You’re standing in the kitchen, barely six weeks along, and your aunt looks at you over a cup of decaf. She doesn't ask how you're feeling. She just stares at your skin and says, "It’s a girl, she’s stealing your beauty." Thanks, Aunt Sue. It’s one of those old pregnancy wives tales that has survived longer than most actual medical advice from the 1950s. People love a mystery. They love to guess.
Whether it’s the shape of your bump or how much you’re barfing in the morning, everyone has a "proven" method for figuring out what's going on inside your uterus before the anatomy scan. Most of it is total nonsense. Some of it, weirdly enough, has a tiny grain of biological truth buried under the superstition. Let’s get into the weeds of what people believe and why they believe it.
The Heartbeat Myth and the 140 BPM Rule
If you've had your first ultrasound, you've probably heard this one. The legend goes like this: if the fetal heart rate is over 140 beats per minute (BPM), you're having a girl. If it’s under 140, it’s a boy. It sounds scientific. It involves numbers and a medical device. But honestly? It’s basically a coin flip.
A massive study published in the journal Fetal Diagnosis and Therapy looked at thousands of first-trimester ultrasounds. The researchers found no significant difference between male and female heart rates during early pregnancy. Both boys and girls start with a heart that beats pretty fast—anywhere from 120 to 180 BPM. The heart rate changes based on the age of the fetus, not its sex.
Think about it. Your own heart rate isn't static. It speeds up when you're active and slows down when you're sleeping. A fetus is the same way. If the baby is moving around during the Doppler check, the heart rate will be higher. If they’re napping, it’ll be lower. Using a heartbeat to pick out nursery colors is about as reliable as asking a psychic.
Carrying High vs. Carrying Low
This is the big one. The "eye test."
- Carrying High: People say it’s a girl.
- Carrying Low: That’s supposed to be a boy.
- The "Basketball" Look: A tight, front-facing bump means a boy.
- The "Watermelon" Look: Weight spreading to the hips means a girl.
It’s all about muscle tone. Really. That’s the secret. If this is your first pregnancy, your abdominal muscles are likely tighter, which keeps the baby tucked in high and close. By the second or third kid, those muscles have already been stretched out. They aren't as strong. The baby hangs lower because your body has literally done this before.
The shape of your bump is also dictated by your frame. A tall woman with a long torso has more vertical room for the baby, so she might not "pop" outward as much. A shorter woman has nowhere for the baby to go but straight out. It’s physics, not gender. Dr. Jennifer Conti, an OB-GYN at Stanford University, has gone on record multiple times debunking this. She points out that the way a woman carries depends entirely on the baby's position and the mother's anatomy.
Why morning sickness might actually mean something
Most old pregnancy wives tales are just fun stories, but the one about morning sickness actually has some data behind it. You’ve probably heard that if you’re hovering over the toilet every morning, you’re having a girl.
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Guess what? There’s a sliver of truth here.
A study published in the journal Brain, Behavior, and Immunity found that women carrying female fetuses tended to have higher levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines when their immune systems were challenged. Essentially, the female fetus might cause more inflammation in the mother’s body. Another study from the Lancet found that women with hyperemesis gravidarum—which is just a fancy way of saying severe, "I-can't-keep-water-down" morning sickness—were slightly more likely to give birth to girls.
It’s not a guarantee. You can be miserably sick with a boy or feel like a superstar with a girl. But of all the legends, the "sick for a girl" one is the only one that doctors don't immediately roll their eyes at.
The Cravings Theory: Salty vs. Sweet
Pickles or ice cream?
The tale says that if you’re dying for potato chips and pretzels, it’s a boy. If you’re raiding the candy aisle, it’s a girl. This is probably the most popular of the old pregnancy wives tales because it involves food.
Cravings are real. They are incredibly powerful. But they’re likely a result of your body needing specific nutrients or just the massive hormonal shift changing your sense of taste and smell. If you’re craving salt, you might just be dehydrated or need more electrolytes to support your increased blood volume. If you want sugar, your body might just be looking for a quick energy boost.
There is zero evidence that a male fetus sends out a "send pickles" signal to the brain. Your cravings are about you, not the baby's plumbing.
Skin, Hair, and the "Beauty Thief"
"Girls steal your beauty." It’s a mean thing to say to a pregnant woman, but people say it anyway. The idea is that a girl takes the mother’s "glow," leading to acne and dull hair, while a boy leaves your skin clear.
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Hormones are a chaotic mess during pregnancy.
Some women get the "glow" because of increased blood flow and oil production.
Others get "mask of pregnancy" (melasma) or adult-onset acne.
It’s the luck of the genetic draw. If your skin is breaking out, blame the progesterone, not a future daughter. Interestingly, there is some anecdotal evidence that hair grows thicker during pregnancy because you aren't shedding it at the normal rate. But again, that happens regardless of the baby's sex.
The Drano Test and Other Dangerous Ideas
Some old pregnancy wives tales are harmless. The wedding ring on a string? Fun. The baking soda pee test? Messy but fine. But some "tests" involve chemicals that have no business being near a pregnant person.
The "Drano Test" involves mixing urine with liquid drain cleaner to see if it changes color.
Don't do this.
Mixing urine (which contains ammonia) with certain household cleaners can create toxic fumes. It’s dangerous for you and the baby. Plus, the color change is just a chemical reaction to the pH level of your pee, which changes based on what you ate for lunch, not whether you’re having a son or a daughter.
The Logic of Why These Tales Persist
We live in an age of NIPT blood tests that can tell you the sex of a baby at 10 weeks with 99% accuracy. So why do we still talk about the "ring on a string" or the "Mayan calendar"?
Because pregnancy is long.
It’s forty weeks of waiting for a stranger to show up.
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These stories give people a sense of connection to the process. They turn a medical event into a communal experience. When your grandmother tells you that your heartburn means the baby will have a full head of hair (which, by the way, actually has some scientific backing due to estrogen levels), she’s trying to bond with you.
Evidence-Based Realities vs. Folklore
If you actually want to know what’s happening, you have to look at the biology. Most of these myths were created before ultrasounds existed. Back then, you had a 50/50 shot of being right, which are great odds for a "prophet."
If you guess "boy" for every pregnant woman you meet, you’ll be a genius 50% of the time.
| Myth | Scientific Reality |
|---|---|
| High Heart Rate | Fetal heart rate changes by gestational age, not sex. |
| Severe Morning Sickness | Mild correlation with female fetuses due to hormone levels. |
| Carrying Low | Relates to abdominal muscle tone and baby's position. |
| Heartburn = Hair | High estrogen can cause both heartburn and fetal hair growth. |
| Salty Cravings | Likely related to hydration or nutritional needs. |
Moving Forward: What to do with this info
If you're currently pregnant, you’re going to be pelted with these theories. It’s unavoidable. The best way to handle it is with a grain of salt (and maybe a pickle).
Actionable Insights for the Expectant Parent:
- Trust the Blood, Not the Bump: If you really want to know the sex early, ask your doctor about the Cell-free DNA test (NIPT). It’s a simple blood draw that looks at fetal DNA circulating in your bloodstream. It’s way more accurate than looking at your skin in the mirror.
- Manage the Advice: When someone gives you a "prediction" based on an old wives tale, just smile. You don't have to correct them. It's a social ritual.
- Watch for Symptoms that Matter: Instead of worrying if your cravings mean a boy, track your cravings to see if you’re missing something in your diet. Craving ice? You might be anemic. Talk to your midwife about that, not the shape of your stomach.
- Enjoy the Mystery: If you aren't finding out the sex until birth, these tales can be a fun way to pass the time. Just don't paint the nursery based on how a wedding ring swung over your belly.
The reality of pregnancy is that every body is different. Your "glow" or your "morning sickness" is a unique reaction to the massive biological undertaking of growing a human. Whether it’s a boy or a girl, your body is doing something incredible, regardless of what the neighbors think about the way you're carrying.
Focus on your prenatal vitamins, stay hydrated, and remember that the only 100% accurate way to tell the sex is when the baby actually arrives. Everything else is just a story we tell to make the wait a little shorter.