3 Most Common Pregnancy Gender Myths
When it comes to pregnancy gender determination, myths and old wives' tales abound. As a specialist At First Ultrasound Pregnancy,
I've heard them all. Today, I'm here to debunk the three most common myths about predicting your baby's gender.
The Heartbeat Myth
One of the most frequently mentioned myths is about the baby’s heartbeat.
The belief is that a higher heartbeat indicates a girl, while a lower heartbeat suggests a boy.
Many expectant parents get excited when they hear their baby’s heartbeat for the first time during an ultrasound, often jumping to conclusions based on this myth. However, let’s set the record straight.
The reality is that a baby’s heart rate changes throughout the pregnancy. At around 8 weeks, the heart rate can be as high as 170 beats per minute. By the time the pregnancy reaches full term, the heart rate typically settles between 120 and 140 beats per minute. These fluctuations are normal and don’t correlate with the baby’s gender. If the heartbeat myth were true, we’d all start with girls and end up with boys!
The Belly Shape Myth
Another common myth is that the shape and height of the pregnant belly can determine the baby’s gender. You might have heard comments from random strangers or even friends and family, claiming that a high belly means you’re having a girl, and a low belly means a boy. I’ve seen countless bellies in my career—round bellies, bellies sticking out, bellies wide at the sides—and there’s absolutely no consistent pattern linking belly shape to gender.
The truth is, the shape of your belly is influenced by various factors, including your body type, muscle tone, and the position of the baby. Gender has nothing to do with it. While those guessing based on belly shape have a 50/50 chance of being right, it’s purely coincidental.
The Morning Sickness Myth
Lastly, there’s the myth that the severity of morning sickness can indicate your baby’s gender. It’s often said that if you experience severe morning sickness, you’re more likely to be carrying a girl due to higher hormone levels. Conversely, milder morning sickness is associated with having a boy. However, this is another myth that doesn’t hold up under scrutiny.
Hormonal changes during pregnancy can vary widely from one woman to another and even from one pregnancy to another. Some women might feel extremely sick with one pregnancy and not at all with another, regardless of the baby’s gender. For example, I have had patients who experienced severe morning sickness with both a boy and a girl, as well as those who felt fine with both. So, morning sickness is not a reliable indicator of gender.
If you’re truly curious about your baby’s gender, the most reliable method is an ultrasound. These myths may be fun to discuss, but they have no scientific basis. An ultrasound, performed by a trained professional, provides a much more accurate determination of your baby’s gender.
In conclusion, while these pregnancy gender myths might make for entertaining conversations, they shouldn’t be taken seriously. For an accurate gender determination, stick with the tried-and-true method: the ultrasound.
