Pregnancy Myths Busted!

Boy or Girl?

The Myths:

Guessing your baby's sex is another great source of speculation, although some swear their methods of deduction are infallible. Some of the more common methods of reasoning are based on how a woman carries her baby: If you are carrying high it's a boy, and low, a girl. If you are carrying out front it's a boy, and if wide, a girl. But depending on who you talk to, you're likely to hear completely opposite theories, too!

Women through the ages have sworn by the ring-and-tummy theory: Hang your wedding ring (assuming you can get it off!) from a strand of the father's hair over your belly. If the ring swings in a circle you will have girl and if it swings back and forth you will have a boy.

Pay close attention during baby's heartbeat checks at the doctor's office if you believe this wives' tale: If your baby's heart rate is faster than 140 beats per minute (bpm) it is a girl, and if the heart rate is less than 130 bpm, it's a boy. Midwife Lynn Walcott has encountered this belief, commenting that "even our technology is imbibed with superstition."

Even nausea is considered a valuable tool in predicting your baby's gender. If morning sickness has turned into all-day sickness for you, you're probably having a daughter according to an old superstition.

The ancient Chinese Lunar Calendar claims to be 99-percent accurate in predicting the sex of your baby—those are good odds! All you need is the mom's age at the time of conception and the month the child was conceived, and the chart will reveal the unborn baby's gender. An alternative to the chart that works on the same premise is to just add the month you conceived to your age at the time of conception, and if the sum is even Baby will be a girl and odd, a boy.

The Reality:

The most accurate way to tell the sex of your baby is through ultrasound or amniocentesis.

Choosing the Gender

The Myths:

There are also numerous superstitions relating to the gender of your baby and conception. Common beliefs are that if you want a boy you should let your partner seduce you into sex and then only have intercourse at night on the odd days of the month during a quarter moon. If you want a girl you should seduce your partner and have intercourse during the afternoon on the even days of the month during a full moon. Talk about family planning!

The Reality:

There is no sure way to guarantee your child's gender, short of going to a gender selection clinic which is hugely expensive and largely controversial.