There are many popular beliefs on the subject of pregnancy, covering almost every aspect. One of the most common topics of conversation when a woman announces she is expecting a baby revolves around the question: is it a boy or a girl?
If you’re pregnant, we are sure you’ve been asked this question many times over by your mum, mother-in-law, grandmothers, friends, and neighbours. The traditional methods of determining the sex of your unborn baby, which were allegedly used in the past, mean everything and nothing. They get it right sometimes and other times they don't. Ensure you’re fully prepared for the next time someone tries to guess whether you’re having a boy or a girl: by reading our insight into the most common myths and legends on predicting the gender of your little bump.
Chinese calendar to predict if it is a boy or a girl
This traditional method claims you can determine the sex of your baby by consulting a chart based on the Chinese calendar. Basically, all you have to do is cross your age (in the column) and the month in which you conceived (in the row): the little square that intersects will indicate whether your child is a boy or a girl. Try it yourself and see if it works for you or not.
Boy or girl based on the Mayan calendar
The same principle applies to the Mayan calendar method. Here too, it looks at the age of the mum at the time of conception and the month in which the pregnancy began. The positioning of the squares, indicating whether the baby is a boy or a girl, differs from the Chinese Calendar method.
They may not be scientific techniques, but if you are trying to get pregnant you could use the Mayan or Chinese calendar to try to influence the sex of your baby. You could plan a pregnancy in one month or another depending on how old you are and whether you want a boy or a girl. Remember, however, that we are talking about something that is little more than a myth, so be prepared if you don’t obtain your desired outcome!
Boy or girl depending on symptoms
As every mum-to-be knows, pregnancy can bring on various symptoms right from the beginning. One of the most common is morning sickness, which can vary from feeling slightly nauseous to a more extreme nausea. It seems that morning sickness during pregnancy can indicate whether the baby is a boy or a girl. Some studies claim that hyperemesis, the most severe form, is often associated with expecting a girl. This may be true, but it is also true that pregnant mums-to-be, who are expecting a boy, may also suffer from this disorder... so it is not really a valid indicator.
What about tiredness during pregnancy? Rumours passing from generation to generation are conflicting on this one, but it’s generally believed that tiredness means that a pink baby is on the way. Will it prove to be true for you?
Boy or Girl according to the moon
The moon evokes the concept of femininity, and its cycle is closely linked to many aspects of nature. How could there not be a tale linking a boy or girl and the moon? Tradition has it that if ovulation and conception occur on a full or crescent moon, you are more likely to be carrying a girl. If, on the other hand, it is a new or waning moon, then you should hang a blue bow on your front door.
Boy or girl using the "R" game
Sometimes popular beliefs turn into real passtimes. Such is the case with the one that claims to be able to determine whether the baby is a boy or a girl by playing the "R" game. In practice, this method consists of counting the Rs contained in the names of the months from the month of conception to the presumed month of birth, adding them to those appearing in the first and last names of both parents. The myth claims that if the number is even it will be a girl, if it is odd, a boy. Have you given it a try?
Boy or girl using the bicarbonate test
The baking soda test is almost like a scientific experiment, although the results in determining the sex of unborn babies are rather inconclusive. However, the method itself is very simple: you can watch tutorials and tests being carried out live on YouTube. You collect your first wee (urine) of the morning in a glass, then add more or less the same amount of bicarbonate. The appearance of lots of bubbles indicates that you are expecting a boy, while if there is no foam it is a girl. Theoretically, the result depends on the pH of your urine, but there are several other factors which can influence the pH balance in the urine which are not taken into account by this bicarbonate test.
Position Of The Bump: is it a boy or a girl?
How many times have you had a family member - or even a stranger you met on the street - try to guess whether you’re having a boy or a girl based on the shape of your bump? Common belief is a woman who carries her bump in a pointed or downward-position has a boy inside, while a higher neat bump in the middle indicates a girl. Even in this case, the probability of predicting correctly is 50%...
How to conceive a girl
Some myths go even further and, instead of determining the sex of the unborn baby on the basis of tests or symptoms, actually suggest how you can conceive a girl or a boy. We've already talked about the full moon and how to use the Chinese or Mayan calendar to "influence" the outcome, but that's not all. Apparently, following a vegetarian diet and making love in the frontal position also help to conceive a girl. We can guess that means that, in all other cases, you will have a boy!
In conclusion, as you can see and as you may have already guessed, there are many popular theories about whether your baby is a boy or a girl... many more than those we have listed and even more than the interesting facts about babies that we often hear about. But there’s only one truth in our opinion: these myths make the guessing game that much more fun, despite not revealing any definite answers. To find out the sex of your unborn baby, all you need is a simple morphological ultrasound scan, carried out after the 18th week of pregnancy. Speaking of which, do let us know: is yours team pink or team blue?
