You will be fascinated by just how many old wives’ tales are out there that convince pregnant women that they can accurately predict the baby’s gender. It is OK to be skeptical about this because let’s face it, there is no scientific basis to anything other than an actual medical scan. But some of these tales are amusing, to say the least. If you are not patient enough to wait for your 18-week scan and want to know the gender of your baby, you can join the guessing game and look into the following old wives’ tales.
#1 The way you are “carrying” the baby determines the gender
Source: BrightSide
This is a very common statement that you would have heard of from numerous people around you including your mother. They say that if you are carrying ‘high’, then it is most likely that your baby is a girl. On the other hand, if you are carrying your bump low, you might just have a boy. It makes you wonder… What about twins of different genders?
#2 Frequent headaches? You might be having baby “blues”.
Headache is a very common symptom in pregnancy and it happens due to various reasons. Technically, it has nothing to do with the gender of the baby. However, old wives’ tales dictate that if you are having frequent headaches during the first few weeks of your pregnancy, you might just be carrying a boy. You will have to wait and see how this pans out.
#3 Not sleeping too well? Blame your son
Pregnancy is not known for its spa-like experience where you fall asleep peacefully at night and wake up with a smile on your face. While your body is busy making a whole other human being, experiencing pains everywhere, and just in a constant state of struggle between cravings and mood swings, it is not its fault that you can’t sleep well. Oh no. That’s because of the baby boy inside you. Does this mean pregnancy is bliss for women with girl children?
#4 What’s going on with your face?
Do you know that pregnancy glow that everyone talks about? Well, it does not exist but if you beat the odds and have a beautiful glowing face in the early stages of pregnancy it might be because you are carrying a boy according to some old wives tales. Meanwhile, if your face transforms (don’t ask us how) and changes its general appearance, apparently this is because you are carrying a girl.
#5 Are you hairier than you are supposed to be?
Due to the normal rash of hormones that you expect during pregnancy, hirsutism or abnormal hair growth in excess is very common. You will have more hair on your legs than you like and it doesn’t matter how much you shave it. However, if you are one of the lucky few who do not experience abnormal hair growth on your legs during pregnancy, this could be because you are carrying a girl according to some people. You know the vice-versa.
#6 Are you picking up your mugs a certain way?
This is not a pun. In all seriousness, some people will have you believe (and question your reality) that depending on how you pick up a mug from a table, they can predict your baby’s gender. If you pick up the mug by the handle, you could be carrying a boy. Pay attention to this and keep track of the results just because.
#7 The baby’s father is not gaining enough weight
Wait. What? Well, you saw that right. If you are carrying a girl child, don’t expect your husband to join the party and gain many pounds. On the other hand, if your husband is putting on weight, don’t blame it on their eating habits or the beers that they are sneaking in. It is just because you are carrying a boy. Some of these are way past the doors of logic.
#8 Your bre.ast size is a giveaway
Enlargement of brea sts is a common symptom during pregnancy and it is completely attributed to hormonal changes and the body preparing itself for lactation. However, some people like to read more into this. Folklore has it that if your br easts have grown bigger than you expected, it could be because your baby is a girl.
#9 Not fancying the crust or edges of bread?
If you thought the mug picking was weird enough, here is one that will shock you. It does not matter whether you sliced off the crumbs and threw away the ends of bread loaves previously, but if you are doing it when you are pregnant, it could be because your little girl does not like it either.
#10 Let’s talk about swinging needles
Don’t be guilty if you have tried this out. Numerous old wives tales swear that if you thread a needle and hold it over your hand, and it swings side to side, you could be having a boy. Instead if (not because of the laws of physics) it chooses to go in circles, well, you know the rest.
Old wives’ tales are what they are. If you are impatient, just wait for the scan and find out the gender. There are many good reasons to not reveal the gender of the baby as well. Ultimately, it’s your choice. Meanwhile, indulge in the guessing game just for the heck of it.