Old Wives Tales

There are lots of old wives tales about whether a pregnant woman is expecting a boy or a girl. I don't put a lot of faith in any of these tales, but it's kind of fun to see where I measure up.

Chinese lunar calendar - This uses your lunar age at conception and the month of conception to predict the baby's gender. At first I thought this said I was having a a boy, but I just found a predictor that you enter your due date and birth date and it says I'm having a girl. Apparently my Chinese lunar age and the the lunar month of conception are different than my actual age and conception month. Interesting, I put Wes and Nate's due dates in the predictor and they both said boy! So, girl.

How you are carrying the baby - This says that girls are carried high and wide and boys are carried low and out front. I would say that I'm carrying this baby more low and out front than I did with Wes and Nate, so that would mean boy, but I carried Wes and Nate high and wide and we know that they are definitely boys. So, really I'm carrying more of a "boy" but I'm going to count this one for the girl side because I am carrying differently than I did with both boys.

Heartbeat - Supposedly, girls have faster heart rates in utero than boys. Girl's heart rate's are over 140 beats per minute and a boy's is under 140. I noticed when I was in the hospital getting checked out after the car accident that the baby's heart rate was consistently over 150. I do remember Wes's heart rate being under 140 at most of my doctor's appointments but I didn't pay that much attention to Nate's because we already knew he was a boy. Another one for girl.

Cravings - If you are craving sweets it's a girl. Salty and sour? Then it's a boy. Well, I definitely craved salty and sour at the beginning, but now it's all sweets. I remember craving both with Wes and Nate too. Not sure how to call this one. I think it's a tie.

Mayan legend - This one takes the mother's age at conception and the year of conception. If both numbers are either even or odd, girl, if one number is even and the other odd, then boy. This one comes out girl...but so would have Wes and Nate.

Skin condition - Supposedly, if your skin breaks out like crazy you are having a girl because they steal your beauty. I haven't really had many break outs this pregnancy, so this one goes to they boy's side. With Wes I didn't have many breakouts and with Nate I did, so go figure.

Swinging ring - In this one, the pregnant woman is supposed to attach her wedding ring to a chain and have someone hold it over her belly. If it swings in circles, it's a girl, and back and forth, it's a boy. Though, I have seen places where they said it was the other way around. Mine definitely swung in circles. We did it to Alisa too, who we know is having a girl, and her's swung in circles too. So, another one for girl.

Morning sickness - If you have lots of morning (or all day) sickness you are supposedly having a girl. I definitely was more sick during the first trimester of this pregnancy than I was with Wes and Nate, but it was mostly because I kept catching everything the boys brought home to me. I really have never experienced the kind of morning sickness that many woman describe. So, I'll put this one on the boys side.

I don't put any stock in these Old Wives Tales at all, but it's kind of fun to test them out. We have 5 for girl, 2 for boy and one tie. So, I guess if the Old Wives are right, then Wes and Nate are getting the sister they would like. Only time will tell.