Pregnancy Myths for Determining Gender

There are many old wives' tales that help us to explain every act under the sun. I'm sure you've heard many of the common pregnancy myths for determining the gender of your child; these are a few of my favorites.

Positioning during Intercourse. Some people believe the actual position(s) you are in during lovemaking can determine whether you'll have a boy or a girl.

What the science says. This myth is just simply untrue. My advice? Don't rely on this method as a predictor of your baby's gender, but do use it as an excuse for trying something new with your partner if it sounds like fun to both partners!

Carrying the Baby High or Low. The myth commonly states that if you carry the baby lower in your belly, that you are having a boy. Conversely, if you carry the baby high, it's a girl.

What the science says. According to the pregnancyinfo.net website, the determining factor in whether a baby is carried high or low is actually based on the mother's "muscle and uterine tones as well as the position of the baby."

Waving a Spoon in front of the Belly. This myth was one I picked up when I read the novel, "Middlesex." Written by Jeffrey Eugenides (author of the "Virgin Suicides"), this book details the difficulties of a person who was born as a hermaphrodite, living as both sexes, living as a cross-gendered, cross-chromosomal life based on DNA. I thought this was a well-written and thought-provoking book, and I learned about it a couple of years ago from Oprah's book club.

In the book, it is said that the Greek tradition is to wave a spoon in front of the pregnant woman's belly as a way to predict whether she'd have a boy or girl. Then, it was up to the spoon-waver to predict the gender of the baby. Obviously, this is another "myth," and has no basis in fact; although, it does make for great scenes in "Middlesex.

Unfortunately for those who had hoped otherwise, one of the only easiest ways to tell the sex of the baby is to have an ultrasound. You'll have to wait until to reach 18 weeks of pregnancy to have this ultrasound. The most important thing is that you have a healthy baby, not whether it's a boy or a girl. If he or she is healthy (or they, when you're having multiples), count your blessings.