I thought it would be funny to see if any of those pregnancy myths or predictors like “you’re having a girl if you crave sweets” were true for you guys. So far, I don’t think they hold much truth for me…
Rumor #1: If you crave sugary foods it’s a girl, and if you crave salty/savory foods, it’s a boy. FALSE FOR ME (I craved salty foods both with Clara and the bun – baked potatoes 4 eva, y’all).
Rumor #2: If the heartbeat of the baby is over 140, it’s a girl. FALSE FOR ME (both the bean and the bun have had high heart rates – in fact the bun’s was higher than the bean’s at 170 in the early months of pregnancy while Clara hung around 160).
Rumor #3: You swell more when you’re pregnant with a girl. TRUE FOR ME (I had swollen ankles and fingers – couldn’t even wear my wedding ring – by 30 weeks with Clara, and I’m four weeks from having this bun without any of that this time… probably should go knock on some wood now, right?).
Rumor #4: You have more morning sickness with a girl. FALSE FOR ME (I had morning sickness with Clara until 18 weeks but I still have it – as well as afternoon and evening sickness with this boy bun).
Rumor #5: If you dream about having a girl or boy, your dream is right. TRUE FOR CLARA, FALSE FOR THE BUN (I just knew by 8 weeks that Clara was a girl after multiple dreams as well as this unshakable feeling that there was a little lady in there – meanwhile I thought this bun was a girl since I had the same cravings and morning sickness in the beginning, and oddly enough I didn’t have any dreams about having a boy or a girl until we knew it was a little man in there).
Rumor #6: You carry higher and wider with a girl, and lower and more in front with a boy. HALF TRUE FOR ME (I’m definitely carrying this boy more out front than I did with Clara, who I would’ve described as giving me a wider belly – but this boy was riding waaay higher than Clara until he dropped a little while ago, so that half of the equation was reversed).
Rumor #7: Girls steal your beauty. TRUE FOR ME (this one always makes me laugh – but I did feel like my pregnancy with Clara was full of a lot more swelling and acne and flat looking hair and skin; this time with the bun I’ve had no swelling, less acne, and shiny hair that I don’t even recognize as my own since I’m used to having a dry mass of brillo on my head – the only downside is that constant cookie-tossing doesn’t exactly cultivate that bombshell momma-to-be vibe).
Pregnancy legends aside, I’m just grateful he’s bouncing around in there and the doc says he’s doing great. We’re so excited to meet this little man in four short weeks (he’s due in mid-April), and I’d love to hear which rumors were right on the money for you – and which ones were so off it’s crazy.
Ann C says
They were ALL wrong for me! The heart rate, Chinese conception calendar, heartburn… everything! I would have painted the nursery pink, but alas it was a BOY.
Angie says
I love seeing updates on your little man and pregnancy! I just had a little man 9 weeks ago and he has two big sisters. I must say most of the wives tales were all false for me, but I did carry him like a basketball and the girls were all over. I swelled a ton more for them too. I binged ate with my girls’ lots of pasta and got sick more with one daughter than the other. But with him I was never sick. I did crave fresh baked doughnuts. (Maybe he will be a cop! LOL)
Jamie says
I love the pregnancy myths! I am ten weeks pregnant with my first, so I am super eager to find out the gender! I read about the Ramzi predictor, that says if your placenta is on the left side of your uterus it’s a girl and on the right side it’s a boy… I read it was 95% accurate. Our ultrasound tech told us that according to that, we were having a girl… I wonder if you could tell from past ultrasounds if that held true for you?
Young House Life says
I think that was true for both (I looked back at Clara’s and it seemed to be true when I heard that). So interesting!
xo
s
Heather says
It’s too soon to tell for #2 (we’re still keeping it under wraps!), but #1 is a little girl who will be 4 this summer. A lot of the old wives tales were false for me!
#1 – I had a bit of craving for baked goods the first time – sweet or savoury. And interestingly, a major COFFEE craving after she was born, and I didn’t even give it up while pregnant.
#2 – It’s hard to remember, but I’m pretty sure this one’s true.
#3 – False. I didn’t have any swelling and she was born in the middle of the summer. I know a few people who had major swelling and all had boys.
#4 – False. I had no morning sickness with #1. None yet this time either. But last time I was really bothered by the increase in heart rate just before I found out (a bit of dizziness, shortness of breath), and this time I wouldn’t have known anything is up except I was late and test told me I am! *fingers crossed it stays this way until baby starts moving*
#5 – True-ish. I didn’t have any dreams, but I was pretty convinced she was a girl. I even packed the outfit I wore home from hospital for her to wear home too.
#6 – Mixed. I would say I was high and in front the first time. I’m pretty tall, though, so I didn’t pop out too much. I didn’t gain a lot of weight on the rest of me. This one always amused me – I would have different people tell me opposite genders based on the same “signs”. Or one person would say high, so a it’s girl and the next would say low, so it’s a girl. It was about a 50/50 split.
#7 – False-ish. I’d say my hair and face were fine during pregnancy, but when my daughter was about 15 months, my face got super oily and I got lots of acne. Guess it took awhile for my hormones to readjust?
As for the heartburn/hair tale, I had NO heartburn and she had a full head of hair (which was unexpected – neither my husband or I did!). And for the Chinese chart, for both pregnancies it says boy, but the little princess sitting beside me (she is literally dressed as one today) proves that was wrong the first time. For her sake I hope it’s wrong this time too – she has 5 male cousins, she needs another girl on her side!
Jess says
Along with most of our friends and family, I had FIVE strangers come up to me late in my pregnancy and tell me I was having a boy because I was carrying all out in front. We weren’t finding out the gender, so they had me convinced! Chinese and Mayan calendars also said boy and I didn’t have much morning sickness, so all old wives tale signs pointed to a little fella on the way. When my husband told me in the delivery room that it was a girl I actually asked if he was joking – I was so not prepared!
Linda @ Home is Where My Heart is says
Sherry~So excited for you for baby #2. It was fun to read all the myths. I’m an “old” mom with my fourth son being 15 now. With all my boys I had cravings of sweets which then gave me heartburn which I still get to enjoy now. I remind my boys it’s all their fault!! I carried all in the front. People said they couldn’t tell I was pregnant from the back. Enjoy every moment (swelling, acne and all). It goes by so fast. You’re a beautiful pregnant lady!! Good luck! ~Linda
Christine says
I had wicked heartburn when I was pregnant with my daughter. TUMS were my best friend. Everyone said, “That means she will be born with a lot of hair!” Totally FALSE for me.
KiTX says
This is such a fun post! I’ve only had one pregnancy (baby girl):
#1- I didn’t crave much of anything, so- false?
#2- False for me, the girl’s heartbeat was below 140 all but 2 appointments.
#3- False, didn’t swell at all. (I delivered 3 wks early, though, so maybe I just didn’t have time for that to happen!)
#4- False, no morning sickness. (Sorry, $her-dog. My boobs also didn’t grow. Seriously, I don’t know if my body realized I was pregnant, I kept thinking something was wrong b/c it wasn’t doing anything new!)
#5- Didn’t dream about either gender, but dreamt about something bad happening to my dogs (one boy, one girl) at least once a week once I hit the 3rd trimester. False?
#6- TRUE, FINALLY! She was really high up, and I widened out at the end.
#7- False; skin looked great, hair had more body than usual, it was awesome.
And on the hair thing- I had bad heartburn and had a little baldie who at 7 months old still just has duckling fuzz. =)
Carrie says
Some true for me. Carried big/swollen and looked awful for my girl. Carried a round basketball and looked radiant with my son. Fortunately, no morning sickness with either, but could not eat chicken with my son. Both sexes were surprises, but suspected I was not having another girl. Good luck!
Jacqueline says
One thing that was true for me is that pregnancies with a lot of heartburn = babies with a lot of hair (I saw it mentioned in previous comments too). I had a lot of heartburn in my pregnancy but assumed I’d be having a baldie-baby as my hubby and I were both baldies… then out popped baby with a head full of hair. So that was true for me.
nikki says
I’m 9 weeks now and so sick all the time. How do people get through work everyday? :(
Larry Lauria says
You look beautiful… congratulations to you and John… and the grand-parentlas.
Tracey Bradshaw says
I have 2 boys born 2 years apart and was the queen of 24/7 puking – with number 1 I was sick until 26 weeks and with number 2 I was heaving until he was born and spent over 100 days in hospital plus had drips going at home as I couldn’t keep anything down.
As for cravings, with number 1 they were definitely sweet – after the all day sickness stopped, I craved strawberry thick shakes – the crazy thing was I normally hate anything artificially strawberry flavored but had hubby heading out to McDonalds a few times at 3am to satisfy the strawberry shake monster.
I carried very high and out front with both.
As for gender, I was sure number 1 was a girl but when I felt so sick again with number 2 I knew it was another boy.
Good luck Sherry, John, Clara and burger – can’t believe April is finally around the corner!
Jana says
All of them were true for me! Serious heart burn- he was born with a full head of hair. Heartbeat was around 140 the whole time. My hair was never more gorgeous, my skin never better. My hands were Sooooo dry (I have no idea why that means boy…) I craved salt all the time. Hardly any morning sickness… Everything pointed to boy!
And yet, i was still convinced he was going to be a girl!
Abbey says
Awww such a cute family pic of you guys!! Wish you the best :) PS I always believe #4 because I didn’t have any morning sickness with either of my boys but know plenty of people who had with their girls :)
Rebecca Alvarado says
I had bad heartburn, especially at night when I was laying down. I was told that it meant he would have lots of hair on his head. Sure enough, my baby boy was born with a head full of hair!
Nana says
I had morning sickness in the morning with my 2 girls and in the evening with both boys!!!!
Sarah says
I’m 25 weeks pregnant with a boy. I also have a 2.5 year old daughter.
#1 Salty vs sweet cravings: This one is 50/50 for me, I have been craving lots of cheese but also lots of strawberry’s. Actual sweets I haven’t been craving but I didn’t with my daughter either.
#2 heartbeat over or under 140: True for me both times. My daughters was always over and this little guys is always between 135 and 139.
#3 Swelling with a girl: False, I had very little swelling with my daughter until right at the end and it was also like 95 when the swelling started
#4 More morning sickness with a girl: False, I have been way sicker with this boy than I ever was with my daughter.
#5 Dreams: False, I had dreams about both, both times
#6 Carrying high or low: 50/50 I was definitely wider with my daughter but I have carried them both really high
#7 Stealing beauty: False, I have had great skin and hair both times.
I also had major heartburn with daughter and she was born with masses of dark hair. I am having major heartburn again so we will see what he looks like.
The Chinese baby calendar was wrong the first time and right this time.
Lindsay says
Sherry, I’m so sorry you’re still suffering from morning/all day sickness. Have you found anything that helps even a little? Here’s hoping it lets up some in your last month!
Young House Life says
It seems to be a reflex (so it has nothing to do with what’s in my stomach, how I eat, what I cut out, etc), so there isn’t much that helps, but I’m in the home stretch! Wahoo!
xo
s
Kaya says
Just curious, but can you remind me how far along you are again? Sorry to be nosy, but I can’t wait to see another baby Petersik! You look great!
Young House Life says
I’m due in the middle of April, so about 2.5 weeks left :)
xo
s
Michelle (aka mybelle101) says
Oy, it’s been a while since I was pregnant, but we have two boys, and both pregnancies were COMPLETELY different. The first I had MAJOR edema/swelling, terrible, long-lasting morning sickness, cravings for In-n-Out hamburgers and french fries (anything salty), and went past my due date. The second I had no swelling, almost no morning sickness, craved fruits and veggies and salads (esp with vinagrette, anything sour), and delivered 3 1/2 weeks early, after having pre-term labor at 30 weeks. We didn’t find out the sex of the baby with either pregnancy, so when my younger son was born and my hubby said “it’s a boy!” I just looked at him confusedly until he repeated himself. Because they’d been such different pregnancies, I was sure that we were going to be having a girl! Still makes me giggle when I think of his slow, reassuring tone “its…a…BOY” (I was also a little out of it with the drugs for a c-section, so there’s that, too…)
Kim says
So… I have been told that if you have a “racing strip” down your belly, dark pigmented skin, you are having a boy. With all three of my girls I have had it. Also my acne has always gotten better with all three of my girls and I have carried all of them the same all in front. People seeing me from behind first wouldn’t have a clue I was pregnant until I turned around.
Diana says
Well I was pregnant with boy/girl twins so…?? Lol. I didn’t have any particular cravings, other than lots of fresh fruit. Early on I did have a dream of a girl and boy and that turned out to be correct :) Despite having two in the womb, I was one of the lucky few with no morning sickness (brushing my teeth made me gag but that was it).
Casey says
Rumor #1: If you crave sugary foods it’s a girl, and if you crave salty/savory foods, it’s a boy.
I’m pregnant with a boy, and the only craving I had was for baked potatoes. But I have had days where I binge on sugar too – it’s more like I eat a jellybean off a co-worker’s desk, and then go back for 10 more.
Rumor #2: If the heartbeat of the baby is over 140, it’s a girl.
False for me. Baby boy’s heart rate started around 170, and was varying between 120 and 170 during a nonstress test at 36 weeks.
Rumor #3: You swell more when you’re pregnant with a girl. I haven’t had much swelling. Only when I eat lots of sugar. Hoo boy, my ankles were painfully swollen for two days after eating an entire crème brulee by myself at my husband’s company holiday party.
Rumor #4: You have more morning sickness with a girl.
Boy. NO morning sickness. Not even nausea. Just… “food aversions” from time to time, mainly in my first trimester.
Rumor #5: If you dream about having a girl or boy, your dream is right.
TRUE FOR ME! I somehow knew it was a boy.
Rumor #6: You carry higher and wider with a girl, and lower and more in front with a boy.
I’m carrying my boy like a low basketball!
Jamie B says
Haha, the last “Rumor” hits close to home. I’ve had 2 girls. I SWEAR my nose got bigger when I was pregnant with my first. I have random broken blood vessels on my face that are there to stay. I suddenly need to bleach my upper lip (WHAT THE CRAP?!?) Oh, and the Malasma patches on my face never completely went away after my 2nd.
HOORAY FOR MAKEUP!!!