21 Wives' Tales

I pulled this 21 Wives' Tales that tell You if it's a Boy or a Girl from my friend JuliAnna's post (you can find her results here if you're interested - and as a side note, she had a boy).  I thought it would be interesting to throw it out there and I think most of them are a bit ridiculous, and some don't apply -- but why the heck not, right?  I should be finding out the gender this Friday, so thought this would be a fun precursor.

So here are my responses below, enjoy.

Sleep Position: Pay attention to which way you lay down in bed tonight.  If you prefer sleeping in your left side, you'll have a boy.  Right side?  You're pregnant with a girl.

BOY - I don't necessarily know what to make of this one since if I'm on my side I'm typically on my left side regardless of baby or not.  And now I'm trying hard to no longer be a back sleeper since I've heard that's bad.  Which then only means that I'm not sleeping well because if I wake up from moving in the middle of the night and I realize I've been on my back, then I start to panic that I've deprived the baby of oxygen for the last few hours.  But in strict answer of the question, I guess I'll go with left side.

Upset Stomach: Little girls aren't always sweet.  Extreme nausea means you are having a daughter.

GIRL - I'm not extremely nauseous anymore, but I hated life for about 2 weeks when I was throwing up 3-5 times a day and just the thought of grilled chicken made me dry heave.  Now it comes and goes in waves, usually based on whether or not I've had enough water (see this post for confirmation).

Soft or Dry Hands: If your hands are dry during pregnancy, you are having a boy; soft - expect a girl.

GIRL - My hands are pretty soft, but it's not winter yet so that's probably going to change when I get scaly and dry during the cold months.

Food Cravings: Your favorite pregnancy foods may tell you what sex the baby is.  If you're craving citrus while pregnant, you're having a girl.

BOY - I don't think I'm craving citrus, in fact I don't think I'm really craving anything in particular.

Adult Acne: If altering hormones makes your skin break out, expect a girl.

GIRL - I haven't broken out this bad since high school.  It's not pretty, especially with my particular aversion (for lack of a better word) of taking time to use make-up in the morning.

Graceful or Clumsy Pregnancy: If you feel as though you're gliding through the day, you'll have a girl.  Stumbling?  It's a boy.

BOY - I'm always clumsy though, so this makes no sense and doesn't seem like a good indicator.  As my friend Brian told me in college, "I didn't know your mom, but from what I know about her, if she had the foresight she would have named you Grace".  That about sums it up.  If this is an indicator though, I'm going to be destined for boys.

Face Weight Gain: If your face gets fuller, it means you're having a girl.

BOY - My face seems to have actually slimmed down, but that could have also been from the weight loss I had at the beginning of pregnancy (read back to upset stomach above, and also the removal of alcohol from my diet).

Sugar and Spice Food Cravings: Craving salt during pregnancy? Potato chips, pretzels, and popcorn means a boy is on the way.  Need a little something sweet?  Ice cream, chocolate, and candy means you're having a girl.

GIRL - I'm eating more sweets than usual, although I think it's mostly because I no longer allow myself to feel guilty about making that stop at the Dairy Queen or having the extra cookie.  Although, I guess I have been eating more donuts and I have to say those used to be a big no-no for me and now they are delicious.

Mood Changes: If you're experiencing pregnant mood-swings, expect a baby girl to arrive soon.

BOY - After talking this one over with John he doesn't think I'm experiencing mood swings so I think I'll go ahead and trust him on this one.

High or Low Pregnant Belly: If you're carrying the baby low on your stomach, expect a boy.  If it's high, you're having a girl.

BOY - So, I'm not showing really.  I've got nothing.  I guess if I had to choose something I would say low, since it's definitely not high?

Baby Weight: If you're carrying baby in front, it's a boy.  Is the baby weight spaced all around your middle?  It's a girl.

GIRL - It seems as though it's kind of just all over, and not isolated to a certain location.  Since I don't have a belly sticking out in front of me, I guess that means it's spaced all around my middle.

Pendulum Test: Dangle a chain with a charm over your palm.  If it swings back and forth: boy.  In a circle: girl.

GIRL - Although I'm not sure if I'm doing this one right.  Should I start the swinging and see what happens?  Or see if it just starts swinging on it's own?

Model Your Hands: "Show me your hands".  If you would hold your hands palms up, it's a girl.  Down?  You're having a boy.

BOY - ??  But I don't think I understand the question.  Why am I showing my hands?  I don't know, it seems silly.

Toddler Advice: Get baby advice from a nephew or friend's little boy.  If a toddler boy shows interest in your belly, you'll have a girl.  If he ignores you, it's a boy.

I don't know any toddlers - let alone little boys, so this one's out.

Eat Garlic: Guess the baby's sex by eating garlic.  If the smell seeps out of your pores, it's a boy.  If there's no scent it's a little girl.

GIRL - I have not been told that I smell like garlic when we eat garlic.  But maybe we're just used to it?

Key to Pregnancy: If you pick up a key by the round end, you're having a boy.  If it's by the long end?  A girl.

BOY - I don't know when I would ever pick up a key by the long end.  I did know what each meant before participating, but testing it out, it felt weird to pick it up by the long end.

Even and Odd Numbers: If your age and year of conception are both even or odd, it's a girl.  One even, one odd means a boy.

BOY

Baby's Heartbeat: If the baby's heart beats more than 150 times per minute, you're pregnant with a girl.  Less than 150, it's a boy.

GIRL - 156 or 153 at my last appointment.  (I feel like these are things I should remember without having to guess... all I know is that it was over 150)

Stress Test: A child tends to be of the same sex as the parent who is less stressed at the time of conception.

BOY - John and I are both pretty even keel, but I guess in the overall scheme of things he's less stressed than I am as a general rule (and I went back a couple of years ago in blog posts and read the ones where I cried at FedEx and just generally was overwhelmed so I think it's safe to say that John is less stressed than me).  I'm with JuliAnna here though, if this is a true test then we are always destined for boys.

Dream Meanings: If you dream about having a girl while pregnant, you will wind up having a boy and vice versa.

BOY - I have had only one dream so far and it was with a little girl.  But I think this is silly because I want a little girl, so clearly my subconscious is going to put that in my dream.

Breast Size: If your right breast is larger than the left while pregnant, you are having a girl.  If the left is larger, it's a baby boy.

I think mine are about the same.  I haven't noticed that one is larger than the other - just generally large.

(I liked JuliAnna's categories below, so I have stolen them and used them for my own)

A Child Called It = 2

It's a Boy = 11

It's a Girl = 9

This pretty much tells me that it's still a 50/50 chance.  Imagine that.  How very scientific.

Anyone have any thoughts about what it could be?  Get your guesses in before Friday afternoon!  Appointment is at 1pm, so hopefully we will actually find out.  Otherwise, I'm going to feel very silly for getting all excited.  Ha.