It’s a boy…wait…no it’s a girl…wait…..

This past weekend we had a family gathering on my wife’s side of the family. There are three ladies that are pregnant in the family, including my wife. The conversation shifted to who was having what. This is a topic of conversation because the reasons that are giving are absolutely hilarious and warrant commentary. From my experiences, I couldn’t guess the sex of a baby if someone told me what it was beforehand.

This conversation was so comical it was out of control. It all started with my wife’s cousin, who just recently had a baby says to my wife “You’re having a boy. You’ve got the look.” So naturally we ask what the look is and she explains that my wife’s face changes and it means she’s having a boy and her husband was totally on board with this theory. She couldn’t explain it and then said that her theory has not been proven. Well, I am glad we got that covered because I would hate to see her get sued for malpractice on a prediction.

So that becomes the buzz for the next thirty minutes or so. My wife’s aunt then comes in and with all confidence and to be honest all-knowing, says that she predicted that one of her daughters was going to have a girl, and she did, and the other a boy, which she did. So she predicted that my wife was having a girl and that was that. Then my wife’s sister-in-law buys into “the look” theory and agrees that my wife’s face has changed. Good Lord. The funny part of this story is that right before we are ready to go home my wife’s cousin does a Mitt Romney and recants her prediction and now says she isn’t sure, after she had everybody convinced that my wife had “the look”.

So this gets me thinking about all the crazy stuff people say when someone is pregnant about what sex they are having. The old wives tales are endless in this regard and are just basic head scratching. For instance my mother gets the due date and matches it with the lunar calendar to determine the sex. That’s great until it doesn’t match up and you get a response from my mother like “….she is going to have a boy or a girl…” true story. Thanks for that revelation.

My mother-in-law does this thing with a ring and piece of string. If the needle goes over the palm back and forth it’s a girl and it goes in a circular motion it’s a boy, or it is the other way around. Regardless, that could easily be manipulated with a flick of the wrist and I bet you will never get the same result consecutively.

So, with all this stuff I started to research old wives tales to determine the sex of a baby. I found 51 of them. I am sure there are more because women in other countries are a lot crazier that the United States. Here are some of them:
  • If the baby’s heart rate is above 140 bpm, it is said that the baby will be a girl. If it is under 140 bpm, then it will be a boy. Ummm, what if it’s 140bpm?
  • When your face gets fuller and rounder when pregnant, it means you’re going to have a girl. If your face is long and narrow, it’s a boy. Maybe this is the look???
  • This test involves a key. If you pick up a key at the top (the roundest part), you are going to have a boy. If you pick up the key at the bottom (smallest part), you are going to have a girl. If you happen to grab the key in the middle, congrats, it’s twins!
  • The Drano test combines a tablespoon of Drano and urine together. If the mixture turns green, it’s a girl. If it turns blue, it’s a boy.
  • People believe that if you are craving salty foods while pregnant, you can count on having a boy. If you crave sweets, fruit, and orange juice, you are having a little girl.
  • This tale only applies if you have had previous kids. If you have and that child’s first word was momma, you will have a girl. If your first child’s first word was dadda, you’ll have a boy. What happens if your child’s first word was Bob?
At any rate, why do people feel the need to take the surprise away from a couple? I love the surprise factor. I love saying it’s a boy and starting speculation. If my wife and I wanted to know, we would have the doctor tell us. We didn’t find out the last time and we never brought it up. We already have names picked out and we will find out what the baby is just before everyone. So, for you expecting couples out there enjoy this time and just nod and say “ok” when you are being told what the sex is. On that note, anybody want to get into a baby pool?

3D

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