Nine months is a long time, especially when you are desperate to meet somebody.
It is pretty incredible to think your baby is in there, cooking away, and you have no idea what he, or she, will be like. You don’t know whether your baby will have your eyes, or his nose, or whether you’ll have a child who will love reading like you do.
At this stage, you might not even know whether you’re having a boy or a girl, and you might be desperate to find out.
Is it possible to know the signs you’re having a girl or boy?
Whether you choose to find out the sex of your baby before the birth is up to you. Some people want to start buying baby clothes or painting the nursery right away.
Obviously, you can do these things without knowing the sex of your baby. There is no law that says boys can’t wear pink and girls can’t sleep in blue bedrooms. Even so, that’s one reason why some people choose to find out their baby’s sex early.
Others who are struggling to come up with baby names find it helpful to know the sex, so they can halve their workload when it comes to wading through the baby name books.
For many people though, their baby’s sex is a surprise worth waiting for.
Whether you’re waiting for your 20 week scan or playing the long game and waiting until the birth, there’s no harm in having a little fun.
What Are The Signs You’re Having A Girl?
There are lots of theories floating around on the Internet, claiming they can successfully predict your baby’s sex. In reality, it’s easy to disprove them all. Simply ask a room full of mothers whether or not the theories were true for their pregnancies.
Although some of the mothers will tell you the theories were right, a similar number will tell you they couldn’t have been more wrong. But if you’re just after a little bit of fun, there’s no harm in trying them.
If you have your fingers crossed for a daughter, look at these symptoms and signs you’re having a girl, to see how many you can tick off:
Signs You’re Having A Girl #1: Morning Sickness
People always say little boys love their mamas, and apparently that starts in pregnancy. It’s also said morning sickness is a clue you might be having a little girl. While women carrying boys power through their pregnancies with little more than the odd bout of nausea, mamas having girls often spend the first trimester hunched over the toilet bowl.
Pregnancy sickness doesn’t just strike in the morning; for some women it lasts all day and night. For some it might be constant nausea, and for others it means throwing up after most meals.
A study undertaken by Dr Johan Askling, of more than 1 million Swedish women indicated, that 55.7% of the women admitted to hospital suffering hyperemesis gravidarum – nausea or morning sickness were more likely to be having a baby girl.
In a similar study undertaken by Harvard University – Gynecology and Obstetrics indicated, “Women that carried a female fetus, as opposed to a male fetus, reported significantly higher frequency of NVP/morning sickness during the first trimester of pregnancy”.
If you’re struggling with pregnancy sickness, be sure to take a look at BellyBelly’s article: 8 Tips & Tricks To Reduce Pregnancy Sickness.
Signs You’re Having A Girl #2: No Glow
Are people queuing up outside your house every morning to admire your pregnancy glow? No? Well, legend has it you might be expecting a baby girl.
Apparently (not according to science), daughters suck all of the beauty from their mothers (shout out to the baby girls there). Did your bathroom mirror skirt around your question last time you asked it who was ‘the fairest of them all’? Is your reflection looking tired, spotty and dull? Then you might be about to welcome a daughter to the family.
If you’re struggling with pregnancy acne, you might be disappointed to hear some acne medications are not safe to take during pregnancy. Acne during pregnancy is often caused by hormonal changes, but that doesn’t mean you can’t take steps to prevent outbreaks.
If you want to find out how to treat your acne outbreak, take a look at BellyBelly’s Tips For Acne During Pregnancy.
Signs You’re Having A Girl #3: Limp, Lifeless Hair
By all accounts, a girl pregnancy is nowhere near as attractive as a boy pregnancy. The word on the street is growing a girl in your womb will leave your hair lifeless, greasy and lacking in volume.
You can thank her once she’s born. Those pregnancy hormones have a lot to answer for, don’t they?
If you’re struggling to make your hair look good now you’re pregnant, speak to your hairdresser for advice. She might be able to recommend products that could help make your hair look good.
Signs You’re Having A Girl #4: Sweet Cravings
People talk about pregnancy cravings so often you could be forgiven for assuming every woman has them. In fact, despite what the movies might want you to believe, not all women experience cravings during pregnancy. Although some women crave unusual food combinations, others simply develop a taste for specific foods. This could, apparently, be a clue as to the sex of the baby in your bump.
Remember how little girls are made of sugar and spice and all things nice? Well, according to Sheila who works in your office, it’s the sugar that really makes the difference. Sheila will swear blind your constant craving for chocolates, sweets and biscuits is one of the absolute foolproof signs you’re having a girl.
So, next time you reach for a bonbon, it could be your daughter’s fault, After all, it’s fine to blame babies for things, even before they are born.
Signs You’re Having A Girl #5: Baby’s Heart Rate
According to no scientific journal ever written, your baby’s heart rate could hold the answer. There are some who say a faster heart rate means the baby is a girl. If the heart rate is recorded as 140 beats per minute or more, you could be having a girl. Or a boy. That’s because studies have actually disproved this once famous method of baby sexing.
There’s no harm in trying though, right? So next time your midwife whips out her Doppler, pay attention to the speed of your baby’s heart rate. Remember, baby girls are said to have faster heart rates than laid back lads.
Signs You’re Having A Girl #6: Maternal Mood Swings
Not many people are going to be stupid enough to point out your mood swings. Your partner probably caught on quite early in the pregnancy it wasn’t really worth highlighting your irrational behaviour – at least for the next few months.
Friends and family members have probably learned the same lesson. So people won’t be making you aware of them, but if a lot of people are avoiding you these days, it could mean you’re having some intense mood swings.
Mood swings are no fun. They can feel more than a little overwhelming. If you experience really bad mood swings, you might feel as though you’ve lost control of yourself. You are crying one minute, laughing the next, and then yelling angrily a few moments later. If you’re experiencing extreme mood swings, some would say this is proof you’re having a girl.
Signs You’re Having A Girl #7: Carrying High
Did you know your pregnancy gives everyone else in the world the right to judge and comment on your body? Oh, you didn’t? You should have read the small print before you decided to incubate the next generation.
Friends, family and complete strangers will comment freely on the size of your bump, your pregnancy weight gain, and how you’re carrying off this whole pregnancy thing.
A high bump is often seen as an indicator of a girl pregnancy. If people keep telling you you’re carrying high, they might be hinting that you’re expecting a girl. A high bump sits higher on the abdomen, often close to the ribs. A low bump sits much closer to the ground, often causing the mum-to-be to waddle.
Signs You’re Having A Girl #8: Weight Gain
Don’t worry if you’ve been too busy this pregnancy to keep track of your weight gain; there will plenty of others happy to let you know how you’re doing. Here are some examples of the kind and insightful comments people might make about your weight gain:
- You’re SO BIG
- I can see you’ve been eating for two
- Should you really be eating that much in your condition?
- You’re wasting away
- Is it healthy for you to be so thin during the pregnancy?
Yes. You should be prepared to hear lots of rude and unwanted comments from people you know, and even from those you don’t.
Remember, you don’t have to be polite if they aren’t. Just tell them where to go. Some people believe gaining weight all over means you’re having a girl. If your middle has filled out the whole way round, some people would place their bets on a girl.
