At the midway ultra sound (which isn't actually midway through the pregnancy because it typically occurs between 18 and 20 weeks) the doctor (or more likely the ultrasound technician) can determine the baby's gender. Until then, it's a fun guessing game. And for those who choose to forgo the psychic powers of technology, it's a mystery until the doctor hands over the screaming, slime covered, naked little bundle in the hospital.
Despite my impossibly curious nature, I always imagined being surprised. But lately, that vision has deflated. Keeping it a mystery seems to invite guesswork by everyone and anyone. Strangers especially. Some of the folklore used to generate these "educated" opinions is pretty cruel. The primary culprit is the "pregnancy glow" theory. Apparently a woman carrying baby boy is noticeably gorgeous and glowing and the opposite is true of a woman carrying a baby girl. I've actually heard someone say that a baby girl "sucks the beauty" out of the mom-to-be. Huh!? How awful. When someone says, "you definitely look like you're having a girl" does that translate to "you're looking like a hot, fat mess"?
NO. No it does not.
I'm here to tell you that the baby girl = ugly indicator is a myth. A mean myth. I have many a friend who had a beautiful looking pregnancy that resulted in a beautiful baby girl.
For those, like me, who hope to keep it a surprise without developing a complex, here are some sweet, funny, non-scientific (read: not sound at all) predictors of the baby's gender.
Signs that you are carrying a GIRL:
- You're carrying high
- Your pee is dull yellow
- Bad morning sickness
- Sweet food cravings
- Baby's heart rate averages more than 140 bpm (beats per minute)
- Your left breast becomes noticeably larger than your right breast (!?)
- When you hang a ring (wedding band or otherwise) over your belly it swings from side to side
- Your hair develops red highlights
- The sum of your age at the time you conceived and the month in which you conceived is an odd number
- You are plagued by bad acne
Signs that you are carrying a BOY:
- You're carrying low
- Your pee is bright yellow
- Baby is kicking a lot
- Salty food cravings
- The hair on your legs is growing like crazy
- Baby's heart rate averages less than 140 bpm
- When you hang your ring (wedding band or otherwise) over your belly it swings in a circle
- Your feet are always cold
- The sum of your age at the time you conceived and the month in which you conceived is an even number
Here are a few links to gender predictor quizzes
Ancient Chinese Birth Chart (via parents.com)
Gender Prediction Quiz (via parents.com)
Old Wives Tale Quiz (via babygenderprediction.com)
Old Wives Tale Quiz (via babyzone.com)
