If you are an expectant mom, you may have heard stories about fetal heart rate and gender. While it is fun to try and predict whether baby might be a boy or a girl, the heart rate of your baby may not be as reliable as ultrasound. Some moms swear by this technique. This article explains how fetal heart rate during pregnancy may relate to the gender of your baby, and other ways to predict whether its a boy or girl.

Is Fetal Heart Rate and Baby Gender Related?

According to studies, there really is no correlation between the heart rate of a fetus and the gender. This is because the fetal heart rate changes over the course of pregnancy. It starts out slower in the first 9 weeks, and then speeds up in the second trimester. It then begins to slightly decrease until your baby is born.

Now the fun part. Even if studies show it isn’t medically sound to try and decide your baby’s gender by fetal heart rate, a lot of moms like to try and guess with this old wives tale. In the “old days” there were no ultrasound machines to look at a baby’s gender. Invasive testing like amniocentesis was rare or absent, which could also determine gender. Fetal heart rate and gender determination was just one of the ways the elder women of society might guess if a baby was a boy or a girl. Here is how it works:

Girl Gender 

If baby’s fetal heart rate is over 140 bpm, they say you will be having a girl. In the beginning of pregnancy, female heart rates tend to run close to 200 beats per minute prior to the 10th week. In the second trimester, heart rates for both females and males can vary greatly. Female fetal heart rates have been shown in studies to run higher during labor, but this is the only time that researchers have actually seen it happen. 

Boy Gender

They say if the heart rate is less than 140 beats per minute, that is predictive of boy gender. Boys heart rate tends to run around 170 bpm before 10 weeks of pregnancy, with the same variations mid-pregnancy as girls. Boys heart rate doesn’t seem to change during labor, and at this time shows a definite difference from females.

 Other Wives Tales About Determining Gender 

Fetal heart rate isn’t the only wives tale about determining a baby’s gender. Over the years, others have been tried and tested. These include:

Chinese Birth Chart 

This is probably one of the most widely used home methods for determining gender. Some mothers swear by it and claim that it is around 93 percent accurate. This legend goes way back to around 700 years ago, and uses a lunar (moon cycle), the date of conception, and moms date of birth. This one can be used from the moment you find out you’re expecting, and is fun to compare to any ultrasound results you may get around the 20th week. Just keep track of your dates for most accuracy i.e. last period, and date of conception (if you remember). HERE is a predictor to try. 

Carrying Baby High or Low

This popular method looks at if you’re carrying your baby high in the abdomen or low in the pelvis. If your belly is very round like a ball and up high, they say the gender is most likely a girl. If your baby bump is low down in the pelvic area, and pointed, the gender might be a boy.

Moodiness and Morning Sickness

Some claim that with girl gender babies they have more moodiness and morning sickness. It is thought that when you are carrying a girl, you have extra estrogen on board. However, some moms can be more moody and have worse morning sickness with boy gender babies.

Wedding Ring Pendulum 

Another old wives test for gender is to place the mother’s wedding ring on a string. Hang it over moms belly. If the ring goes in a circle it is a boy, and if it swings in a straight line it’s a girl. This test was never as accurate as fetal heart rate and gender, but some say it is spot on.

 Urine Test 

Some say you can add 1 teaspoon of baking soda to a cup of pee. If the mixture bubbles then you might be having a boy. If the mixture does not bubble then you may be carrying a girl. Some wives tales state to use bleach, but this is very dangerous due to the noxious fumes that can result from the ammonia in your urine.

 Protein and Other Foods

If you seem to be craving and eating more protein, it may signal boy gender. Woman state that they tend to crave sweets more with girl gender babies. Craving foods with salt may also signal a boy.

Increased Headaches

Headaches are a normal symptom of pregnancy, especially in the second trimester. Wives tales state that if you’re having more headaches than normal, you may be carrying a boy.

 Skin Tones

The tone of your skin may tell you your baby’s gender. Female babies may take the shine out of your skin, while boys may increase your radiant glow. Some say they have experienced the opposite, where boys took the glow from their skin, and girls made them radiant.

 Cold Feet

Cold feet and extremities may be a clue to your baby’s gender. They say cold feet and hands means it’s a boy. Warmer or normal temps to your feet and hands may indicate a girl. If you have blue color with temperature changes, you should definitely let your doctor know.

 Clumsiness 

The hormone relaxin can loosen the joints in pregnancy and make you less graceful for sure. Some say that if this is very pronounced, you are having a boy. If you are clumsy outside of pregnancy, and develop the grace of a ballerina, you may be having a girl.

You should remember that most of the time, only a clear ultrasound can be accurate in determining baby gender. Fetal heart rate and gender       and other old wives tale are just for the guessing fun.