Is it a boy or girl?

There are a few factual, and lots of fun ways to predict whether your baby will be a boy or a girl. Some have been around for centuries, while others are thanks to advances in medical science.

An ultra sound scan carried out 20 weeks into your pregnancy, or after, is the only truly accurate way of determining the sex of your baby.  However, it does rely on your baby lying in such a position that the genital area is clearly visible and there are plenty of hospitals that refuse to tell expectant parents the sex of their baby, as even the experts get it wrong sometimes!

Genetic testing can also be used to determine the sex of a baby. Amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling (CVS) tests are 99% accurate but because they carry a risk to baby and pregnancy they are not advised for gender testing alone and are used when genetic information is required for medical reasons.

There’s also an at-home gender prediction test – Intelligender – that uses your urine to predict whether you are carrying a boy or girl. The test claims to be 90% accurate and can be used as early as ten weeks, but while researching this article we read some online reviews of the product and wouldn’t recommend painting the nursery blue or pink based solely on its results!

If you haven’t been told the gender of your baby and you’re dying to know whether it’s a boy or girl, you could try out some of the methods below. They may not be as reliable, but they are a lot of fun…

More Fun than Fact

The ring test

Tie a ring (traditionally a wedding band), to a piece of string or long hair and hold it over your baby bump as you lie down. The belief is, that if the ring swings from side to side, it’s a boy and if it starts moving in a circle, it’s going to be a girl.

Chinese gender test

Discovered in a royal tomb and believed to be over 700 years old, this method is still popular today because it’s scarily accurate. The test predicts your baby’s sex based on your Chinese lunar age at the time of conception and the Chinese lunar month in which you conceived. There are lots of websites that offer a quick test online to work out the result.

Your complexion

Some people believe that how you look during your pregnancy is a reflection of the gender of the baby you are carrying. Glossy hair and clear skin will be a boy. Dull hair and an outbreak of spots is a girl.

Your heartbeat

Another old wives tale states that if your heartbeat is under 140 beats per minutes it’s a boy.  Over 140 per minute and it’s a girl.

The position of your bump

Expect to have lots of people studying your bump and declaring your baby a boy or girl. This is a very popular and long standing method of gender prediction. A low bump that’s all to the front is a boy, while a high and wide bump that can be seen from the back is a girl.

The key test

Try this one out on a pregnant friend. Present her with a key and ask her to take it. If she takes the wide, top end of the key it’s said she will have a girl, if she takes the thin end of the key, she’s carrying a boy.

Calorie Cravings

A recent study revealed that the women who consumed more calories during their pregnancy went on to have a boy. A craving for salty and savoury things is also associated with a boy, whereas pregnant women who crave sugary and sweet things are believed to be carrying a girl.