Old wives’ tales gender quiz (and what science says)
Old wives’ tales say you can tell a baby’s sex from the shape of the bump, your cravings or a ring on a string. Try the quiz below for fun, then see what studies have found. The short version: none of them do better than a coin toss.
Answer the questions to see what the tales predict.
For fun only. These tales can’t predict a baby’s sex. Nothing you choose leaves this page.
The 10 tales and what each one claims
| Tale | What it claims |
|---|---|
| Carrying high or low | Carrying high means a girl; carrying low means a boy. |
| Sweet or salty cravings | Sweet cravings mean a girl; salty or sour means a boy. |
| Fetal heart rate | A fast heart rate means a girl. |
| The ring test | A circle means a girl; side to side means a boy. |
| Morning sickness | Strong sickness means a girl. |
| Skin | Glowing skin means a boy; breakouts mean a girl, who “steals your beauty.” |
| Cold feet | Cold feet mean a boy. |
| Where the weight sits | Weight around the middle means a girl; a bump that sits out front means a boy. |
| Mood swings | Mood swings mean a girl. |
| Hair | Thick, shiny hair means a boy. |
What studies say about old wives’ tales on gender
- Carrying, cravings and hunches. In a 1999 Johns Hopkins study, 104 pregnant women predicted their baby’s sex using any method they liked. They were right 55% of the time, which the researchers called no better than guessing (source).
- Heart rate. A review of 655 first-trimester ultrasounds found no meaningful difference: about 167 beats per minute for both girls and boys (source).
- The Chinese lunar calendar. Applied to about 2.8 million births in Sweden, it predicted the sex correctly about half the time (source).
- Morning sickness. A 1999 Swedish study in The Lancet found that women hospitalized for severe vomiting in early pregnancy were slightly more likely to be carrying girls (source). The difference is small and only applies to severe cases, so it can’t predict the sex of one baby.
- Skin, hair, feet, mood and the ring test. We found no studies showing these predict anything; they rely on chance and memorable coincidences.
How you can actually find out
Cell-free DNA blood screening can be done from about 10 weeks. It’s mainly used to screen for chromosome conditions, and the report can include the sex (source). The mid-pregnancy anatomy ultrasound, usually between 18 and 22 weeks, often shows it as well (source). Ask your provider which tests you’re having and whether you want to be told.
Use the tales at your party
The tales make a good game while everyone waits for the reveal. Our printable gender reveal games include an old wives’ tales tally sheet for guests, and the gender reveal ideas guide has more ways to share the news.
Questions
Is the ring test accurate?
No. The ring swings in whatever direction small hand movements push it. No study has shown it predicts a baby’s sex.
Does a high heart rate mean a girl?
No. In a study of 655 pregnancies, average first-trimester heart rates were almost the same for girls and boys.
Which old wives’ tale is most accurate?
None of them reliably beats a coin toss. The closest thing to a pattern is a small link between severe morning sickness and girls, which is too weak to predict one baby.
Sources
- Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, on predicting a baby’s sex (1999)
- “First trimester fetal heart rate as a predictor of newborn sex,” J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med (2015)
- University of Michigan, on the Chinese lunar calendar study
- “Sickness in pregnancy and sex of child,” The Lancet (1999)
- MedlinePlus, “Prenatal Cell-free DNA Screening”
- UT Southwestern Medical Center, on the 18- to 22-week ultrasound