Tomorrow is the most-anticipated pregnancy check-up for me yet. If I’m lucky, I’ll get to find out whether there’s a boy or girl swimming around in there. Now, I’ve heard lots of rumors/myths/what-have-you about being able to predetermine the gender of your baby, but honestly I’m still clueless. Maybe you could help me figure it out.Heartbeat:“They say…” if the baby’s heartbeat is faster than 140 beats per minute, it’s a girl. Under 140 bpm and it’s a boy. My kid’s heartbeat has been exactly 140 bmp. Hmm. No help there.
(Or you can listen to the heartbeat yourself and see if you can figure out if it's faster or slower than 140)Face:“They say…” your face gets uglier when you’re having a boy because of all the testosterone in your system, and prettier if it’s a girl. I haven’t noticed a change in my appearance. Again, no help.
Carrying:“They say…” you carry low with a boy and high with a girl. I would say I'm carrying way low, but what do I know; I've never been pregnant before. The little tyke might be right where it's supposed to be.
Eating:“They say…” you eat more spicy food when you’re having a boy and sweet food when you’re having a girl. So far, I haven’t been all that into either sweet or spicy. I’m mostly fruits and nuts and Chinese (oh, yum. An egg roll sounds so good right now--or steak smothered with mushrooms and A1 sauce... oooh! and a loaded baked potato with a side of onions rings and... I should really shut up, huh).
More Eating:“They say…” You eat more when having a boy. Well, of course, I’m eating more. I’m pregnant. Duh. What genius thought up that idea?
Dad's Weight:"They also say..." If the dad gains weight too, it's a boy. If he doesn't, it's a girl. Well now, I didn't hear this theory in time, so I haven't been weighing the hubby in. Have no idea what his weight has been up to lately. He looks like his normal studly self to me. (I
was going to crack a joke here and say something like "now if I only knew who the daddy was," but studly hubby might not appreciate my sense of humor.)
Chinese Lunar Calendar:There's also the
Ancient Chinese Gender Chart to tell a person whether they're having a boy or girl. According to my stats (Mom age 29 at conception, Month May of conception), they say I'm having a boy.
Ring Test:Okay, now we're really getting crazy. But I guess if you tie your wedding band to a string and hold it in front of your belly, you can tell you're having a boy if the ring swirls in circles or a girl if it moves side to side. Welll.... yeah, I tried it. It kind of bounced up and down a second and then didn't move. (Of course, afterward I realized I used my engagement ring instead of the wedding band. But I didn't want to try it again after that).
*Actually, one site said circles is a girl and side-to-side is a boy, while another site said the opposite, so this test is totally unreliable.This Sunday when my family had a birthday dinner for me, they tried the "needle" test. Tying a needle to a string, they dangled it over my arm until the point touched my wrist, and then they slowly pulled it up. It swirled in circles instead of going side to side (actually, they called it an oval!). My neice announced that meant girl, which would negate the Chinese Gender Chart.
Last week at work, after I told a co-worker how much the baby had been moving around, she gave me a knowing smile and said, "It's a boy." Then a few hours later, another co-worker asked if I had a lot of morning sickness. When I said no, he (no doubt thinking back to his wife who bore three boys) nodded and said, "It must be a girl."
So, after analyzing all the determinants, I’m convinced I’m having an IT. What do you guys think? Boy, girl, or will it remain a mystery… The truth shall set our minds at ease tomorrrrroooowwww! I can’t wait.
