Once a woman gets pregnant, all she wants to know is whether she is having a girl or a boy. The curiosity is genuine, and perhaps justified (you can shop accordingly!) and to-be-moms start scouting for signs whether they are pregnant with a girl or a boy.
All the aunts and other relatives start predicting the gender of the unborn baby by the symptoms, shape of the baby bump, the kind of foods you like, the way you walk and what not. Even without any scientific evidence, the elders are able to guess the gender quite correctly. Old wives tales do hold some truth to them ultimately!
Now, the actual confirmation of the gender is received when you have your baby (in India) or when you have your 20-week scan in the US and many other countries. However, till then it’s just a guessing game. And it does not hurt to root for a particular gender, while you can. These 15 signs indicate you that you’re pregnant with a baby boy.
Gender prediction quizzes and old-wives tales come to foray and though in India, pre-natal gender scanning is illegal, there’s no harm playing the guessing games!
15 Signs You Are Pregnant With A Boy
Old wives tales have a good success rate when it comes to predicting the sex of the baby. Now, these guessing games have little or no scientific evidence and should only be taken as guessing games. In India, you can only get to know the gender of your baby after the birth of the baby, unlike the west, where baby gender is revealed during the 20 week pregnancy scan.
However, guessing the baby gender is a lot more fun. And there are some symptoms that are indicative of you having a baby boy. So match your symptoms with the below signs and perhaps you are having a baby boy indeed!
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1. Less morning sickness
About 70% to 80% of all pregnant experience morning sickness1 as one of the earliest signs of pregnancy. Some women go through morning sickness their entire pregnancy, while for some it eases out in the second trimester. Some women, like me, do not have a single episode of morning sickness all through the pregnancy.
It is said that when pregnant with a girl, the morning sickness is at its worst. If your morning sickness isn’t that bad, there are higher chances that you’re having a baby boy. This is because in cases of baby girls, there are higher hormone levels which cause more vomiting- as per popular beliefs.
It was reported that those with hyperemesis gravidarum showed a female predominance among the offspring. Hyperemesis Gravid Arum is a case of extreme morning sickness.
2. Cravings that indicate you are pregnant with a boy
Ahh! The classical pregnancy symptom! It is normal to crave many things, some of them even strange when pregnant. In fact, 50–90% of women crave for specific food items when pregnant, as per this research. Food cravings is perhaps one interesting part of pregnancy!
Old wives tales has it that when when it comes to carrying a baby boy, you usually have different cravings in comparison to having a girl. Since girls are made of sugar and spice and all things nice, sweet cravings are said to be indicative of you being pregnant with a girl.
If you’re craving salty and savory foods, higher are the chances of you having a boy. So all those who can’t wait to open that pack of chips or that can of pretzels, you may be pregnant with a cute, salty little boy.Now this does not have any scientific evidence, but people seem to believe it is quite true.
Nonetheless, all healthy cravings help you and your baby get the essential nutrients for proper growth and development. Although unhealthy cravings are also quite common during pregnancy, it is always a delight to indulge only once in a while.
Related Reading: Top 10 Food Cravings When Pregnant With A Girl
3. Urine color
Another way of finding out whether it’s a boy is by your urine color. Of course, it is urine that determines your pregnancy, and apparently, folklore has it that the urine color can even predict the gender of the baby. A few homemade pregnancy tests too use urine as the main indicator of pregancy.
Women carrying a baby boy are said to have a darker urine color than normal. Another way of finding out is by pouring Draino (Drain Cleaner) into your urine. If the color of your urine changes into brown, black, green or blue after pouring Drano, you’re having a boy.
Related Reading: When To Take Home Pregnancy Test
4. Cold hands and feet
If you’re having cold hands and feet, it’s an indicator that you are having a boy. Women expecting a boy tend to feel chilly and generally feel cold. However, icy cold feet and hands can also be due to cold climate, and even poor blood circulation if you stay put in one position..
Try to move around for a while to see if your body temperature changes. If your hands and feet continue to be cold, your baby boy is telling you that he’s inside. And if you feel its weird, put on those shoes and see your doctor.
5. Big belly in the front if you are pregnant with a boy
Another way to tell whether you are having a boy or a girl is the way your baby bump is positioned. It is believed that when you are pregnant with a girl, the bump is spread towards the hips and the bum area would look bigger.
If your pregnant belly is so big that it makes other people suspect that you are having twins, then it’s your boy who is making it as big as a basketball. When women are pregnant with baby boys, they put on a lot of weight, but all in the front. They will not have weight around other parts of the body, but their pregnant belly will tell another story.
Most of the weight gain goes to the belly and the pregnancy is all shown in the front. You may not even look pregnant from behind!
Science has it that the shape of the baby bump is determined by the fetal position but it doesn’t hurt to play a little guessing game, no?
6. Faster hair growth indicates the baby is a boy
If you are like me, you would love your pregnancy for the fact that it gives you lustrous hair. Thanks to the overflow of hormones, the hair gets to its resting phase and then you have a head full of lustrous shiny hair. The hair fall after pregnancy, is another thing though.
Women pregnant with boys are said to experience faster hair growth, especially on the legs. While on the mane it is all welcome, excessive body hair may mean multiple trips to the salon.
If you notice your body hair growing faster than normal, it means that you’re having a boy.
However, you could start losing hair once the baby is born. So do not get depressed seeing your hair grow faster than usual where you’d rather want to have a smooth texture.
7. Bigger chest
Pregnancy transforms your body completely. This is because your body is accommodating your growing baby. One of the first body part that shows changes during pregnancy are the breasts.
Sensitive breasts are often an indication of pregnancy. Some old wives’ tales predict the gender of the baby by looking at your breast size. No, there’s nothing gross about it, is there?
Related Reading: 21 Breastfeeding Tips For First Time Mothers
When you are pregnant, nothing seems gross anymore, if you know what I mean.
Coming back to breasts, It is said that if your right breast is larger than your left breast, chances are that you’re carrying a baby boy. If you’re still not sure, you can always see for yourself. Pull that shirt up in front of the mirror.
However, breasts swell and grow during pregnancy in anticipation and preparation of baby arrival, who will need his mother’s milk to grow healthy and well. Little has breast size got to do with revealing the gender of the fetus.
8. Heart rate of the baby
If the heart of the baby is beating slower than 140 beats per minute, it indicates that you’re carrying a baby boy. During the first trimester, all babies are supposed to have a heart rate of over 140 beats per minute. But statistics have it that baby girls usually have a average heart rate of 151+- beats per minute. Maybe boys are lazy even in the womb!
As the pregnancy progresses, the heart rate slows down but if it slows down to under 140 beats per minute after the first trimester, it means that it’s a boy!
Related Reading: 25 Out Of The Box Pregnancy Announcement Riddles
9. Bigger appetite
Have you also been told to eat for two now that you are pregnant? Well, that’s not really necessary – because when pregnant, you only need about 300 more calories to support the growing baby. Roughly an apple would do the trick.
And if you have been told to eat for two so that the baby comes out all pink and healthy, that’s not the case. Instead, it will up your chances of complications because of being overweight.
Appetite has a huge role to play during pregnancy, so how can it not be a part of some gender guessing game? It is believed that women carrying baby boys have a bigger appetite than those carrying girls. This is because women carrying boys require more energy levels.
Related Reading: 12 Best Foods For Baby Brain Development
10. The way you carry your baby
It is said that when women are carrying girls, the baby sits higher in the womb whereas boys tend to sit lower. One of my friends has a boy and a girl both, and she swears that when she had a girl, the bump was right under her breasts, while the boy sat down near the pubic area. Well, she turned out right so there’s a little belief I have on this way of predicting whether a woman is having a girl or a boy.
The way you carry your baby isn’t just about the weight and size of the baby but also has to do with its gender. Though there isn’t any scientific proof to this, you can always verify it with the other signs.
11. The ring spin
If you like playing, then you would love this one. This is from the book of the old wives. Tie a ring to a string and hold it in front of your belly. Now start swinging it. If your ring moves backwards and forwards, it means that you have a boy. Apparently, if the ring goes in circles, you are likely having a girl. This is even a fun baby shower game.
Some people claim it otherwise as well, so you know how much to rely on it. Though there is no doubt that some women do swear by this method!
12. Maternal instincts
It is said that most women are able to guess the gender of the baby 70% of the time. Maternal instincts are mostly on the right path. Their maternal instincts are derived from the relationship that they share with the baby during these nine months which makes it easier for them to guess the gender of the baby.
If you have a gut feeling that there is a boy on its way, chances of your being right are quite high. A mother surely knows!
Related Reading: 35 Fun Pregnancy Announcement Ideas For Family
13. Sleeping positions
Sleeping is a luxury during pregnancy, and sleep deprivation is not uncommon. If you prefer sleeping on a particular side almost every time, it has something to do with the gender of the baby. It is said that women who prefer sleeping on the left side are more likely to bear a baby boy.
14. Great skin and hair
Women undergo various physical changes during pregnancy. Pregnancy is a roller coaster ride of various hormones, so the way you look and feel gets affected immensely. It is believed that women having baby boys tend to have lesser breakouts and clearer skin during pregnancy. Hair is also in the resting phase so your hair may look better- all that thick, lustrous and shiny.
It is also believed that women who have various skin troubles like acne during the initial stages of their pregnancy are likely to have a girl. Nevertheless, some medical experts believe that skin conditions does have some relation to the sex of the unborn baby, but nothing can be said conclusively.
Related Reading: 9 Common Pregnancy Dreams With Their Meanings
15. Your pregnancy line
When you’re pregnant, there’s a dark line that runs down your belly. This line is also known as the lina nigra. It is said that if this line is a bit crooked, it indicates that you’re having a boy. It is also said that if this line goes all the way to your rib cage, it means that you’re having a boy.
Now that you are sure that it’s a boy, you can paint the nursery blue. If you’re excited about the baby and can’t wait till the ultrasound to reveal its gender, these signs will calm you down till then. There are other over the counter tests that reveal the gender of the baby. All your guessing will be put to rest when you actually give birth. Till then enjoy the anticipation of welcoming a new member to the family.