Myths About “Knowing” if You’re Having a Boy or a Girl

One of the most common questions during pregnancy is:
“Do you know what you’re having?”

And if the answer is no, people immediately start guessing. According to old myths and family traditions, everything from your cravings to the shape of your bump is supposed to reveal whether it’s a boy or a girl.

The truth? Most of these are just fun pregnancy myths with no real scientific backing. Still, they’ve been passed around for generations and are often part of the experience.

Here are a few of the most common ones.

“If you’re carrying high, it’s a girl”

This is probably one of the oldest pregnancy myths out there. People often believe that a high bump means a girl, while a lower bump means a boy.

In reality, bump shape depends much more on body type, muscles, posture, and how the baby is positioned.

“More morning sickness means it’s a girl”

Another common theory is that stronger nausea means you’re having a girl.

There have been small studies looking at hormones and morning sickness, but nothing reliable enough to predict a baby’s sex. Some people are extremely sick while carrying boys, while others feel completely fine carrying girls.

Every pregnancy is different.

“Sweet cravings mean girl, salty cravings mean boy”

Pregnancy cravings always seem to become part of the guessing game.

Want chocolate? Girl. Craving burgers and chips? Boy.

But cravings are much more connected to hormones, appetite, habits, and individual pregnancy experiences than the baby’s sex.

“Girls steal your beauty”

This old saying still comes up surprisingly often. If someone has breakouts, looks tired, or feels less “glowy,” people jokingly say it must be a girl.

But pregnancy changes the body in many ways regardless of whether you’re having a boy or a girl. Hormones, sleep, stress, and genetics all play a much bigger role.

“The heartbeat tells you”

Some people believe a faster heartbeat means girl and a slower one means boy.

But fetal heart rates naturally change throughout pregnancy and vary for lots of reasons. It’s not a reliable way to predict anything.

At the End of the Day, They’re Just Myths

Most of these theories survive because they’re fun to talk about. They create excitement and give people something to speculate about while waiting for the baby to arrive.

But they’re still just myths — not facts.

And honestly, whether it’s a boy or a girl isn’t the most important thing. The important part is a healthy pregnancy, a healthy baby, and being able to enjoy the experience in your own way.

Everything else is just guessing.