There are so many unknowns in pregnancy and parenthood; it makes sense that parents would want to learn as much as they can to prepare. And that includes learning the baby's sex before it's born. Although some parents may choose to keep that a surprise until delivery day, the overwhelming majority want to know — and they want to know ASAP. Throughout history that's led to a lot of old wives' tales for predicting a baby's sex through all kinds of crazy ways.
Dr. Dallas Reed, chief of genetics at Tufts Medical Center and principal medical adviser at Myriad Genetics, spoke with Mom.com about these old wives' tales and what the best way to determine a baby's sex really is.
More from Mom.com: Baby Name Expert Says Baby Name Trends in 2024 Include Gender-Swapped Names & Space Names
Most People Really Do Want to Know
Bump Size
Per the BBC, it's long been a theory that bump shape can indicate the baby's sex. A bump that sticks out like a basketball is supposedly carrying a boy, while a more spread out bump conceals a girl. However, Reed says that bump size and shape varies too much to put stock in this tale.
"Everybody carries a little bit differently. That depends on … how long your torso is, what position the baby's in, and also like what number pregnancy this is for you? Is it your first, is it your fifth?" she says. "That all I think has more of a stake in what the bump actually looks like versus if it's a boy or a girl."
Morning Sickness
Morning sickness has been linked to having a baby girl in some studies, according to the National Library of Medicine, but Reed thinks that's more anecdotal than medically backed. And famously Kate Middleton, who suffered from extreme morning sickness, had two boys to her one girl.
More from Mom.com: How Freezing Your Eggs in Your 20s May Be the New Reproductive Revolution
Cravings
Food cravings are a common occurrence for most pregnant people. According to SneakPeek, one of the common old wives' tales related to the baby's sex has to do with which foods are being craved.
Sweet foods or foods high in fat or dairy supposedly mean the baby is a girl, while spicy or salty foods mean the baby is a boy. Like most of the tales on this list, there's no science behind this. If anything, the mom may just be craving ice cream because she needs more calcium, not because the baby is a girl.
Pregnancy Line
Not everybody gets a dark line on their belly while pregnant, but for those who do — there's an old wives' tale for that. According to Refinery29, it's believed that if the line extends below the belly button, the mom is expecting a girl. If it stops above, then it's a boy. But there's no medical proof of that being true.
Mother's Beauty
A rather misogynistic old wives' tale is that baby girls "steal" their mother's beauty while in the womb, according to NPR. And while some pregnant women may see a negative shift in their skin or hair, that's not dependent on the baby's sex — it can just be part of pregnancy.
Mood Swings
Another tale seemingly based on stereotypes is that different moods mean different sexes. According to The Conversation, supposedly being more emotional during pregnancy indicates a girl and feeling aggression indicates a baby boy. In reality, all kind of emotions are common during pregnancy due to the changing hormones.
