Myths on Baby Gender

Chinese Lunar Calendar

• Some believe the Chinese lunar calendar can be used to determine, or at least predict, the sex of a baby. By taking the age of the expectant mother when she conceived and the date of conception into consideration, someone who's well versed in Chinese astrology can make an educated guess on the gender of the child-to-be.

String and Ring

• One myth that has been passed down over generations is the "String and Ring" test. You take a ring and tie a string to it. Holding it about the pregnant belly as steadily as possible, witness which way it swings. A circular motion means a boy will be born, while a straight line motion predicts a girl.

Cravings and Weight

• Sweet cravings during pregnancy was thought to indicate a girl, while more salty or sour food cravings meant a boy. One of the few baby gender myths that involves the father refers to weight gain. If the expectant father gained weight over the course of the pregnancy, a baby girl was usually predicted. If his weight stayed steady or fell, it was a boy.

Old Wives' Tales---Boys

• If you are carrying your pregnancy in front and low, it is likely that you are having a boy, according to an old wives' tale. Bright yellow urine, a larger right breast than left, no morning sickness in the first trimester and a baby with a 140-beat-per-minute or less heart rate are additional myths for bearing boys. If the expectant mother sleeps on her left side, she may be having a boy.

Old Wives' Tales---Girls

• The myths for girls oppose the boys: a baby with a heart rate over 140 beats per minute, a larger left breast than right, clear urine, and carrying the pregnancy high and all around your middle. Sleeping on the right side is also a sign that your baby may be a girl. The rounder the mother's face becomes during pregnancy, the more likely a girl will be born as well.

Busted

• Unfortunately for the "String and Ring" test," different sources explain the opposite results for each gender: Some say circular for a girl and straight for a boy. As for the heart-rate myth, the average fetal heart rate ranges between 120 and 160 beats per minute for both genders; studies conducted on the truth of this myth have determined no correlation. As for food cravings, the myth goes back to the tale that girls are sweeter than boys.

Assure the Gender

• There are additional myths pertaining to how a couple can actively determine their child's gender. If a girl is wanted, the woman should initiate sex and perform on top while facing north; conception should occur on an even day of the month; the couple should eat fish, vegetables and sugary foods; and the potential father should avoid caffeine. For a boy, the male should initiate sex and perform on top while his partner's head faces south; conception should occur on an off day of the month; the couple should eat red meat and salty foods; and the potential father should consume a lot of caffeine.