The curiosity surrounding a baby’s sex has been a universal experience for expectant parents. Before modern medical technology offered definitive answers, people relied on interpreting physical and internal changes of pregnancy as signs of a girl or a boy. These anecdotal “symptoms” form a rich tradition of folklore, though they are not supported by scientific evidence.
Popular Folklore About Carrying a Girl
One of the most persistent myths suggesting a female fetus is the idea of the baby “stealing beauty.” This tale proposes that a girl draws attractiveness from the mother, resulting in noticeable skin changes like acne breakouts or a duller complexion. If the skin remains clear and radiant, the baby is supposedly a boy. These changes in skin and hair texture are actually caused by dramatic fluctuations in pregnancy hormones, which affect oil production and cell turnover, regardless of the fetus’s sex.
Another common belief centers on the appearance of the pregnant abdomen. Folklore suggests that carrying “high” or “wide,” with weight distributed around the middle, indicates a baby girl. Conversely, a low and protruding belly is often associated with a boy. The actual shape and position of the baby bump are determined by factors like the mother’s muscle tone, body type, posture, and the baby’s position.
The severity of morning sickness is perhaps the most well-known physical prediction. The belief is that experiencing severe nausea and vomiting, sometimes even hyperemesis gravidarum, is a sign of carrying a girl. Some studies have noted a higher proportion of women with severe morning sickness delivering girls. The underlying theory suggests that increased production of the pregnancy hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) could be linked to both the severity of the sickness and the female sex. However, this correlation is not medically confirmed as a reliable predictor.
Cravings, Moods, and Other Internal Myths
Beyond physical appearance, internal experiences are also tied to the prediction of a girl. One popular notion is that a heightened craving for specific types of food signifies the baby’s sex. The myth holds that expectant mothers who crave sweet foods, such as fruit, chocolate, or dairy products, are carrying a girl. If cravings lean toward salty or sour snacks, the prediction is a boy. However, there is no established connection between dietary preferences and the sex of the fetus.
The emotional state of the mother is another area of folk prediction. The belief suggests that a girl causes more pronounced mood swings, irritability, or general emotional volatility compared to a boy. Pregnancy is naturally a period of intense hormonal change, which is the true cause of mood fluctuations for all expectant mothers. Mood swings are a common experience during pregnancy and do not reliably indicate a girl.
An old wives’ tale involves the fetal heart rate prediction. According to this folklore, a heart rate consistently above 140 beats per minute (bpm) suggests a female fetus. Medical consensus finds no significant difference between the heart rates of male and female fetuses during the first and second trimesters. The fetal heart rate naturally fluctuates based on the baby’s activity level and gestational age, with a normal range falling between 110 and 160 bpm.
Reliable Ways to Determine Fetal Sex
The true determinant of fetal sex is purely genetic, established at the moment of conception when the sperm fertilizes the egg. If the sperm carries an X chromosome, the result is a female (XX chromosome pair); if it carries a Y chromosome, the result is a male (XY pair). Reliable methods analyze the physical anatomy or the presence of the Y chromosome in the baby’s DNA.
One of the earliest and most accurate methods is Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing (NIPT), also known as cell-free DNA testing. This blood test can be performed as early as 9 to 10 weeks of pregnancy. The test analyzes small fragments of the baby’s DNA circulating in the mother’s bloodstream, specifically looking for the presence or absence of the Y chromosome. The high accuracy of this method makes it the earliest reliable indicator of fetal sex, though it is primarily designed to screen for chromosomal abnormalities.
The most common method for determining sex is the mid-pregnancy anatomy ultrasound, typically performed between 18 and 22 weeks of gestation. During this scan, the technician visually identifies the external genitalia of the fetus. Accuracy depends on the clarity of the image, the baby’s position, and the gestational age.
Amniocentesis and Chorionic Villus Sampling (CVS) are highly accurate diagnostic procedures that can determine sex with nearly 100% certainty. CVS is performed earlier, around 10 to 13 weeks, while amniocentesis is usually done between 15 and 18 weeks. These invasive procedures analyze fetal cells obtained from the placenta or amniotic fluid. They carry a small risk and are typically reserved for diagnosing genetic conditions rather than solely for sex determination.