Myths to Find Out the Gender of an Unborn Baby

A pregnant woman is constantly bombarded with advice, belly rubbing, and strangers' opinions about whether it is a boy or a girl. While tests like amniocentesis and ultrasound screenings can tell a mom-to-be if she is carrying a boy or a girl, some people still rely on popular myths to find out the gender of an unborn baby and wind up surprised at the delivery. Here are some of the more popular myths.

    • Boy or girl?

    Listen to the Heart

    • One popular myth on gender prediction relies on the heart rate. Is is thought that boys have a slower heart rate in utero than girls. Typically it is said that you will have a boy if the heart rate is below 140, but if it is above 140 it will be a girl. Mothers used this method for years to determine what they were having and they were usually wrong 50 percent of the time.

    Morning Sickness or No

    • Despite popular belief that everyone experiences morning sickness, only about half of women have true morning sickness. The gender myth is that if you have morning sickness in the first trimester, you will have a girl. While there is an increased risk of having morning sickness if you are having a girl, many women can attest to having severe morning sickness and then going on to have beautiful baby boys. According to Women's Health, you might fall victim to morning sickness if: you experienced nausea when taking the Pill, have a history of migraine headaches, its your first pregnancy, or your mother or other close female relatives also had morning sickness.

    How You Carry

    • The gender myth on how you carry is a very popular one. It is thought that if you are carrying your baby low it will be a boy, and if you are carrying high and gaining weight everywhere it will be a girl. The way you carry depends more on your muscle strength, the natural position of your uterus, and how far along you are in your pregnancy. If it is not your first child, the baby might drop down into the pelvis to get into position for the birth sooner than your first child. This would give the appearance of carrying low when really you are getting ready for birth.

    Chinese Gender Calendar

    • According to The Labor of Love, the Chinese gender calendar was supposedly discovered by a Chinese scientist who drew this chart, which was buried in a royal tomb about 700 years ago. It somehow uses the mother's lunar age at the time of conception to determine if you will have a boy or girl. It is another myth that can be used for fun, but it will not accurately predict the gender of your baby.

    Look at Your Urine

    • The myth is that if your urine is clear it will be a boy, but if it is bright yellow, you will have a girl. Darker urine can mean that you are slightly dehydrated (possibly from morning sickness) and need more fluids. There is also the thought that if you add drain cleaner to your urine and it changes color that it will be a boy. You should not do this because it could be dangerous for you and your unborn baby to inhale the fumes from the drain cleaner.

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