What Determines if a Baby Will Be a Boy or Girl

March 07, 2022 Post a Comment

Forget about waiting twoscore weeks to find out the sex of your baby. Practically since the beginning of time, moms-to-be and the people who love them have come up upward with ways to effort to figure out if that bun in the oven is a girl or a boy.

Now, of course, nosotros know that gender is not just about what's betwixt your legs. Parents have fifty-fifty done belated "gender reveals" for their teens who are transgender, celebrating and supporting the person that they are.

And nosotros've seen gender reveal parties go really, really awry. Even the mom credited with popularizing the concept of a gender reveal party has disavowed the idea.

So yes, bringing a new life into the world is about and so much more than the question of "boy or daughter?" You're creating a person! Nonetheless, if you're one of the many parents who do want to know, ahead are some ideas — scientific, traditional and downright odd — to notice out whether you're having a boy or a girl.

And if yous must accept a party, just please be safe and make sure no ane gets hurt, OK?

Genetic blood test

Volition it work? Aye!

While blood tests that merits to predict your infant's sexual activity as early as vii weeks have been around for years outside of the U.S., they've never been very pop here — in office because information technology was unclear whether they worked. Merely a surprising assay of 57 studies published in the Journal of the American Medical Association shows that these tests, which detect small pieces of fetal DNA that are present in a mom's bloodstream during pregnancy, can be between 95% and 99% accurate. Screening kits, like the Pink or Blue Early on Deoxyribonucleic acid Pregnancy Test, await for the presence of the male Y chromosome in a few drops of blood taken through a finger prick. If it's there, you're having a male child; if non, it'southward a girl. (Because of this, the tests are slightly more accurate at predicting boys, since a lack of Y chromosome may hateful that the male chromosome wasn't present in the claret sample taken.)

Amniocentesis

Will it work? Yes!

This semi-invasive procedure is a slam-dunk way to know your baby's gender for sure, but considering of the small risk of miscarriage your doc probably won't green-calorie-free it for curiosity solitary. "An amniocentesis involves putting a needle into the fluid surrounding a baby, and and so looking at the chromosomal makeup of that babe, which reveals gender as well as any chromosomal abnormalities," explains Dr. Michael Randell, an OBGYN in Atlanta. "Unless someone mislabels your results, this test is entirely accurate."

Fetal heart rate predictor

Will it work? Probably not

Generations of women swear that a quick fetal centre rate — nigh 140 beats per minute or above — signals girl, while below that equals boy. Why? Ane theory is that babe girls are supposedly smaller, thus their hearts crush faster. Dr. Randell is quick to debunk this one. "A fetal center charge per unit is variable and tin change day to day or even beat to shell." As for theory that girls counterbalance less than boys, Randell says, "I've delivered plenty of 10-pound girls and 4-pound boys."

The elevation of your crash-land

Volition it work? Probably not (just that won't stop strangers from guessing, anyway!)

Pregnancy is filled with quondam wives' tales of unknown origins, and those gossipy ladies of yesteryear seemed peculiarly focused on predicting the sex of that tantalizing babe crash-land. Instance in indicate? Generations of women (and men, also!) swear that moms-to-be who are conveying high will pop out a girl, while carrying low means boy.

The shape of your bump

Will information technology work? Probably not

Feel like you're carrying somewhere in the middle, so the height of your bump is no help? And then perhaps this is slightly dissimilar one-time wives tale is for you. Lore suggests that a round, ball-similar baby crash-land means there's a baby boy in your future, while a wider bump that kinda looks like you're carrying all over the place is a surefire girl.

The nuptials ring on a string fob

Will it piece of work? Probably not (but fun to try!)

This examination requires you to slip off your hymeneals ring — a needle would work besides — and slip it on a string. Prevarication down and hold the string over your belly. If the object swings in a round move it's a girl; a pendulum-similar move equals boy. Don't get up too fast when information technology'due south over — this test can make a preggo dizzy!

Baby gender prediction kits

Volition information technology piece of work? Maybe

Products like Intelligender, a urine-based examination that mixes your pee with crystals that contain certain hormones, claim you can find out the sex of your infant as early as 10 weeks — although experts including Dr. Randell are skeptical. "I'm unaware of anything produced by the baby that is somehow filtered into the mother's urine to determine gender." Still, he says there'southward no harm in trying out urine tests in pregnancy, just for fun. "Just don't buy nursery paint color based on the results," he warns.

Morning sickness madness

Volition information technology work? Probably non

Were you unable to keep anything down your first trimester? Co-ordinate to lore, that means you lot're having a girl. A lack of morn sickness means you can expect a little dude. Unsurprisingly, science is non on this legend'due south side. "Nosotros still don't know exactly what causes morning sickness, but some women have an piece of cake time with it the first pregnancy, and a terrible time with the adjacent — even when their kids were both girls or boys," says Dr. Randell.

Sugariness vs. savory

Will it piece of work? Probably not (then indulge your cravings)

Girls are supposed to exist sugar and spice and everything nice, which is probably why it's believed that mamas-to-be who are shoveling in the sweets are thought to be having a girl. Are you dying for French fries and a hearty steak dinner? It's a boy. If neither seems appetizing, congrats: You're carrying a picky eater!

RELATED: New way to predict baby's gender during pregnancy: How grossed out are you?

Chinese gender nautical chart

Will it work? Probably not

A Chinese Gender Chart was supposedly buried in a royal tomb more 700 years ago, but was recently discovered and is now used to decide the gender of an unborn child. (Hey, information technology's a cool story if zilch else.) To use the chart, find your age at the time of conception, and then follow across to the month the baby was conceived to find the predicted gender.

Mayan gender prediction

Will it piece of work? Probably not

Not to be outdone past the Chinese, the Mayans came up with their own method for determining boy 5. girl. Information technology's unproblematic: Await at the year of formulation and the mother's age at formulation. If both numbers are fifty-fifty or odd it'southward a girl. If one number is even and one number is odd, information technology's a boy.

The key exam

Will it work? Probably not (but an easy i to try for fun)

This test claims a significant adult female can determine the gender of her babe by picking up a unmarried cardinal. If mom grabs for the key at the top round part it's a girl, while the narrow office equals boy. What if Mom grabs the central in the middle? Twins, of course! (Warning: Practice not try this test while driving!)

Ultrasound

Will it work? Near likely

Many parents-to-be choose to learn the sex activity of their baby at the xx-week anatomy ultrasound scan — bold infant is in the right position. "Nosotros say that seeing a turtle is a boy and iii lines is a girl," explains Randell. (Those are the scientific terms, of course.) Simply call up: This method is not foolproof. Techs can make mistakes, then it's not unheard of to get a gender switcheroo at a later ultrasound, or at the nascency itself.

Expect at your hands

Will it work? Probably not (but may reveal you need a expert hand lotion)

Some folks say determining your baby's gender is as simple as glancing at your hands. Dry, cracked hands mean at that place's a male child on the way, while soft hands signal a trivial girl. Although this method is certainly easy, we tend to think information technology'due south an indicator of something else — how badly you need to moisturize!

RELATED: See Kate Hudson's sweet gender reveal

Pee color

Will it work? Probably not (but a practiced test for whether you lot need to hydrate)

Permit's face it, pregnancy involves a lot of peeing into a cup, then this exam couldn't be easier. Just take a closer look at the color to effigy out what you're having. Dark, neon-like urine supposedly equals boy, while dull, cloudy and light urine equals girl.

Feel yourself up

Will it work? Probably not (though a fun test for yous and your partner to try!)

Pregnancy involves a lot of boob changes, and still another old wives' tale says those growing milkers can clue yous in to gender. Take hold of concord of your honkers and see which one feels bigger. A larger left breast supposedly means boy; a larger right one a girl. Want to make this test more fun? Ask your partner to do it for you!

The pimple test

Will it work? Probably not

Pregnancy or not, acne is no fun, but some say those abrasive ruby-red marks could unlock the gender mystery. What does your skin await like during pregnancy? If y'all accept maintained your clear-faced glow, then bring on the blue. Lots of spots equals girl.

The land of your face up

Volition information technology work? Probably non

As the fable goes, moms-to-be who take kept their looks can await a boy, while preggos who have "lost their looks" (and then sad!) are having a girl. Why? The belief is the footling daughter has stolen Mommy's beauty! That's both adorable and depressing at the same time.

The style you snooze

Will it piece of work? Probably not (and then savor a stress-gratuitous slumber)

Next fourth dimension yous wake upwards in the morn, remember to check which fashion you're resting — and yep, nosotros practice realize the simple human action of sleeping during pregnancy is no easy job. As the myth goes, if you sleep on your left side it'due south a boy. Right side equals girl. So write a large note on your alarm clock, or improve yet, ask your partner to check for you lot while you grab a few extra zzzs.