Gender Prediction Tests Put To The Test

Pregnancy is a time in a woman’s life where there are a ton of unknowns, questions, and unpredictability. It’s a very exciting time in your life, and when I talk to pregnant women or see some of the most searched terms when it comes to pregnancy, I see that SO many of us feel the urge to know what we’re having.

Like, NOW.

I felt that urge (almost to the point of anxiety) when I was pregnant with my first child. As soon as I knew I was pregnant, I felt a need to know what I was having. We didn’t have the extra money to pay for an elective ultrasound, and so we waited until my 20 week appointment for gender confirmation. I am now pregnant with my second child, and didn’t feel the urge to know right away. Sure, I wanted to know for planning purposes, but I didn’t feel like I was going to go crazy waiting for the results.

I see so many moms who talk about Old Wives Tales, Gender Predictors, Chinese Gender Charts, and even theories from very early ultrasound pictures (as early as 10 weeks!) based on skulls, nubs and placenta. It seems as though there are some pretty crazy things some of us will do to know as soon as we can find out.

Well guess what?

I put a lot of them to the test, asked doctors, ultrasound techs, and moms with multiple kids all about their gender theories and I’m here to share my results with you all today!

First off. I did some crazy things to see what the Old Wives had to say. Here are a few of the Old Wives Tales I tested:

Morning Sickness: If you are dealing with bad nausea or vomiting, then it is a girl.

• RESULT: GIRL

Beauty and the Boy: If you are glowing and gorgeous, it is a boy. Acne and nastiness means a girl (Apparently girls steal your beauty)

•  RESULT: GIRL

Gorgeous Locks: If your hair is gorgeous and strong, it’s a boy. Thinning or dull hair is a girl.

• RESULT: BOY

Eye Veins: Look deep into your eyeballs! If you have a V or Y shaped vein on the bottom of your left eyeball, it’s a girl. One on the right is boy. Both eyes is either twins or a girl.

• RESULT: GIRL

Cravings, much?: If you are craving sour or salty foods, then it’s a boy. Sweetness cravings are a girl.

• RESULT: Inconclusive…I want to eat EVERYTHING.

Side Preference: If you prefer to lay on your Left side, then you are having a boy. Right side preference means a girl.

• RESULT: BOY

Intuitive kids: They say that when kids guess more towards one gender or the other, that is what you’ll have. I asked a lot of kids!

• RESULT: GIRL

CHINESE GENDER PREDICTION CALENDAR

For those of you who haven’t heard, there is an ancient chart you can use that takes your age at date of conception as well as the month of conception and can tell you if you are having a girl or a boy. This was accurate with my first pregnancy, and I plugged in my stats this pregnancy (Age 28, conception in December)

• RESULT: GIRL

There are tons of these available out there, and they vary in results. Simply search online for “Gender Prediction Calendar”.

At-Home Gender Prediction Tests

There are a few over the counter at home urine tests you can buy and test at home. They use a mix of chemicals that will basically react to levels of PH in your urine. They all make sure to tell you that they are NOT 100% accurate, but don’t reall give you a solid accuracy number, either. After researching them a little more, I found that an at home baking soda test would render very similar results, so I did that instead. (We also read about a test using Drain-O, but we strongly encourage you not to use it for these purposes. It is dangerous.) The test with baking soda goes like this: Baking soda in the bottom of a cup (amount doesn’t matter, I just covered the bottom of the cup), pour urine over top. If it fizzes, you are expecting a girl. If no fiz, then it’s a boy!

• RESULT: GIRL

Medically Speaking

• RESULT: GIRL (at every check)

My OB has told me that it really depends WHEN you get the heart rate taken, but usually the heart rate is faster earlier on and slows down as time goes on.

Placenta Placement: APPARENTLY, there is a new study that claims to be 95%+ accurate as early as 6 weeks, and goes by the placement of the placenta. If the placenta is on the right side, you are most likely having a boy, and if it’s on the left side, you can expect a girl. I went by the picture of my 9 week ultrasound, and the cord is headed to the right. (pic above)

• RESULT: BOY

*At my 20 week ultrasound, I asked my tech about this theory, and she says it’s not a good way to determine gender. The placenta atatches onto the uterus wherever it lands after fertilization. Despite my amazing detective skills from my first ultrasound, my placenta is actually on the top of my uterus, so that would make this test null for me.

Skull Theory: Males and Females have differences in their skulls, and some use the shape of the skull from an ultrasound to determine which gender they are execting. I know it has a scientific backing, but it seems to only be talked about on pregnancy boards online. There’s scattered info on this subject, but from what I gather, a flatter forehead predicts a girl, while a rounder forehead says boy. (my ultrasound above)

• RESULT: BOY

Nub Theory: This is yet another theory that makes it’s rounds on pregnancy boards, and on my particular board, there seems to be a ton of “experts” about it. Apparently, the “nub” on your baby in the ultrasound, located where the tailbone is points a certain way. Both genders have a nub at this point, but a girl’s nub lays horizontal, and a boy’s points up about 30 degrees or more.  To be honest, I don’t get it and can’t figure out which way my little one’s nub sways, so this one is inconclusive for me.

So I went in for my gender reveal ultrasound at 19 weeks, armed with my research and ready to hear them tell me “It’s a Girl!” because my tests mostly point to a girl growing in there. Well, after searching for a while, it was determined that we indeed were expecting a little girl!

I was thrilled to give my 3 year old son a little sister and to be able to buy adorable little pink outfits! We held a garage sale and sold most of our boy items to make room for our little lady, and 2 weeks later we were back in for another ultrasound…I asked to get confirmation that it was a girl, and they checked-only to find out that our daughter had been hiding some extra parts and that in fact we were expecting our second boy! This has been since confirmed by yet another ultrasound.

So in conclusion, ALL of these gender prediction wives tales and tests are really only 50% accurate, as good as guessing! They are fun, something to do to keep you busy, but DO NOT paint your walls (or hold a garage sale) based on the results.

*This article/research was all done in fun, and should in no way be taken for medical advice.