-confirming ultrasound scan, it won’t hurt to test out these passed-down predictions for fun. Avoid taking any of these too seriously though, even if some older folks swear by them. Here are the most popular pregnancy-related old wives’ tales that predict gender.

Where Did Old Wives’ Tales Predicting Gender Prediction Come From?

You must be curious to know which sex of the baby you, a friend or relative is carrying. That predicament was with our foremothers, who relied on oral tradition to catch some wisdom from their grandmas. Tales were told about everything, from pregnancy, childbearing, rearing, illnesses, and even death. These stories gave folks a sense of control over situations that left them feeling powerless.

Myths regarding pregnancy originate all around the world. Each culture has had a batch passed down through generations. While you may have heard some, these old wives’ tales still abound today. That’s despite scientific evidence that points to the opposite of many of the traditional gender predications.

When talking about old wives’ tales that predict gender, note that I am not referring to the ancient Chinese birth charts or definitive and popular Nub theory. These predictions are less about dates or physical exams, but more about noticing subtle signs like changes in moods or feelings. Others will investigate symptoms like cravings, how your belly is shaped, or your irritability levels and jump to conclusions.

Old wives’ tales don’t have much in terms of accuracy as a way of figuring out the sex of your unborn baby. But they make for a laugh, myths that have little truth or basis. As such, don’t settle for these predictions, going out to start shopping for baby clothes of the predicted gender. Take each with a pinch of salt, but you can test them out and see which comes true.

What Are the Old Wives’ Tales That Predict Your Baby’s Gender?

Today, you are scheduled for a blood test at 10 weeks and an ultrasound scan at 20 to 24 weeks to determine if you’re having a girl or a boy. If you chose, you can leave it until the day of delivery, making it a surprise. However, before science and technology, you didn’t have options other than to believe old wives’ tales that predict your tot’s gender.

While not scientifically proven, any gender prediction has a 50/50 chance of being right due to the modern-day ratio of sexes. It’s so close at 100:107 that the outcome will possibly be what the tale predicts.

You may be looking for direction with baby names, or you’re eager to find out if any of these myths work. Could be it’s only for fun, so the old wives’ tales that predict gender include;

How High or Low Are You Carrying?

Old wives’ tales hold that if you’re carrying a pregnancy high, it’s a girl while low is going to be a boy. As an observation of your womb’s protrusion, these myths say that when the belly expands horizontally, you’re pregnant with a female child. If your baby bump hangs forward, it’s purported to be a male offspring.

The truth is that the shape of your belly follows after your body type. There’s no evidence whatsoever that womb shapes differ between the genders.

Is Your Skin Dry or Moisturized?

Dryness of the skin is considered a pregnancy symptom when you’re expecting a baby boy. The old wives’ tales intimate that you’re likely to bear a girl if your hands are smooth and moisturized. Of course, the climate, time of year, and whether you’ve put on moisturizing lotion or not has more to do with it.

Which Way Does the Ring Swing?

Take off your wedding, engagement, or other ring and tie it to a piece of cord. Next, hang this pendulum over your belly and watch how it swings. If swinging is back and forth, you’ll have a girl but when the motion is circular, it’s a boy.

While it seems as though you’re taking a stab at Ouija board-like powers, there’s no consistency with this old wives’ tale. If you try swinging the ring multiple times, chances are you’ll be confused by the variety of outcomes. Only when you get the same result after many swings should you consider the answer true, but who knows?

What Did the Drain Cleaner Say?

Now here’s a weird old wives’ tale that resounds with 17^th-century witchcraft. Except that Drano, the popular but modern drain cleaner by S. C. Johnson is the litmus for the test. You’re required to urinate in a cup and then mix in a tablespoon of this cleaning solution. When it turns blue, you’re having a boy, but green is supposedly a girl.

My recommendation is that you don’t even attempt this one. Urea in your pee can react with chemicals in Drano, causing a reaction that produces toxic fumes and sometimes can explode. Instead, use another feature in a version of this old wives’ tale, baking powder. If the mix fizzles, it’s a boy, and if it doesn’t, your baby is a girl.

What’s Your Baby’s Heartrate?

An old wives’ tale maintains that your unborn baby’s heart rate indicates which gender they’ll turn out to be. If your tot’s heartbeat is over 140 beats per minute, you should be preparing for a baby girl. When it’s less than 140 bpm, you’re expecting a boy.

Due to its slightly scientific nuances about heart rate, this old wives’ tale sounds medical and has fooled many pregnant moms. Scientifically, there is no tangible difference in the workings of the circulation systems of a male versus female baby.

Isn’t That Chocolate to Die For?

Are you craving sugary, sweet things, or have you gone dour and only want the sour and salty? According to this old wives’ tale, a sweet tooth signifies a baby girl, while the opposite is correct for a bouncing boy.

If you want to explore this further, science informs that cravings indicate a nutritional deficiency and not the gender of your unborn baby.

Are You Counting Odds or Evens?

Legendary Mayans and the Chinese used gender charts to predict an unborn baby’s gender. These combine your age at conception and the time when your baby is conceived for a sex determination. These old wives’ tales tell that when these figures are both odd numbers, you should expect a baby girl. If one of the dates is odd while the other is even, then the prediction points to a boy.

Life and natural occurrences like pregnancy aren’t that well-aligned to make much use of basic arithmetic. Odd or even dates have nothing to do with your baby’s gender. Instead, these can have more to do with predicting their day or time of birth.

Are You Sick or Not, In the Morning?

According to this legendary old wives’ tale, being stricken with morning bouts of stomach queasiness in your first trimester indicates a girl. That’s because you’re probably seeing pink. A pregnancy not encumbered with nausea should have you thinking boy all the way, evidenced by blue for males.

Ask around, and you’ll find friends or relatives who experienced rough instances of morning sickness. Chances are they gave birth to either of the sexes, regardless.

How Far Does the Linea Nigra Run?

The Linea nigra is that dark pigmented line that runs down the middle of your pregnant belly. It can also last after pregnancy. The old wives’ tale holds that if this marking runs past your belly button, it’s a sign of a baby girl. Linea nigra that stop above this point indicate, in all accuracy, that you’re to get a boy.

Did You Have Any Garlic?

If your food contains garlic chances are that someone you talk to will smell it on your breath. The old wives’ tale maintains that when pregnant with a baby girl, nobody can smell cloves you consumed. If your mouth gives you away, which is most likely, your unborn child is a boy.

Is That a Glow in Your Appearance?

Based on your appearance, this old wives’ tale claims to predict the gender of your baby during pregnancy. A radiant, glowing appearance means that you’re expecting a boy. But when you’re looking dull and tired, you’re told it’s a girl. It’s a case of another dreaded female sucking the life out of poor mum.

The same goes for your hair, which says it’s a boy when it’s thick and glossy when you’re pregnant. If you’ve got a mop of limp, dull, and shaggy locks, you’ve guessed right, it’s a girl.

What Do You See in the Mirror?

Another old wives’ tale that puts on a scientific hat talks about pupil dilation and the length of time this happens when you’re looking at your face in the mirror. When your pupils dilate for more than a minute, expect a boy and vice versa.

Let’s pretend, for a second, that your pupil’s dilation isn’t caused by the amount of light in the room. One tale that doesn’t need you to peer in the mirror is the lopsided chest. If the right breast is larger than its counterpart, yours will be a son. When your left boob is the more significant, start decorating the nursery with hues of pink.

Conclusion

Using science and technology, a reliable way of predicting your unborn baby’s gender is ultrasound imaging. 2D, 3D/4D, and Doppler scans boast 100% accuracy, but it’s dependent on when you get the test. Revealing the sex of your baby will also be determined by how far along the pregnancy you are. The cooperation from your tot is essential, as so is the quality of the ultrasonography machine.

Despite all the advancement, old wives’ tales refuse to die, especially since a child’s sex holds meaning with the parents. While you want a healthy baby, you’re secretly or publicly thinking of being a mother to a particular gender. Conception, pregnancy, and birth are miracles, and every miracle has mystery surrounding it.