Knowing the gender of that bun baking in the oven is always a fun experience for moms. Finding out the gender really sets in stone that you’re creating new life inside of you. Plus, it’s a bonding experience between the mom and her loved ones. People often try to guess if the baby is a boy or a girl by looking for signs.
Sometimes, these loved ones have their guessing games to a tee! They think that if the mom looks or acts a certain way that it can determine what gender the baby will be.
Here are some signs people use to guess if the mom is having a baby boy or a girl. Keep in mind that most of them are not based on scientific research at all, so take it with a grain of salt. This is all in good fun, and if you’re interested in learning more about childbirth, you should sign up for classes for soon-to-be-parents!
1. Longer Morning Sickness
According to a 2017 study, women who were pregnant with girls experienced more inflammation in their bodies against bacteria and other pathogens compared to women pregnant with boys. This can result in not just longer morning sickness, but more severe morning sickness.
Morning sickness usually begins during the sixth week of pregnancy, peaks during weeks 8-11, and then fades out towards the end of the first trimester. So, if you’re still experiencing nausea past that, then that could be a sign you’re having a girl!
2. Extreme Mood Swings
When women get pregnant, the body releases a ton of estrogen into their system. Estrogen helps to expand the uterus as the baby grows, keeps the uterine lining nice and thick, looks over the baby’s development, and releases various hormones to help the baby grow.
Now, if you’ve got plenty of estrogen in your system, you’re more susceptible to crazy mood swings. You could start crying over the most mundane things or you could get very angry when you’re not eating your favorite comfort foods. Baby girl moms, in particular, have a harder time dealing with mood swings and emotional signs.
So, if you’re not feeling yourself emotionally, you might have a girl in that belly.
3. More Weigh Gain Around the Waist
It is natural to gain a lot of weight when you are pregnant, but where you gain weight is said to determine if you’re getting a boy or a girl. If you gain weight all over your body, that usually means you’re having a boy. If you gain weight only in your midsection and very little weight elsewhere, that probably means you’re having a girl.
Other things that affect weight gain are the mom’s body type.
4. Sugary Food Cravings
Find yourself gouging on big bags of chocolate or digging into a tub of ice cream? That might be your little girl craving for something sweet. On the other hand, craving savory things like chips or crackers have always been said to indicate the mother was carrying a boy.
Cravings are caused by a variety of reasons. It could be due to the mom’s heightened sense of smell and taste, nutritional deficiencies (e.g., craving meat when lacking iron), out-of-order hormones, and obviously, family members who are willing to cater to the mom’s every beck and whim.
5. Baby is Positioned Higher
This is one of the more popular determinants of girl pregnancies, though whether or not it’s true still needs to be looked at. Instead of having the bump slung low over your hips, the bump is higher and more prominent.
Other things that can determine the position of the baby bump are the mother’s body type, weight, muscle strength, and fitness level.
6. More Painful Kicks
Girl moms tend to have more kicks to their stomachs than boy moms do. Not only are the kicks more plentiful, but they’re also fiercer. Don’t be surprised to feel a foot on your stomach if the little one decides to stretch her muscles and joints to their fullest extent!
Kicks, apparently, are also geared toward the lower stomach. You will feel like you’re getting hit repeatedly in the crotch. Ouch! We really don’t give moms enough credit, do we?
7. Disorganization and Forgetfulness
According to researchers, women pregnant with girls tend to underperform in memory tests. So, if you find yourself losing your keys or forgetting your doctor’s appointments, then it might not be your fault! It could just be your little girl playing tricks on you.
It might help to have a notepad handy or alarms set on your phone to help you remember. Don’t get cocky and think you can still remember things like you used to. Your body (and thus mind) are going through some huge changes!
8. Acne-Prone Skin and Dry Hair
Girl moms report having oilier skin during pregnancy. Despite washing their face vigorously, they can still end up looking very glossy because the skin produces more oil than usual. Because of this, their skin is more prone to acne as dirt gets more easily trapped in their pores.
The hair, sad to say, seems to be the opposite. The hair’s natural oils seem to have all gone to the face. Girl moms think their hair is drier and frizzier. Some even say that their natural hair color has turned lighter!
