Are You Sure About That? Trivia Quiz

Answer: girl

Alternatively, the 'Old Wives' Tale' says that if the mother has savoury cravings, such as meat, cheese, and other forms of protein, then you can look forward to having a boy.

In reality, cravings are linked to hormonal surges, and to the way the body absorbs nutrients during the pregnancy... it is all very individual, and cannot be generalized.

Answer: Carrying high

The 'Old Wives' Tale' says that a baby carried high will be a girl, while one that is positioned lower will be a boy.

Babies move around a lot during a pregnancy, but the positioning of high or low is more based on the size and positioning of the uterus. In early pregnancy, the uterus sits lower, and will expand upward and more forward as the pregnancy progresses. The size of the baby will of course contribute to the size of the 'baby bump,' but none of that has any bearing on the child's birth gender.

Answer: morning sickness

NVP stands for nausea and vomiting of pregnancy, which is commonly referred to as 'morning sickness.' The myth is that if you have lots of morning sickness, you are having a girl, and if you don't experience morning sickness, or nothing worse than mild nausea, than you are having a boy.

While this IS an 'Old Wives' Tale,' there have been a couple of studies that have linked *severe* morning sickness, clinically known as hyperemesis gravidarum (HG), with a greater likelihood of having a girl.

Answer: linea nigra

Linea nigra translates as 'black line,' and it is just that. A line of darker skin that extends down the abdomen to the pubic bone. As mentioned in the question, the 'Old Wives' Tale' has this line indicating a boy if it extends above the belly button, and a girl if it begins below the belly button.

Of course, all that is really happening is an increase in melanin production due to the hormonal changes. Nothing in that is a scientific indication of the baby's gender.

Answer: acne

When you have oily skin resulting in acne, the 'Old Wives' Tale' says that you will have a girl, while keeping clear skin is a sign that you will have a boy.

The thing is, more hormones during pregnancy also mean more sebum production, and sebum is the oil in skin that's linked to acne. So, regardless of whether you're having a boy or a girl, hormones might cause pimples on the mother's face during pregnancy.

Answer: Darker urine

According to various 'Old Wives' Tales,' different changes to the body during pregnancy foretell different genders.

If your urine stays the same colour or gets darker, then you will have a girl, but urine that gets brighter in colour means you will have a boy. What is really happening with urine colour stems from what you eat, drink, and ingest, including prenatal vitamins.

Weight gain primarily in the belly is an indication of a boy, while weight more evenly distributed about the body says you will have a girl. In actuality, weight gain is very individual and has more to do with one's body type, pre-pregnancy weight, and history of weight gain.

If one's feet swell during pregnancy, expect a boy, but if things remain normal, expect a girl. In reality, swelling is very common in pregnancy and can occur in the ankles, legs, and feet. It is caused by extra fluid and pressure from a growing uterus.

It is common for breast size to increase during pregnancy, but if they stay proportionate to the body shape, then you can expect a girl. If they grow disproportionately large and heavy, then you will have a boy. Scientifically, breasts grow and change throughout pregnancy. Early on, hormones like estrogen and progesterone will cause breasts to increase in size, and later, they'll continue to change with the beginning of milk production.

Answer: True

Yes, pretty much anything is fair game when it comes to arbitrary indications of birth gender prediction. In this case, the 'Old Wives' Tale' says that if the areola gets darker during pregnancy, then you can expect to have a boy. Little to no change would indicate a girl.

As already discussed in a previous question, the hormone changes caused by pregnancy include an increased production of melanin. Hyperpigmentation can occur in various places on the body because of it, including the nipple area, but it doesn't actually indicate baby's gender.

Answer: Falling asleep on your left side

Like any of the 'Old Wives' Tales,' there is no supporting evidence for a baby's gender being tied to how you sleep. The important thing is that the mother sleeps in the manner that is most comfortable. Although studies do show that sleeping on your side is better, since sleeping on your back can put pressure on your spine and back muscles and/or compress a major blood vessel.

Answer: girl

The 'Old Wives' Tale' says that weight gain by the father during his partner's pregnancy means they are having a girl.

Of course, there is no real correlation between the two, although that 'sympathy weight' often comes because of the cravings and increase in food being consumed by the mother, which are shared by the father. But it is also possible for the father to experience the emotional along with the physical ... this is called 'Couvade syndrome.'

Answer: A key

According to the 'Old Wives' Tale,' if your partner picks up the key by the narrow end, then you can expect a girl! Of course, alternately, if your partner picks the key up by the wider, opposite side, then you will have a boy.