Everyone wants to know what the gender of their new baby will be – it’s probably what led you to this article in the first place! If you’re interested in guessing or predicting your baby’s gender before they’re born, then, why not look to some old wives’ tales for inspiration?
What exactly is an ‘old wives’ tale’, though? Well, we’ll explain! By definition, an old wives’ tale is a colloquial expression that refers to a superstition or traditional belief that isn’t based on fact, and may be unscientific. These beliefs were passed down from generation to generation, with many of the claims and legends originating centuries ago! The appeal of the old wives’ tale isn’t its accuracy or verisimilitude, though; these tales are simply fun, interesting, and are a great conversation point at your baby shower or gender reveal.
We’re excited to share with you our favorite old wives’ tales surrounding baby genders and pregnancy. While none of these are scientifically proven, they’re still worth learning about!
1. Are you carrying high or low?
Carrying high is supposed to indicate a girl, while carrying low means you’re having a boy.
2. Are you experiencing acne or skin blemishes during your pregnancy?
This could be a sign of your baby girl ‘stealing’ your beauty!
3. How’s your temperature?
If you’re feeling warm, it’s a girl, whereas a chilly body temperature suggests a boy!
4. How’s the baby’s heart rate?
A lower reading (under 140 bpm) leans towards the baby being a boy, while a higher result (above 140 bpm) is typical for those expecting a girl.
5. What are your cravings?
If the food cravings you have are on the sweet side, you’re likely to have a girl. If they’re more on the salty and savory side, it’s a boy!
6. How old are you?
According to ancient Chinese and Mayan culture, if your age and the year you conceived are both odd (or both even), it’s likely a girl. If one is even and one is odd, it’s a boy.
7. Are you suffering from morning sickness?
Some believe that morning sickness is the prelude to a baby girl being born! On the other hand, if you’re not experiencing any nausea, then it could be a boy instead.
8. Is your skin dry?
If your skin is drier than normal, you might be having a boy. On the other hand, if your skin seems well hydrated and smooth, then it’s more likely that you’ll have a glowing baby girl!
9. Has your partner put on any sympathy weight?
If your partner or spouse puts on sympathy weight alongside you – commendable, really – it could be because you’re having a girl. If your partner doesn’t gain weight, it could be because it’s a boy!
10. Are you feeling a little clumsy during your pregnancy?
If you’ve been feeling like a klutz recently, it could be because you’re carrying a boy! If you’re as graceful as a ballerina, then it’s possible you’re expecting a girl.
11. Are you suffering from swollen legs or ankles?
Swollen legs and ankles can indicate a baby boy!
12. Do you have dreams about your future child?
Apparently, your baby’s gender will be the opposite of whatever you dream about. In other words, don’t rely too much on your subconscious when it comes to planning your nursery décor!
13. Are you experiencing headaches during your pregnancy?
The fact that you’re having a baby boy might explain your pregnancy headaches, according to this old wives’ tale.
14. How is your mood during your pregnancy?
This might seem contradictory, but if you’re a happy and calm mother-to-be, then you’ll be tickled pink to learn that you’re likely carrying a boy. If you’re feeling more moody and blue, on the other hand, it could be a girl!
15. Does smelly garlic effect you?
If you’re able to eat an excessive amount of garlic and not have it seep out of your pores afterward, then it’s a girl.
16. How long is your ‘linea nigra’?
The dark line that often develops on your bump can actually help you determine your baby’s gender! If the line continues above your belly button and not below it, you could be having a boy. If it stops at your belly button and doesn’t go below, it’s a girl.
17. Where are you carrying your baby weight?
If your baby weight is out in front like a basketball, it could be a boy. If the weight is all over, it’s a girl!
18. Got heartburn?
Apparently, if you experience constant or intense heartburn during pregnancy, you may be having a girl. If you aren’t suffering from much heartburn at all, it’ll be a boy!
19. What’s your bump looking like?
According to some, the shape of your baby bump can indicate the baby’s sex. If your baby bump is wide, legend has it that it’s a girl. If your bump is on the more narrow side, chances are you’ll have a boy!
20. Have a certain sleeping preference?
When you’re all tucked up in bed, the side you prefer to sleep on the most could correlate to your baby’s gender. If you gravitate towards sleeping on your left side, you’ll give birth to a boy. If you’re more comfortable sleeping on your right side, then you’re more likely to be having a girl!
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Do you know of any other old wives’ tales that might help to predict a baby’s gender? Share them in the comments below! And if you’re on the verge of finding out your baby’s gender, then congratulations! Browse our gender reveal invitations, favors, and décor, before creating a fun, interesting, and exciting tale of your own!
Ella is a content specialist from Cork, Ireland. Her passions include spending time with her two energetic dogs, fashion, photography, and trying new vegan food!
We put a threaded needle in the eraser of a sharp short pencil. We held it over the expectant mother’s palm up wrist about 1/2 inch above. We held the thread steady without moving and let the pencil do it’s own thing. It would start quivering and then slowly swing side to side indicating a girl or vertically a boy. It actually would start with your first born and continue through your future children. It would stop between each one and restart and then stop when you had the predicted amount of children.
Thanks for sharing, Karla!
That’s what my mother and grandmother used the do. It was spot on every time. Some of the others, not so much.
My sister-in-law the pencil thing on me and it moved side to side and stopped went in a circle and wentt t side to side again and I had twin girls.
We used a needle with thread instead of a pencil.
Pee in a glass jar and mix in some drano crystals (hard to find these days). If it turns blue or green its a girl, if it turns brown it’s a boy. A nurse told my mom about this 45 years ago. It has never been wrong!
Karla, this came from everybody in our family. Thread a needle, the thead should be at least 6-8 inches long. Hold it up over your wrist, on the inside of it and then hold it by the end of the thread and let it swing. If it goes across, its a girl, if it goes up and down the arm, its a boy. Im 78 and i ve never seen this fail. This needle also will tell all the kids you have in the order they were born. I had all 9-10 lbs babies so the needle will go off the chart. My mother had small babies, you can barely see hers move.
Yes! It works every single time!
I did this before my first born it predicted 2 girls and then 3 boys and then stopped it was correct
L vH
That’s how we predicted mine in 1978 & 1982 and it was right both times!
I did this back in 1987 when I was pregnant with my first. It indicated boy, girl, girl then stopped. I had two girls, and 5 years after our youngest was born we adopted a boy. He was older then both the girls. So boy, girl, girl! I just now remembered this “silly” string test when I read this. I guess it did work for me! Haha
Karla,
My husband’s family does the same thing with just a few differences. One, it’s over the pregnant belly. Two for a girl, the pencil swings in a circle. My husband’s family has a lot of native American blood in it, so I think that has a lot to do with it! But otherwise, I agree with your interpretation, that’s how it happens! He did it on me and it was correct! Lol
Just for grins and giggles:
I am a retired RN, and worked for many years in L&D. After I listened to their baby’s heartbeat, my patients would always ask me if it was a boy or a girl. I always answered”Yes!”.
Many years ago, my paternal grandmother was a midwife. My mom told me grandma could tell the gender of the baby by looking the mother’s back. If her back was straight during the pregnancy, it was a girl. If the back was swayed, it was a boy. Mom said she only missed once because she didn’t know the mother’s back was normally swayed.
If you ask a pregnant mom to show you her hands, and she shows you her hands palm side down its a girl, or palm side up its a boy!
Another test to determine the sex is asked the previous lady to show you her hands
Palms up it’s a BOY
Show hands those pretty nails and rings
It’s a GIRL
If they do one of each it’s twins
1 girl 1 boy
This works pretty well
Have fun with it
I was always told;;;
Take a paper clip
Tie it to a piece of string
Dangle over belly
—— back-n-forth (indicates boy)
—— circular motion (indicates girl)
< I don’t know how accurate I am on that ;; *please ,, don’t quote me in this*
Put butter knives and spoons (equal amounts) under all
cushions in your living room. Tell your partner to sit down. Don’t tell him why. If he sits on a knife its a boy, spoon it’s a girl! Set like this knife, spoon, or spoon, knife. Have fun….
That needle and thread thing said I’d have 3 boys. Total. I actually had 3 daughters and 1 son. Soooo, yeah.
In Thailand if your belly button protrudes; it’s a boy. If your belly button opens flat; it’s a girl.
Pay attention to when you first feel your baby move. If you are less than 5 mths along it’s more likely a boy. After 5 mths it’s more likely a girl. Girls take longer to bake! Lol
An older lady told me with my last pregnancy – if I had to shave my legs a lot I was having a girl!! If not needing to shave often – it was a boy!!
My dad predicted the sex of all his grandkids with the moon signs. I have used this same method to predict my friends baby’s sex. If the predicted due date is from the new moon to the full moon, it is a boy. If it is from the full moon to the new moon, it is a girl. The actual birth date does not change the prediction.
Take the age of the mother-to-be and the month she got pregnant, i.e. She is 23 and got pregnant in June ….23 is an odd number and June is the sixth month, thus add age (23) and June (6th month)…23 + 6 is odd number= girl. If it turns out to be an even number it is a boy. This usually works pretty accurately.
My first baby while in labor i ask nurse if she knew if it was a girl or boy. This was 42 yrs ago. She said all I can say is this baby will be born naked. Lol we tried the thread thing. Also I swear by the heart rate. Low a boy, high a girl. I also say the baby you get is exactly the one you wanted. We fall in love with these sweet Angels.
Tie mommy’s wedding band or another ring to a piece of thread. Circle a girl, back and forth a boy! It was right for my mom. Not sure if it’s an Italian thing
If you carried the baby side to it’s a girl and if you carried to to bottom it’s a boy worked for me everytime
My Grandmother always said if you can tell from the back a woman is pg then it is a girl, if not it is a boy. Which fits the basketball/all over weight wives tale! My Mom thought I was having another boy, said I carried my 2nd one like my first which was a boy. She was wrong! I did the age/conceive year and it worked right for both my kids! These are fun, I like things like this.
I carried my girls low and my boy high. So did my mother. My doctor told me the heart beat thing was bologna. The needle and thread usually worked in my family also.
That’s how we predicted mine in 1978 & 1982 and it was right both times!
Worked for me and a girl in my town. It said she would have a girl and I would have a boy. It worked for both of us.
My Dr told me if you’re carrying a boy your body will produce more male hormones so you will grow more body hair … my aunt had 8 kids & each boy the hair on her arms came in darker( went to normal after) no change with her girls.. and I had a line of hair on my belly for my son but nothing with my daughter.
Ask if the baby’s father is the eldest in his family or who is the eldest sibling in the baby’s father’s family. About 89% of the time, the baby will be the same gender as the eldest. This has been true about 98% of the time in our large, extended families.
They say if the mom to be loses her good looks it’s a girl. Since the girl has taken the beauty from her. If the mom to be looks don’t change it’s a boy.
My Niece is having a baby in Oct. I’m going to try a few of the wives tales with her. Fun stuff