How to Tell if You Are Having a Boy or a Girl
There are lots of wonderful things about pregnancy (getting to meet that tiny little VIP comes to mind first!), but one of the most fun things has got to be guessing the sex of your soon-to-be little one. If you've been hoping for one or the other even before those two lines popped up, chances are you're keeping an eye on every sign and symptom you're feeling hoping to get a hint. And if you're hanging out with your grandmother, she's probably asking you questions like this:
Are you carrying low or high? Is baby's heart rate around 140? Super nauseous?
Over the years, plenty of old wives' tales have been passed down claiming to point to one sex or the other. But is there any truth to any of them? Bottom line: Not really. Here are the facts when it comes to the most common "clues" that you'll be seeing blue soon. Still, even though most of these boy pregnancy symptom myths have been debunked, some of them will hold true for you—after all, there's a 50 percent chance, right?
Blue Filtered Cropped high angle shot of a pregnant woman's bare belly
Credit: PeopleImages/Getty Images
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Old Wives' Tales Say You're Having a Boy If...
You're carrying low
According to one old wives' tale, if you're carrying the baby low, even before that much-anticipated "dropping" that occurs late in the third trimester before you go into labor, you may be pregnant with a boy.
The truth: While carrying low can help you avoid some of that pregnancy indigestion, according to Kameelah Phillips, M.D., IBCLC, an OB-GYN at Calla Women's Health in New York, it doesn't necessarily mean your baby is a boy. "It really depends on the position of the baby and the number of babies you've had that primarily impacts the appearance of the abdomen and uterus."
You're only putting on pounds around your belly
Can people tell you're pregnant from behind? If not, you may be pregnant with a boy. So goes this myth, which states if you're "all belly," there's a good chance you'll welcome a boy, but if you're carrying the excess weight in your hips, waist, and rear, you may be having a girl.
The truth: "Again, not really," says Dr. Phillips. "This is mostly related to mom's size and shape, rather than a particular gender."
Your partner isn't gaining weight
On your own when it comes to this whole weight gain thing? This old wives' tale says there's a good chance you're having a boy if your partner has been able to maintain his svelte physique even when the scale tips upward for you as the weeks progress.
The truth: "While dad weight is definitely a thing," says Dr. Phillips, "it doesn't point to a particular gender."
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Your skin is clear and glowing
Is your skin glowing or has your pregnancy been riddled with acne that could rival your teen years? As the saying goes, "girls steal your beauty." So if you've truly got that pregnant glow, this wives' tale errs on the side of a baby boy.
The truth: Dr. Phillips says there may be just a hint of truth to experiencing a pregnancy glow, but it doesn't mean you should start buying blue. "Often, glowing skin is associated with a baby boy, but is more likely related to an increase in blood flow and volume," she says, which happens in every pregnancy.
Your morning sickness isn't that bad
Those early weeks of pregnancy can be tough, regardless of whether you experience morning sickness or not. Some amount of queasiness is normal for every pregnant woman, but if your morning sickness is totally manageable, it's possible you're baking a boy.
The truth: Recent studies have debunked this myth, stating that 80 percent of women experience some amount of nausea and vomiting during pregnancy, regardless of baby's sex.
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Your urine is a dull yellow
It's a good idea to take a cautious approach to any wives' tales having to do with urine—there are some at-home "gender prediction" tests that can be downright dangerous! But this one is pretty tame—simply check out the color of your urine to get a clue into your baby's sex. Bright yellow? You could be carrying a girl, while a duller hue could indicate a boy.
The truth: Sadly, Dr. Phillips flatly disagrees with this assessment: "Urine color, smell, and volume varies throughout the day and with hydration and diet. As such, there is no relation between urine and the gender of your baby. It's likely related to factors like fluid intake, presence of infection, and vitamin usage."
Your feet are always cold
Got cold feet? No, not about being pregnant (though that's perfectly normal!). If you find that your feet are always cold now that you're pregnant, one old wives' tale holds that you might be expecting a boy.
The truth: Temperature changes are most likely due to normal hormonal fluctuations, says Dr. Phillips. "Women complain about being both overly hot and cold at any point during the pregnancy, so it's not a reliable determination of the baby's gender."
Your baby's heart rate is low
You'll probably hear that amazing beating sound sometime around 8-10 weeks at one of your first doctor's appointments. And many people believe this treasured experience can also be one of your first possible clues into your baby's sex: male fetuses supposedly have a heart rate that's 140 beats per minute or slower, while girls' hearts beat a bit faster, at 140 beats per minute or higher.
The truth: Numerous studies have proven this to be untrue.
Science Says You're Having a Boy If...
We know, we know, you're dying to find out which sex you're carrying. It seems like the wait takes forever! Old wives' tales aside, there are a few science-approved ways you can find out definitively whether you'll welcome a boy or girl, starting with these tests:
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NIPT Screening: First up is the optional noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT), a genetic screening test you'll be offered around week 10 of your pregnancy. Baby's sex will be included in the test report that comes back from your doctor, so be sure to let him or her know before the report is read if you don't want to know what you're having.
NT Scan: If you opt out of the genetic screening, your next opportunity to take a stab at the sex of your unborn baby is at the nuchal translucency (NT) scan around 12 weeks of pregnancy. This is simply a thorough ultrasound (it's often done in combination with the NIPT blood test) that screens for different markers of Down syndrome, trisomy 13, trisomy 18, and other chromosomal abnormalities. While 12 weeks is a bit early to determine sex, every now and then the tech may get a clear shot.
Mid-Pregnancy Ultrasound: If you're still guessing after these tests, or you've opted to skip the NIPT, you'll have to wait until your mid-pregnancy ultrasound to learn baby's sex. Around weeks 18-22 of your pregnancy, you'll finally get to go in for your much-anticipated mid-pregnancy ultrasound, where you'll get an intimate view of every inch of your growing bundle of joy. In most cases, you should be able to find out your baby's sex if you don't want to keep it a surprise.
How to Tell if You Are Having a Boy or a Girl
Source: https://www.parents.com/pregnancy/signs/symptoms/boy-pregnancy-symptoms-old-wives-tales-gender/