Popular myths about predicting the sex of the baby

Article by Dr. Mohamed Abdel-Aal

It has always been a favourite time pass for pregnant women to guess the sex of the unborn. While you can definitely find out about the sex of the baby through medical tests, it is not possible to correctly predict without the aid of medical tests whether it will be a baby boy or a baby girl. There are certain myths about predicting the sex of the baby. Here we will take a look at five of the most common myths.

Heartbeat
It is believed that if the heartbeat of the baby is less than 140 then it will be a baby boy and if the heartbeat exceeds 140, it will be a baby girl. Although this myth has been quite popular yet there is only one particular study that favours it. The study was conducted at the University of Kentucky in 1993 which concluded that this sex prediction method was true for 91% of baby boys and 74% of baby girls.

Placement of Foetus
This myth is based on the English folk wisdom that the boys need greater independence and are carried down below while the girls need more protection therefore they are carried high up in the womb. According to this myth, if you are carrying a girl, it will be high up in the belly and if you are carrying a boy, the foetus will be held low and down. However, there are no scientific studies or experiments to support this myth.

Morning Sickness
There have been no scientific findings about this myth. However, in most of the cases, if a woman experiences severe morning headaches, there are good chances that she may have a baby girl. This myth has provided fodder for a heated discussion among the obstetricians in the UK but to no conclusion. However, you can say that if a woman is experiencing severe headaches in the morning, there may be higher chances of her having a high blood pressure!

Food Likeliness
The food myth states that if the pregnant woman has a high tendency of likeliness towards sweets like chocolate etc, she will give birth to a baby girl while a tendency towards salty foods can depict the presence of a baby boy. This myth is particularly untrue because some people like sweets more than others. According to this myth, they may never be able to have a baby boy but this is not true and scientifically every couple has equal chances having either a baby girl or a baby boy.

Foetus Activity
The activity of a foetus inside the uterus has always ignited discussions amongst obstetricians and doctors. This myth is based on an assumption that boys are more active inside the uterus while the girls are more placid. If the baby inside the belly shows more movements then it will be a boy and if it stays calm mostly, it will be a girl. This myth is also untrue because the movements of the baby inside the uterus depend on many other factors.

If you are curious to know more about your unborn baby and his/her health, contact us for a consultation with a qualified private obstetrician in London who also works for the NHS and can provide you with comprehensive pregnancy care and guidance at every step of the way from conception to delivery.