A positive pregnancy test sends many women through a flurry of emotions and questions, including the gender of the baby. While some couples wait until the baby is born, many others prefer to find out the baby's gender before the birth. Methods of determining the baby's gender range from unscientific wives' tales to concrete medical procedures.
Old Wives' Tales
Many possible tests exist that have been passed down through the generations to guess the gender of an unborn child. While many people find some of the wives' tales to prove true, they aren't a reliable method of determining the baby's gender. Scientific explanations often disprove the validity of the gender tests.
The old wives' tales span many different areas of assessing the pregnancy. A woman carrying high is said to be having a girl, while a baby that sits low is thought to be a boy. A wedding ring suspended from a string and held over the belly is supposed to move in a circle for a girl or back and forth for a boy. A pregnant woman with severe morning sickness is predicted to have a girl.
Chinese Lunar Calendar
The Chinese Lunar Calendar is an ancient document that many people use to predict a baby's gender. The formula uses the month of the baby's conception along with the mother's age to determine the gender. This information is used along with a chart to locate the corresponding gender.
Gender Prediction Test
Intelligender offers an at-home gender prediction kit that can work as early as 10 weeks after conception. The test works by mixing the provided chemical mixture with your urine sample. The urine then changes colors based on the baby's predicted gender, green for boys and orange for girls. The chemicals react to the hormone levels in the urine, according to CNNHealth.com. The gender prediction test is not 100 percent accurate and should not be considered a reliable determination of gender.
Ultrasound
An ultrasound offers a concrete, scientific determination of a baby's gender. You may know someone who was told an incorrect gender based on an ultrasound, but improvements in technology make ultrasounds very reliable in most cases. The ultrasound tech can get a good view of the baby's genital area, unless the baby is positioned at a bad angle, to determine the gender.
Amniocentesis
An amniocentesis is a medical procedure that provides an accurate gender prediction, along with other medical information on the baby. An amniocentesis is only done out of medical need, not strictly for gender determination. The procedure is performed by inserting a needle through the abdomen into the uterus to collect amniotic fluid. There are some risks, including miscarriage, cramping, vaginal bleeding, infection and leaking amniotic fluid, according to MayoClinic.com. An amniocentesis is often used to determine if a child has a genetic condition.
