Can I identify my baby's sex based on my belly?
An old wives' tale says that you can tell whether your baby will be a boy or a girl based on what your belly looks like. Is there some truth to that?
Can you really tell what the sex of your child is going to be based on what your pregnant belly looks like? One theAsianparent Community user had that very same question:
First, let’s answer Harminder’s question. Plenty of people do say that in the third trimester, if a mother’s belly is round, she is probably pregnant with a girl; if the belly is more elongated, she is pregnant with a boy.
Is there any truth to this? “This are really all old wives’ tales,” Maine T. wrote. “Mine is a girl but my stomach is sharper.”
Though it would be pretty cool if it were accurate, a “sharp” belly could just depend on how the fetus is positioned in the belly. If a baby’s back is to the mother in the womb, the belly will be more prominent. If the baby is facing her mother in the womb, the belly will look smaller and rounder.
There are a number of other old wives’ tales about predicting your baby’s gender, observing anything from your complexion to which side you choose to sleep on at night. While these are fun, the best and most accurate way to determine your baby’s sex is to get an ultrasound.
How is the sex of your baby determined? Read on to find out.
What exactly determines the sex of your baby?
Sex chromosomes are carried by both the egg and sperm cells. The egg cell carries the X chromosome, while sperm cells either carry the X chromosome and the Y chromosome. When the egg and sperm cell unite, they form what is called a “zygote.”
When a sperm cell carrying an X chromosome fertilizes an egg, the zygote it will produce will be XX or female. When a sperm cell carrying a Y egg does the fertilizing, the zygote will be XY or male.
Photo: Pixabay
Whether the sperm cell carries an X or Y chromosome is random. Therefore:
There is a 50-50 chance of getting a boy or a girl, and it all depends on the sperm.
So can you choose the sex of your baby?
In his book How to Choose the Sex of Your Baby, Dr. Landrum B. Shettles explained that the male (Y) sperm is smaller, faster, and more short lived than the female (X). He wrote that if couples want to have a boy, they should have sex close to ovulation, or when a woman’s egg is released. However, many fertility experts have questioned the value of the Shettles method and others like it. If you want to be more sure about choosing the sex of your baby, you could always use the help of technology.
READ: Can pregnancy symptoms predict the sex of your baby?
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