Yes

by R.L Hanlon

Created on: July 26, 2008

Women in the modern era have the ability to determine the gender of their unborn baby by simply having an ultrasound. But this technology wasn't available not that long ago and many resorted to old wives tales that have been passed from generation to generation to predict the gender of an unborn baby.

Although many of these tales can be fun to experiment with, how accurate they are can sometimes be questionable. The odds of predicting the gender of a child are pretty good, it's either going to be a boy or a girl. But some rely on observation that can have a measure of truthfulness to them.

Following is an assessment of the many wives tales that are used to predict the gender of an unborn baby and how much truthfulness exists for each one.

~Morning sickness means you're having a girl

I'm sure the many mothers who have suffered morning sickness throughout their pregnancy and delivered a boy, would say there is no truthfulness in this tale. Morning sickness is caused by hormonal changes in blood sugar levels.

~Baby Heart Rate

It is a scientific fact that a woman's heartbeat is faster than that of a man. It is said that a fast heartbeat will predict the birth of a girl. If the heart rate is above 140 beats per minute the baby will be a girl, a boy if it is below.

But as your unborn baby develops, the many changes it goes through change the rate of the heartbeat. This makes the truthfulness of this tale once that is not true.

~Cravings

Another tale tells us that you can predict an unborn baby's gender depending on what sort of foods you are craving. If you are craving sweet foods when pregnant, your baby will be born a girl. If you crave sour or savory foods, it will be a boy. Observing my own three pregnancies and advising other mothers of this tale, my general consensus is there can be some truthfulness to this tale.

~How a Pregnant woman lies when asleep

It is believed that the side a woman lays when asleep may determine which gender she could be having. If you lie on your right it is believed you could be having a boy and laying on your left it is a girl. When you're eight months pregnant and suffering from indigestion and being uncomfortable, I think every pregnant woman will sleep any way they can.

~Dryness of Your skin

If your skin is soft and subtle you could be having a girl. If your skin is dry it may predict the impending birth of a boy. Hormones affect pregnant women in a number of ways including our skin.

~Are you clumsy?

Another tale tells if you're clumsy through your pregnancy you could be having a boy. If you're feeling light footed and breezy, you could be having a girl. I must admit that I haven't had the time to observe this when pregnant.

~The size of your breasts

Yes, old wives tales even have one that includes the sizes of your breasts to determine the gender of an unborn baby. If your left breast is bigger you may be having a girl, but if your right breast is larger then it will be a boy.

~Using your ring as a Pendulum

Using an item that is close to the skin of the mother, preferably a wedding ring as a pendulum, the sex of the baby may be predicted. Plucking a hair from the head of the mother and then threading it through the ring hold the pendulum above the pregnant mothers belly. If it swings in a circular motion then it is a girl and if side-to-side it is a boy. This method can be accurate but you essentially need to have a personal ring from the mother to do it. The odds are pretty good in determining the right gender for the baby.

~How your baby is sitting

The look and size of a pregnant belly can also tell us the gender of a baby. If a women's belly is sitting high it is a girl and low is a boy. If it is round, similar to a basketball and sitting out can tell us it is also a girl. So far, judging by the way I have seen friends and family and their pregnant bellies, this prediction can be accurate.

~Skin breakouts

If you are suffering from constant skin breakouts of pimples, an old wives tale tells us the baby may be a girl. Considering what hormones do to all pregnant women, this may not be a reliable method of prediction.

Determining the sex of your unborn baby by using old wives tales can be fun, but many are not accurate. Considering the odds of determining the sex are either fifty/fifty and that modern technology can tell us within minutes, the use of old wives tales can sometimes be accurate and other times not.

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