The second you announce you’re pregnant you are bound to be bathed in congratulations and best wishes from friends, colleagues and family. However, it doesn’t take long for the cheers to subside, only to be replaced by an onslaught of questions; the most common of which is “do you know what you’re having?”. Chances are it’s a baby, but hey, who knows right?
Thankfully advances in technology means that, all things being equal, you can answer this question by about the 20th week of your pregnancy. That is of course assuming that you want to know the answer yourself and that your unborn baby is being cooperative during the scan.
If you choose not to find out though you are likely to face a barrage of opinions from people who, we assume, mean well. Suddenly you will find that your weight gain, complexion and food cravings all become methods of determining your baby’s gender. Here’s just some of the favourite ones we’ve stumbled across so far.
Carrying high or low
People, from the old dear across the road to the lady at the checkout in the supermarket, love to natter about a bump. They may even make a bee-line for you. One school of thought is that if you are carrying high, you are having a girl; whilst a low slung bump is more likely to mean boy.
Chances are you are not going to escape a whole 40 weeks without hearing this one. You have been warned.
It’s all in the heart
Once upon a time someone decided that a baby’s heartbeat could be linked to their gender. When your midwife listens in to your little one for the first time (roughly at 16 weeks), remember that anything over 140bpm is meant to be a girl, anything below is a boy.
Perhaps bang on 140bpm and it’s a puppy. Who knows? It all seems like utter nonsense to us anyway.
Hair, there and everywhere
Apparently your hair can provide another clue as to the gender of your little womb monkey. If you start to resemble a model from a conditioner advert and people are commenting on your luscious locks, then congratulations, you’re having a boy. If, on the other hand, you look like you’ve gone two weeks without running water, despite shampooing every day, chances are it’s a girl.
Of course, it’s not just the hair on your head that can be telling. If your body hair is growing faster, and thicker than usual, that’s also a sign of a boy. Though, if you are carrying a girl I wouldn’t get too smug about it just yet – you’re still going to be hairier than ever – shaving whilst heavily pregnant is so not worth it!
There she glows
Are people telling you how well you look, and how you definitely have that clichéd pregnancy glow? Well, if they are, you’re having a boy! However, if strangers are giving you concerned looks and people are asking how long you’ve been ill, you’re probably having a girl.
What crazy old wives tales have you heard in the past, and did they turn out to be right? If you’re pregnant right now, based on the above, what are you meant to be having? Why not get in touch with us via our Facebook page to join in the chat?
