So Michael and I are waiting until the day of delivery to be surprised with the gender of our child! Since we're not using any scientific methods to discern the gender, I thought it'd be fun to indulge in all the old mid-wives tales. The results of those tests are color-coded below. Blue means boy; pink means girl; and, green means the results were inconclusive. . :)
Test #1: The Linea Nigra Test
Latin for ‘black line,' a linea nigra
may appear on a girl's belly during pregnancy. This is a purple/brownish line which extends down the middle
of your belly to your pubic area, about 1 centimeter in width. It’s known that hormones
cause the linea nigra pigmentation, but it’s not known why it forms in the
vertical line that it does. The old wives tale is this – if you
get
a línea nigra and it runs from your pubic area to your belly button
only, it’s
a girl, and if it goes all the way up from your pubic area to the
bottom-most
part of you rib cage, then it’s a boy. Well, mine is very faint but
goes all the way up to my breasts, so this test result is...BOY! Test #2: The Carrying Test - Version A
They say if a girl carries her baby low, it's a boy. If she carries her baby high, it's a girl. So what determines high or low? Apparently, if your baby bump is up near your breasts, that's considered high. I would say that I am probably carrying low. So this test result is...BOY!
Test #3: The Carrying Test - Version B
They say that if you are carrying extra
weight at the front, then you’re having a boy… but if you are carrying extra
weight on your bum and hips, then you have been carrying a girl. I would say that I'm pretty much carrying all out the front like a basketball. So the test result here again is...BOY!Test #4: The Carrying Test - Version C
If the belly looks more like a basketball, then the old wives say it's a boy; but, if it more resembles a watermelon, then it’s a girl. I would say mine looks like a basketball. So this test result says...BOY!
Test #5: The Dry or Soft Skin Test
If your skin is dry, you’re said to be having
a boy – and if it’s soft, then a girl is on the way. I would say that my skin has had had both periods of dryness and periods of softness. So I would say the results of this test are...INCONCLUSIVE.
Test #6: The Baby's Heart Rate Test
The theory goes that if your baby's heart rate is above 140 beats per minute, it's a girl. If it's below 140, it's a boy. But I have had no luck at all hearing the heartbeat with a stethoscope at home, so I guess we'll say that this test is inconclusive.
Test #7: The Flowing Locks Test
If a woman's hair has become thinner and dull, they say she's having a girl. If her hair becomes full-bodied, glossy, and gorgeous, they say it's a boy. My hair has always had drastic mood swings and changes its appearance regularly, but--for the most part--I would say that my hair is BETTER now than it was before I was pregnant. So, this test points to BOY!
Test #8: The Age and Month Conceived Test
This formula states that if you add your age at the time of conception (32) with the number of the month you conceived in (12) and the resulting number is odd -- then a girl is on the way. If the resulting number is even, then it's a boy. My total was 44, so this test again says...BOY!
Test #9: The Food Cravings Test
Unfortunately, I haven't experienced any fun or weird cravings during this pregnancy. But, in the beginning of this pregnancy when I experienced lots of hormonal changes and nausea, it was my trusty rustry grapefruits which got me through. They say if you crave sour or salty foods, then it's most likely a boy. If you crave sweet foods like juice, fruits, or chocolate, then it's a girl. Then again, they say if you crave proteins like meats and dairy (and I consume TONS of these), it's probably a boy. Altogether, I would say the results of this test point more towards boy than girl.
Test #10: The Wedding Band Test
They say if you dangle your wedding band on a string over your belly, you can identify the gender of your child. If the ring starts moving in circles, it's a boy. If it moves like a pendulum from side to side, then it's a girl. But neither Michael nor I want to take off our wedding bands for any reason, so the results of this test shall have to be declared as...inconclusive! :)
Test #11: The Morning Sickness Test
They say that if you experience morning sickness, you're carrying a girl. If not, then it's a boy. I never once experienced morning sickness, but I did experience evening sickness regularly during those first 16 weeks. Thus, this test result points to boy!
Test #12: The Cold Feet Test
If your feet get colder than they used
to pre-pregnancy, it’s a sign you have a boy on the way. If your feet are the
same, then it’s a girl! I would say that my feet are WARMER than ever before. So, the results of this test are leaning toward GIRL!Test #13: The Attractiveness Test
Do you look better than ever while pregnant? Or has the pregnancy done your looks no favors? As it goes, if you look great during pregnancy, then you are carrying a boy. If you don’t look too flash, you’re having a girl, because she’s stolen all your good looks! Believe it or not, I would say that I look BETTER being pregnant because my cheeks have a rosy hue that they never had before. So, this test results points to BOY.
Then again, I've also heard the opposite. If you feel more beautiful during pregnancy, it could be because you're carrying a girl -- and thus the beauty of TWO women is shining through you! So maybe because of this varied way to interpret the results, I should say that the results of this test are inconclusive. Hmm.
Test #14: Daddy's Weight Test
Apparently, if your husband puts on ‘sympathy’ weight with you during your pregnancy, then you’re supposed to be carrying a girl. If he doesn’t put on any weight, then it’s a boy. I would say that Michael looks just about the same. So this test result points toward BOY again!
Test #15: The Breast Test
If you look in the mirror and see that your right breast is slightly larger, they say that you're carrying a boy. If the left is slightly larger, it's a girl. But what if they're basically the same size? Mine seem pretty congruent. I guess that means this test is inconclusive.
Test #16: The Pillow Test
They say that when a woman sleeps, if her pillow faces north, then expect a boy. If it faces south, expect a girl. However, I am completely befuddled on how to determine the direction that my pillow faces. The short ends of my pillow are each facing West and East. The long ends of my pillow are facing North and South. But, now that I think about it, I suppose that when I lay down, I do slightly pull the pillow down toward my belly (although the pillow itself stays beneath my head) which I guess suggests that I am pulling it in a Northern direction (since my feet face North and my head faces South). So, now that I think I've un-confused myself, I shall conclude that the results of this test say...BOY!
Test #17: The Acne Test
If you get acne during pregnancy,
apparently you’re having a girl, and if you don’t, then you’re carrying a boy. Although I have one pimple on my face right now that's been there for weeks and refuses to go away, this is actually an improvement for me. Normally I get a handful on a regular basis. So, once again, this test points toward BOY.
Test #18: The Sleep Side Test
So when you sleep, do you sleep on your
left? Because if you do, then it’s a boy for you! On your right, a girl is in
sight. Goodness. I normally sleep on my left, since this position causes the flap in my esophagus to close, making me less prone to indigestion. But since back sleeping is not an option for pregnant women, I'm also making use of sleeping on my right side. I alternate back and forth, since now my hips hurt during the night if I stay on any one side too long. So, the results of this test are...inconclusive.
Test #19: The Urine Test
Apparently if you have
bright yellow urine, then you’re carrying a boy, but if it’s dull / clear, then
you’re carrying a girl. Although mine is bright shortly after lunch due to my multi-vitamin, once that is out of my body, my urine is usually dull or somewhat clear. So, this test says...GIRL!
Test #20: The Hairy Legs Test
Has the hair on your legs grown faster
than normal? Or has it grown just like normal? Because if it’s growing faster
than it did pre-pregnancy, then you’re said to be having a boy. If not, then it's a girl. Well, I would say that all of my body hair is growing LESS QUICKLY...which is very nice! So the result of this test says GIRL!
Test #21: The Guess Test
Research has shown that a mother's intuition is often right. When asked to guess the gender of her unborn child, a woman is usually right 71% of the time. So what is my guess, you might ask? Well, I have my hunch...but I'm keeping it a secret for now. So, let's say that the results of this test are inconclusive. :)The Final Results
Well, according to all these wives tales, our baby has an 81% chance of being a boy and an 19% chance of being a girl. So we'll just have to see!! So very interesting!!
