Guessing Your Baby's Gender

It’s true that an ultrasound is the only scientifically proven way to know whether you’re expecting a boy or a girl - but that hasn’t stopped women from using all sorts of ways to predict their new baby’s gender.

While they’re not rooted in fact, these practices can be fun for moms-to-be who are too early in their pregnancy to get the official word from their doctor (and for moms who would rather wait until the birth to truly find out). A fun game with friends or at a baby shower, it might even help you decide on a baby name!

Number Tests

It’s not modern science, but an ancient Chinese method uses a little bit of math to determine the sex of a new baby. Pre-dating modern ultrasounds by at least six centuries, the Chinese gender prediction calendar cross references a new mom’s age with the month of conception. Women have even used this chart to determine the best month to get pregnant if they’re angling for a pink or a blue nursery.

Direction Tests

Place a ring on a thread and dangle it over your pregnant belly. Encourage everyone to watch closely. Supposedly, a ring that swings in a circular motion means you’re having a baby girl, and if it swings back and forth, it’s a boy.

Appearance Tests

Myriad “methods” predict a baby’s gender based on the pregnant belly of a mom-to-be. Carrying high means a boy, carrying low means a girl. You’re having a girl if the bump resembles a basketball and a boy if it’s more watermelon shaped.

If all else fails, the next best thing to a doctor’s confirmation may be the intuition of a new mom: A recent study shows that women who have an intuition about their baby’s gender were right more than 70 percent of the time. So trust yourself when preparing for a new baby!