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7 Popular Baby Gender Myths

By Helen Wright

Thanks to modern ultrasound technology, pregnant mothers can find out the gender or sex of their unborn baby. However, many eager parents still delight in predicting baby's gender before birth through superstitions and folklore. If you're curious to know whether you're carrying a baby boy or baby girl, try this interesting quiz – old wives tales and myths on guessing baby's gender – and have tons of fun!

Baby Boy or Girl?

1. Wedding Ring Test

The wedding ring test is among the most popular method for guessing baby's sex. To try the wedding ring test, remove your ring (a pin or needle works just as well) and attach it to a string. Lie down comfortably on a bed and suspend it still over your bulging belly. If your wedding ring moves constantly in a circular motion, you're having a baby boy. If it swings from side to side like a pendulum, there's a little girl growing inside you!

2. Heart Rate of Your baby

Many believed that the fetal heart rate can detect the sex of an unborn child. A sluggish heart rate that stays primarily below 140 beats per minute indicates a boy growing inside your belly bump. In contrast, your baby would be girl if its heartbeat registers above 140.

3. Food Cravings

Look at your food cravings during pregnancy. Are you craving for protein-rich, spicy, salty or sour foods such as meat, cheese and pickles? If so, you're pregnant with a boy. On the other hand, if you prefer sweet foods such as cookies, chocolates and fruits, you're producing a daughter. However, if you crave for both sweet and sour stuff, it may be more challenging to determine the sex of your baby.

4. Shape of Your Belly

Many believers of old wives' tales say to look at your tummy in the mirror. If your growing belly resembles a beach ball stuffed up your shirt, or if it is higher up from your abdomen, you'll be having a son. And, if you carry it low, your stomach looks round and feel really bloated all the time, a little girl is on the way.

Interestingly, a purple/brownish stripe (also known as Linea Nigra) down the middle of the belly to your pubic area also indicates a boy. If the vertical line runs from your pubic area to your belly button only, get ready to paint the nursery pink!

5. Urine in Drano Test

Another myth that surround baby gender prediction is the drano/draino test. Here's how to do drano test. Place 2 tablespoons of crystal Drano to a medium-sized glass jar (to be discarded) and add about 2-3 ounces of your first morning urine.

There's a bubbling, smelly chemical reaction when you add your pee, so stay away from the glass jar while the fumes are being produced.

When it stops bubbling, examine the resulting color of the mixture. A brownish color within the first 10 seconds means a boy. And, if there's no darkening or color change after 10-15 seconds, say hello to a baby girl.

Be warned that Drano test for predicting baby gender is not recommended. It can cause severe burns when come in contact with the skin, and the fumes released during the test is potentially harmful to both the pregnant mother and her unborn child.

6. Body Hair

Some say that rapid pregnancy-induced body hair growth could means you're expecting a baby boy. So if a mother-to-be shaves less frequently, she's said to be waiting for the arrival of a baby girl.

Also, if you notice thinner and duller hair during pregnancy, your baby is a girl. Thicker, glossier and beautiful locks say a boy.

7. Chinese Fertility Chart

This method of predicting baby gender is also very popular. The chart, which can be found on numerous online fertility sites, uses mother's age at the time of conception and the month the baby was conceived to determine gender.

That being said, an ultrasound remains the most reliable way to predict a baby's gender. However, factors such as gestational age of the baby, the baby's position and even fetal movement during the ultrasound may affect its accuracy.

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