The minute you discover you’re expecting, everyone has at least a few reasons why they think you are having a boy or a girl. People tend to base their gender predictions on everything from how you carry the fetus to your different pregnancy symptoms. Some of them are pretty wild myths and inaccurate old wives’ tales. Whether you believe in their accuracy or not, we’ve rounded up 23 supposed signs you’re having a girl.
23 Signs You’re Having a Girl (Supposedly)
While there are about a zillion signs people say indicate the gender of your baby, none are tried and true. Not to mention, every mother’s body is different in size, shape, age, and other factors that cause these changes.
Your hormones are constantly in flux, so you’ll likely notice these signs and changes regardless. But it doesn’t mean you can’t have some fun with these wild gender predictions.
1. How You Carry
According to this tale, carrying high vs. low can make all the difference. This myth says you’ll deliver a little princess if you carry high. In reality, if it’s your first pregnancy, you may carry higher because your abdominal wall isn’t stretched out yet. Subsequent pregnancies may appear to be carried lower each time.1
2. Quick Fetal Heart Rate
Another myth says a faster heart rate is a sign you’re having a girl. But your baby’s heart rate will increase daily as it grows, beginning at about 90 to 110 beats per minute and peaking in your ninth week between 140 and 170 beats per minute.2
3. Craving Sweets
You know what they say: Little girls are made of sugar, spice, and everything nice. Maybe this is why one of the supposed signs you’re having a girl is craving sweets. However, most pregnancy cravings are often related to deficiencies in specific vitamins or minerals.3
4. Skin Troubles
If you’re wondering if acne or oily skin in pregnancy is a sign of a girl, it’s a definite possibility, according to this myth. Acne, as well as other skin issues, are said to be a gender predictor. However, your hormones are the real culprit here.4
5. Excessive Morning Sickness
Yes. According to this sign, if you pray to the porcelain throne more often than other pregnancies, you might have a girl. But again, fluctuating hormones and low blood sugar often cause excessive morning sickness.4
6. Dramatic Mood Swings
Of course, the influx of pregnancy hormones affects your mood. But it’s said if you’re feeling particularly up or down, it’s mother nature’s way of preparing you for your little girl’s tweenage years before she even arrives.
7. Intense Heartburn
One of the less pleasant signs you’re having a girl supposedly has to do with constant and uncomfortable heartburn. The truth is heartburn can be more of a nuisance during pregnancy because of the hormone that relaxes the muscle that protects your esophagus from stomach acid.5
8. Hair and Nail Weakness
While the urge to visit the bathroom every 12 seconds is strong, the same can’t be said for your hair and nails if you’re having a girl. Truthfully, increases in estrogen are responsible for healthier hair, which has nothing to do with the gender of your little one.6
9. Weight Gain
If you don’t gain a lot of extra weight during your pregnancy, you might have a girl. However, in truth, every pregnancy is different, and the amount of weight you do or don’t gain is related to your appetite, experience with morning sickness, and diet.
10. Ring/String Swing Theory
According to this sign, if you hold a string over your bump with your wedding ring on the end of it and it circles rather than going straight up or down or side to side, it’s said that you’re having a girl. This myth is just that – nothing backs up this claim.
11. Breast Changes
Wait, when did one of my breasts become larger than the other? If this happens, you might be having a girl. This sign has been studied, but having asymmetrical breasts during pregnancy isn’t conclusively linked to your baby’s gender.7
12. Partner’s Weight Gain
Has your partner noticed a little extra gain during your pregnancy? If so, this myth means a little girl is on the way. But, just like weight gain during pregnancy, this can be attributed to changes in diet or appetite. After all, your partner supports you in all things – including those late-night cravings.
13. Pale Urine
It’s said that peeing pale is a sign of a girl, but you probably are just properly hydrated. Way to go!8
14. Especially Bad Baby Brain
Even before a little girl arrives, it’s said she’s already making you lose your mind. But really, why did I walk into this room again? However, this “sign” is more about physiological changes than your little one’s gender.
15. Super Stressed Out
Pregnancy can be a lot. But with a little girl on the way – need we say more? This can be true for parents of little boys and girls, especially first-time parents with many new experiences.
16. Wanting Fruit
If you can’t get enough sweet stuff, including all those delicious fruits, this sign says you’ll be having a little girl. However, more than likely, your pregnancy craving is more related to something lacking in your diet.3
17. Baby Stole My Beauty
This sign apparently proves that she got her looks from her momma – literally. While your new baby will undoubtedly be just as adorable as her mom, complexion changes have less to do with the baby’s gender and more with the physiological changes you experience.9
18. Sleeping on Your Right Side
Even before she arrives, this sign you’re having a girl lets you know that your little one will always be right. Truthfully, sleeping on either side is more of a comfort preference than anything else.10
19. Linea Nigra
If this pregnancy mark on your belly is short, you might be having a girl, says the myth. But in reality, the length and color of the linea nigra has to do with hormones.11
20. Shape of Your Face
If you’re having a girl, they say your face will be more round throughout your pregnancy. However, changes to your face are more likely to result from weight gain or increased blood flow.12
21. High Blood Pressure
Even before they arrive, it’s said that having higher blood pressure during pregnancy is another sign of a little lady. Of course, high blood pressure during pregnancy isn’t unique to the mothers of girls. Pre-existing conditions, previously high blood pressure, and maternal age are a few factors that contribute to higher blood pressure during pregnancy.13
22. Dreaming About Having a Boy
Ironically enough, one of the supposed signs you’re having a girl is said to be when you dream about having a boy. Maybe your subconscious is trying to pull some reverse psychology on you.
23. How Your Other Child Reacts
They say if your child is excited by your bump, the baby you’re carrying will be the opposite sex. While there’s no support for this belief, chances are your first child will be super excited to be a big brother or sister to their new sibling!
Gender Predictions: How To Know for Sure
All these signs make guessing your baby’s sex fun, even though none are scientifically proven to be an accurate gender prediction. If you’re looking for ways to know if you’re having a girl ahead of time, there are tried and true ways to determine your baby’s gender.
Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing
The blood test is used for possible chromosomal disorders but also accurately predicts your little one’s gender.14
Ultrasound
The ultrasound performed when you’re about five months pregnant is typically when most people learn the gender of their baby. On average, the results are correct 99% of the time.15
While some of these supposed signs you’re having a girl are related to changes in hormones and everything that comes with pregnancy, they aren’t rooted in science. Truthfully, the only way to know if you’re having a boy or a girl is to wait until birth. Still, it’s interesting to see which (if any) of these symptoms of having a girl ring true. So before you run out and decorate the nursery for a little princess, make sure you have something concrete to rely on – or try something neutral, just in case.