Gender Prediction via Old Wives' Tales

As a mother of a girl who is now carrying a boy, there are definitely some differences between them.  But how reliable are those old wives' tales we've all heard about?  Numerous websites exist to help you "predict" your unborn child's gender.  Consider the following:

• Take a quiz to predict your baby's gender at BabyGenderPrediction.com or Parents.com (but be advised, some of the quizzes are tedious and may ask things you might not know, like how overweight or underweight you were before pregnancy or during it)
• Before you even conceive, Pregnancy-Info will tell you what to do to ensure conception of a boy or girl
• Chinese Birthday Calendars, which use your age and the month of conception to predict the sex, can be found anywhere online - here's one at WebWomb.com (it says I'm having a girl... ha ha)

Then there are the other things one typically hears during pregnancy:

• Carrying high = girl, carrying low = boy (although I've heard it the opposite way also)
• Shiny, glossy hair and strong nails, little to no morning sickness = boy, looking and feeling like crap = girl - supposedly, because girls steal their mothers' beauty (for me it was the other way around - I had the shiny hair the first time with my girl and this time more breakouts and nails that break at the drop of a hat - AND I was way more nauseated with my son)
• 140+ bmp fetal heart rate = girl, lower HR = boy (this one was true for me)
• Craving sweets = girl, craving sour/salty foods = boy (this was SO not the case for me)
• Here's one I never heard before (and have not tried): The Drano Test.  Pee in a cup, pour in a tablespoon of Drano (yes, the stuff you unclog drains with) and watch to see if it changes color.  In theory, green = girl, and blue = boy.
• Legendary Mayan prediction methods are to look at the age of the mother at conception and the year of conception.  If both are even or both odd, it's a girl.  If one is even and the other is odd, it's a boy. (again, this would make my child a girl, so I'm not sure how accurate it is)
• A VERY old tradition is to take off your wedding ring and tie it to a string.  Hang in front of your belly.  If the ring tick-tocks like a pendulum, it's a girl.  If it goes around in a circular motion, it's a boy.

Two things I had not heard before, but I've confirmed this with several friends, are the power of dreams and the amount of fetal movement.  As I mentioned in a previous blog, I had dreams about having a boy this time around and was not surprised to confirm it on ultrasound.  However, the other thing I've noticed is that my squirmy son pretty much NEVER stops moving.  I can still tell when he's sleeping because the movements are slower, less frequent, and smaller.  Still, he moves.  Like he's tossing and turning!  And when he's awake, Lord help me.  My entire abdomen changes shape.  He pokes, grabs, punches, kicks, stretches, and (I think) jumps rope with his umbilical cord.

Everyone I've talked to who also had boys noticed this excessive fetal movement as well.  So, I would guess that it can be another "wives' tale" to add to the list.

Of course, all of these gender prediction methods should be taken as entertainment or fun only.  The really sure way to tell if it's a boy or girl is the post-20-weeks ultrasound or amniocentesis.  Or, of course, if you are waiting for the surprise... birth!

Pre-school?

I got two notes when I picked my daughter up from daycare today.  The first one was an injury report - she had scratches on her face from a little boy in her class.  The daycare center is not permitted to name the other child in the incident, but E totally ratted him out.  She pointed at him and said, "He did it!"  Luckily, I'm not one of "those moms" who tries to wait out the parent of the offending child so I can say something to him or her.  No, because I know my own child is the instigator.  And of course, she was today too.  She tried to take away his toy and was successful.  He tried to get it back, so she hit him.  Then he scratched her face.  End of scenario.

The second note I got was about putting her in the all-day pre-school class starting next week.  She's been doing much better with her potty training, so they decided that for her own development, she should really go to the pre-school class instead of the toddler class.  She will be in a room with three- and four-year-olds.  She turns three in January.  I am delighted at her intelligence and social development because this means she can engage the rapidly-growing part of her brain where language and math are emerging.  I'm also sad because my little girl is definitely no baby.

Pre-school!  Wow.  We're really moving up.