Symptoms Of Baby Boy During Pregnancy: Are They Reliable?

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It is normal for family and friends to guess the gender of the baby when you are pregnant. Some also may suggest that they see the signs you are having a boy or a girl. These assumptions and myths originated over generations out of curiosity, especially when the scans were not available. While guessing or predicting the sex of the baby through symptoms can be fun, they should not be taken seriously due to a lack of scientific evidence. Read on to know some myths associated with the baby’s gender during pregnancy.

What Determines The Sex Of A Baby?

The baby’s sex is determined by its chromosome make-up at the time of fertilization (when the sperm meets the egg). An embryo (or the baby) receives 23 chromosomes from each of the parents, where one pair is made up of the sex chromosomes that determine the sex of the baby. If the baby has two X chromosomes, it is a girl, and if it has one X and one Y chromosomes, it is a boy.

Sexual differences begin around the seventh week of pregnancy, and they are influenced by genetic and environmental factors too (1).

Infographic: Signs You Are Having A Baby Boy – Myths Vs. Facts

Illustration: Momjunction Design Team

The births in a given population may be naturally male-biased. For example, research shows that the chances of having a boy are slightly higher than a girl’s (2). The below graph depicts the differences in sex ratio at birth for various countries from the year 1950 to 2020. The ratio between the number of male births to every 100 female births gives the sex ratio at birth, and a value greater than 100 indicates the number of boys born is higher than girls born that year. The data suggests that the number of male births has been higher than female births in all countries throughout the years.

Sex ratio at birth from 1950 to 2021

Expert says

Citing research done in England, Robyn Horsager-Boehrer, MD, Obstetrics and Gynecology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, says, “The ratio of boys to girls often followed the genetics of the father’s side. If a man had more brothers, his own children were more likely to be male; if he had more sisters, he was more likely to have daughters (17).”

Signs You Are Having A Baby Boy – Myths vs. Facts

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Here, we list down some of the common symptoms that people commonly believe are signs of having a boy. Let us explore the myths that can make guessing the sex of the baby fun!

1. Morning sickness

Myth: When you are not experiencing morning sickness or nausea, it is a sign that you are carrying a baby boy.

Fact: Morning sickness (nausea and vomiting) is a common symptom of pregnancy, affecting between 70% and 80% of pregnant women. It is mostly limited to the first trimester, but some women may experience it until delivery (3). Hormonal changes are believed to cause it, and not the sex of the baby.

2. Heart rate

Myth: A heart rate lower than 140 beats per minute is one of the signs you’re having a boy.

Fact: It is a misleading claim with no research to support it. A study titled Gender-Related Differences in Fetal Heart Rate during the First Trimester debunks the myth saying there is no significant difference between heart rates of the boy and girl in the first trimester (4).

Irrespective of the sex, the normal fetal heart rate is 120 to 160 bpm. It may go higher (140 to 160bpm in early pregnancy, and lower (120 to 140bpm) towards the later stages of pregnancy (5).

Dr. Alan Lindemann, obstetrician and maternal mortality expert, who was also a clinical associate professor at the University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, says, “While there are people who say that the baby girl’s heart rate is faster than the boy’s, I would say this is an extremely unreliable way to determine the gender of the baby. The most reliable way to determine gender is by an ultrasoundⁱA medical test that uses sound waves to examine internal organs and tissues of the body at about 20 weeks or more.”

3. Skin and hair condition

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Myth: Good skin health with blemish and pimple-free skin are signs you are pregnant with a boy, whereas a baby girl borrows the mother’s beauty, deteriorating her skin. The mother will also have longer and lustrous hair in case she’s carrying a boy.

Fact: There are no studies to support these claims. Changes in skin and hair during pregnancyare due to alterations in hormone levels. Hormonal changes can result in clear skin and lustrous hair, or acne and hair fall, irrespective of the baby’s sex. Pregnant women generally experience thicker hair during the 15-week mark of pregnancy due to the increase in estrogen levels in the body (6).

4. Food cravings

Myth: If you crave for sour or salty foods, you are more likely to have a boy.

Fact: There is no scientific evidence that supports this claim. Cravings could be due to hormonal changes, nutritional deficiencies, pharmacologically active substances (present in specific foods), cultural and psychosocial factors. However, there isn’t enough more research to support these hypotheses (7).

5. Tummy positioning

Myth: Carrying low is one of the signs you are having a baby boy.

Fact: The way you carry does not indicate the baby’s sex. A research study published in the journal Birth, states that neither this nor the other ways of predicting a baby’s sex were right (8). The postural changesⁱChanges in the body alignment that occur due to various factors, including age, diet, bone density, and certain medical conditions of a pregnant woman may be related to the size of the baby and the shape of your uterus (9).

According to Greg Marchand, a board-certified OB-GYN, working as a program director for the SLS-accredited fellowship in minimally invasive gynecologic surgery at Steward Health, Providence, Rhode Island, “There are no appreciable differences between carrying a boy and a girl. Many moms believe that carrying one gender feels different from the other when they have had the experience of carrying both, but there are no quality studies showing that women, regardless of how many babies they have had, are able to predict a baby’s gender based on the symptomatology of a pregnancy.”

6. Mood changes

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Myth: You are not prone to mood swings if you are carrying a boy, but you will be if you are pregnant with a girl.

Fact: Mood swings during pregnancy are due to hormonal changes and not due to the baby’s sex.

7. Urine color

Myth: The color of your urine changes during pregnancy, and if it appears dark, it indicates that you are carrying a baby boy.

Fact: Urine changes are common during pregnancy. Dark urine might be a sign of dehydration, which could happen due to nausea and vomiting (10). Urine color may also change with foods, medications, and supplements, and is not related to sex prediction.

8. Breast size

Image: IStock

Myth: When you carry a baby boy, your right breast is bigger than the left one.

Fact: Hormonal changes during pregnancy improve the blood flow and cause changes in the breast tissue that make them feel bigger. Breasts tend to swell as the pregnancy proceeds, which helps prepare for breast milk supply to nurture your baby after birth (11). However, there is no evidence of breast changes being linked to the sex of the baby.

9. Cold feet

Myth: If you have icy-cold feet, it is an indication you are carrying a baby boy.

Fact: Cold feet during pregnancy could be due to poor blood circulation, diabetes, or extremely cold weather (12).Consult your doctor for further diagnosis and care.

10. Weight gain

Image: Shutterstock

Myth: When you carry a baby boy, the extra pounds are mostly visible at the stomach, but when you are carrying a girl, the weight is distributed all over the body, including the face.

Fact: Most pregnant women gain weight throughout their pregnancy, and a considerable weight gain is an essential part of a healthy pregnancy and is not determined by the sex of the baby (12).

11. Dry hands

Myth: When you have dry hands, you will have a boy, but when you have soft hands, you will have a girl.

Fact: Pregnancy causes several hormonal changes that may cause skin dryness, regardless of the baby’s gender. Furthermore, pregnancy-related skin conditions like prurigo and eczema may contribute to dry skin in pregnant women (13).

12. Linea nigra

Myth: If the linea nigra runs downward from your belly button, you are having a girl. Conversely, if it runs upward to your ribs from your navel, you will have a boy.

Fact: Linea nigra is a form of hyperpigmentation typically appearing in the second trimester (13). There is no scientific evidence to support that the direction of the linea nigra determines the gender of the baby.

13. Dreams and intuitions

Myth: You dreamed about having a girl or boy. Hence, you will have a baby of the same gender.

Fact: Dreams are influenced by deep-set thoughts, and intuitions about a baby’s gender have an equal chance of being correct or incorrect. A study involving several pregnant women found that their dreams and intuitions about gender prediction were as reliable as flipping a coin (14).

Medical Tests That May Indicate Your Baby’s Sex During Pregnancy

Some of the standard medical procedures that can be used to determine your unborn baby’s sex:

1. Ultrasound

It is a non-invasive way to determine the sex of the baby and is usually done between weeks 18 and 22 (15). The ultrasonographer may not always detect the sex if the baby’s position is not ideal or if the pregnancy has not progressed. In these cases, you may have to go for a repeat scan.

Did you know?

At 12 weeks pregnant, the sonographer can look at the angle of the genital tubercleⁱA body tissue present in both male and female fetuses during the early stages of reproductive system to determine the fetal gender. The tubercle pointing upward may indicate a boy, while a flat or downward-pointing tubercle indicates a girl. This is called a nub theory (21).

2. Fetal DNA blood tests

New research by Diana W. Bianchi and her colleagues, published in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) journal, reveals that taking a blood test around weeks 6 to 10 may help detect the baby’s sex.

Dr. Marchand says, “NIPT (non-invasive prenatal testing) is now the most common way for a mother to find out the gender of her baby in the US. These are blood tests using advanced technology to analyze small portions of the fetal DNA found in the mother’s bloodstream.”

The mother’s blood carries traces of fetal DNA, which determines the Y-chromosomal sequence that could reveal the sex of the baby (16). These tests are usually not taken up unless you are over 35 years and need genetic investigation.

3. Genetic Testing

There are invasive tests that allow definitive determination of the sex. They include amniocentesisⁱA prenatal test that uses a sample of amniotic fluid to diagnose a fetus's genetic disorder or other health concerns and chorionic villus samplingⁱA confirmatory prenatal test done after 11 weeks of pregnancy to screen for any genetic or chromosomal abnormalities in the fetus (CVS), like fetal DNA blood test but might not detect the sex as early as them.

Amniocentesis is performed after the 15th week while CVS after 11th week (17). Both carry a low risk of miscarriage and therefore, could be considered for older couples and those with a history of genetic disorders.

If you want the sex of the baby to be a surprise, but still want to have fun guessing if it is a boy or a girl, we have a few ideas listed for you next.

Party Games To Identify You Are Carrying A Baby Boy

Here are some fun games that you can consider guessing the baby’s sex. Note that these practices are only for fun and are not scientifically backed or recommended methods to find out the baby’s sex.

1. The Wedding Ring Trick

• Tie your wedding ring with a long piece of string and then dangle the suspended ring over your bumped belly.

• If the ring swings in a circular motion, it could mean that you’re having a boy.

2. The Key To The Mystery

• In the following trick, you are told to pick up the key placed in front of you.

• According to traditional belief, if you grab the long end of the key, you are having a baby boy. However, if you pick the round end, you are having a baby girl.

3. Chinese Lunar Calendar

• The Chinese birth calendar invented more than 700 years ago is believed to help in the determination of your baby’s sex.

• The chart could determine your baby’s sex by using your exact birth date and month of your conception.

Quick fact

Research proves that the popular Chinese lunar calendar method is not conclusive or trustworthy in predicting fetal gender (22).

Pregnant and wondering if you’re having a baby boy or a girl? Learn in this video the most common signs and symptoms of having a baby boy during pregnancy.

Disclaimer: Sex-prediction methods are only for fun and do not replace medical examinations. MomJunction believes in gender equality; we do not support or encourage sex determination nor entertain any queries on finding the sex of the baby.

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Reviewer Expert Author Editor Fact Checker

Dr. Sangeeta AgrawalFRCOG, MD, DNB, DGO

Dr. Sangeeta Agrawal is an obstetrician and gynecologist with around 29 years of experience in the field. She worked in Royal London, St. Bartholomew’s, North Middlesex, and Barnet General hospitals in London and currently runs her clinic in Mumbai.

Read full bio of Dr. Sangeeta Agrawal

• 
  Greg J. MarchandMD, FACS, FACOG, FICS Dr. Marchand, originally from Providence, RI, is dual board-certified in Ob/Gyn and minimally invasive gynecologic surgery. He is extensively published in the field of minimally invasive surgery and is accredited by the Society of Laparoscopic & Robotic Surgeons (SLS). He is a fellow of both the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG) and American College of Surgeons (ACS).
  
  Dr. Marchand, originally from Providence, RI, is dual board-certified in Ob/Gyn and minimally invasive gynecologic surgery. He is extensively published in the field of minimally invasive surgery and is accredited by the Society of Laparoscopic & Robotic Surgeons (SLS). He is a fellow of both the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG) and American College of Surgeons (ACS).
• 
  Dr. Alan LindemannMD, MS Dr. Alan Lindemann is an obstetrician and maternal mortality expert, who worked as a clinical associate professor at the University of ND. An alumnus of the University of ND and the University of Minnesota, he is a member of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Medical Association.
  
  Dr. Alan Lindemann is an obstetrician and maternal mortality expert, who worked as a clinical associate professor at the University of ND. An alumnus of the University of ND and the University of Minnesota, he is a member of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Medical Association.

Rebecca MalachiBSc

Rebecca is a pregnancy writer and editor with a passion for delivering research-based and engaging content in areas of fertility, pregnancy, birth, and post-pregnancy. She did her graduation in Biotechnology and Genetics from Loyola Academy, Osmania University and obtained a certification in ‘Nutrition and Lifestyle in Pregnancy’ from Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU).

Read full bio of Rebecca Malachi

Swati PatwalM.Sc. (Food & Nutrition), MBA

Swati Patwal is a clinical nutritionist, a Certified Diabetes Educator (CDE) and a toddler mom with more than a decade of experience in diverse fields of nutrition. She started her career as a CSR project coordinator for a healthy eating and active lifestyle project catering to school children.

Read full bio of Swati Patwal

Reshmi DasMSc

Reshmi Das has over four years of experience as a clinical coordinator, medical content writer and medical conference coordinator. Her continuous interest in medical journals and writing makes her write well-researched articles for MomJunction.

Read full bio of Reshmi Das