Boy or Girl? Old Wives’ Tales to Guess a Baby’s Gender

According to IntelliGender.com, myth has it that a woman’s left breast will be larger if she’s carrying a girl. If the right is larger? Expect a baby boy.

Sugar, spice, and sour, too? Apparently your pregnancy cravings may offer a glimpse at your baby’s sex. Belly Belly says that if you want sweets like juice, fruits, or chocolate, expect a girl. If you’d rather nosh on salty or sour foods (and sometimes protein)? It’s a boy.

Although doctors say this one’s untrue, moms have claimed the uptick in testosterone levels while carrying a boy causes leg hair to grow faster, according to Medicine Net. Look at your legs — it’s worth a check!

And check out these two myths, from Divine Caroline: 1) When someone asks you to hold out your hands, how do you do it? If you extend your hands palms up, you’ll have a girl, while if you extend your hands down, then prepare for a boy; 2) How does your skin look? Soft as a baby’s bottom — it’s a girl. Rough and dry? It’s a boy.

Future mothers of baby girls have claimed everything from dull, thin hair to bad breakouts during their pregnancies. A result of hormonal changes that come with having a girl? Perhaps — but according to Belly Belly, it fits the mold for this wives’ tale: If you’re sporting a disastrous appearance during those nine months before baby, then your little girl has stolen your looks!

This tried-and-sometimes-true method is still fun: Place a ring on a string and lie down on your back, holding the “pendulum” over your belly. If it swings back and forth, you’re having a boy. If it swings in a circle, you’re having a girl, according to More.

The Duchess of Cambridge, aka Kate Middleton, had a noticeably fuller face throughout her pregnancies. According to NPR, that old wives’ tale means that a girl is on the way. Well, she did have a girl — one out of the three times, anyway.

You’ve probably heard this urban legend by now: How you carry the baby determines his or her sex. Carry high and you’re having a girl; carry low and it’s a boy. That's right, Discovery Health writes — well, 50% of the time.

This prediction method claims a mother’s moody pregnancy reflects a daughter is on the way, according to Baby Chick.

High or low isn’t the only debunked old wives’ tale related to carrying your baby. If you’re carrying weight evenly around your middle, then you’re likely to have a girl. If you’re carrying your weight in front, then a baby boy’s on the way, according to More.

For years, many thought one of the most accurate predictors of gender was a baby’s heart rate — you’re expecting a boy if their heart beats more than 140 times per minute, and a girl if that number is less. Science has since disproved this tale. Either way, the myth remains a part of pregnancy lore, according to Medicine Net.

You don’t have to be a math whiz to put these numbers to the test. According to the Gender Experts, ancient Mayans said that a mom-to-be should look at the age of conception and the month of conception to determine a baby’s sex. If both are even or odd? Girl. If one is even, the other odd? Boy.

The Linea Nigra is the dark line that runs down the center of a woman’s belly during pregnancy — and there’s a wives’ tale about its appearance and a baby’s gender, according to Belly Belly. If the line extends from under the rib cage all the way down the belly: boy. If the line runs only from the belly button down: girl.

There are a couple wives’ tales associated with urine, but only one you should try. The first myth says that if a woman’s urine is light in color, it’s a girl. If it’s bright in color, it’s a boy. Go ahead and check this one — but mostly for health purposes. Dark or “bright” urine means you’re dehydrated and need to drink more fluids. Heed the color’s suggestion! The other legend — combining urine with Drano to see whether the resulting color signifies a girl (green) or a boy (blue) — is one to avoid. (The color actually varies between different theorists.) But even despite that, expectant moms shouldn’t be messing around with those chemicals anyway, according to the experts at Medicine Net.