Now that I am pregnant, I will be creating some markets surrounding the pregnancy. This one surrounds the baby's sex and includes some of the superstitious preditions of the times of yore. This is meant to be a fun market. I will be including any cravings or details associated with the superstitions to help you make your most educated guess. Let me know if you have any other culturally interesting predition methods.

This market will resolve once I know the sex of the baby.

"Traditional" Methods:

Morning Sickness and Gender

Although there’s not substantial science to back this gender prediction method, some believe that the amount of morning sickness a pregnant person has will determine gender. If you’re sick and turning green at every whiff, then you’re having a girl. If morning sickness blessedly passes you by or you have few problems in the puke department, then you’re having a boy.

RESULT:

Sweet or Salty Pregnancy Cravings

Some say that craving salty or savory foods means that a baby boy is on the way. If you’re craving sweets then you’ve got a girl on the way.

RESULT:

The Pendulum Gender Prediction Test

Expecting parents have been trying this gender prediction test for centuries—though there is some question about where the tradition originates from. The parent-to-be is asked to lay on their back while someone takes a wedding ring and hangs it from a string. Then the string is dangled over the pregnant belly. The movements of the ring-weighted string will determine the gender of the baby, in a tradition known as dowsing. If the ring swings in a circular motion then it’s a girl and if the ring swing is a straight line then it’s a boy.

RESULT: ACCORDING TO 5 TESTS OF THE PENDULUM GENDER PREDICTOR IT WILL BE A GIRL (Tests - 4 Girl, 1 Boy).

Chinese Gender Prediction

Chinese mothers have long used a gender prediction chart to figure out if they’re having a baby boy or girl. Invented 700 years ago for the imperial family in the Qing dynasty, the Chinese gender prediction chart is incredibly simple and fun to use (even if it’s not supported by science!). By lining up the mother’s lunar age at conception against the Chinese lunar month at conception a parent can see if they are having a boy or a girl…in theory! You can try it yourself to see if it was accurate for you:

RESULT: ACCORDING TO THE CHINESE GENDER PREDICTOR IT WILL BE A GIRL.

Mayan Gender Prediction

Similar to the Chinese gender prediction chart, the Mayans also had their own calendar-based logic to figuring out a baby’s gender. This baby gender prediction method is based on the month of conception and the mom’s age at conception. If both numbers are either even or odd then it’s a girl. But if one of the conception numbers is odd and one is even, then the baby is a boy. For example, if you are 33 and conceived in March (the third month), this method says you’re having a girl (both 33 and 3 are odd). If you’re 33 and conceived in December (the 12th month) you’re supposedly expecting a boy (odd age + an even-numbered month).

RESULT: ACCORDING TO THE MAYAN GENDER PREDICTOR IT WILL BE A BOY.

Moroccan Gender Prediction

If a pregnant person lays on their back and someone drops an insect on their belly, they can figure out the gender of the unborn child based on how the insect lands. If it lands on its feet, then congratulations, it’s a boy! If the bug lands on its back then its a girl

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Hungarian Gender Prediction

Speaking of creepy crawlies, this method says if a parent-to-be gently pokes their finger into the center of a spider web and then pulls their finger out to reveal a hole, they can predict the gender of their child based on what the spider does. According to Traditions and Superstitions in Obstetrics and the Care of the New-Born in Hungary by Rudolf Temesvary, if the spider does nothing then a girl is on the way, but if the spider repairs the hole, then you can expect a boy.

RESULT:

Brazilian Gender Prediction

Brazilian folklore says that if an expecting mother cooks up a chicken’s heart then she can be certain to know if she’s having a boy or a girl based on how the heart reacts to heat. If it opens or splits or expands during cooking, she’s having a girl. If the heart doesn’t open or split or expand, she’s probably having a boy.

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French Gender Prediction

French women can thank a 15th Century book of folklore called The Distaff Gospels for this one, apparently if a mother’s footsteps tend to start from her right foot, then she’s likely having a boy. If she starts walking with her left, then she’s having a girl. 

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Scientific-Sounding Gender Prediction Methods

The Ramzi Gender Prediction Method

This method uses an ultrasound photo from a scan as early as 6 weeks to predict a baby’s gender based on the placement of the placenta. This theory was developed by Dr. Saam Ramzi Ismali, who believes that if the placenta is developing on the left, you’re expecting a girl. If it’s growing on the right, a boy’s on the way. Was not scientifically reviewed.

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The Nub Method of Gender Prediction

Here’s another method that involves an ultrasound photo…but this one uses a 12-week scan. Basically, the nub method of gender prediction says that, if you catch a shot of your baby in profile and look at the area between the legs, you’ll see a small nub (the tubercle—a part of a developing baby that eventually becomes a penis or clitoris). If that nub is at a 30-degree angle or higher, it’s a boy. If the nub is horizontal or pointing down, it’s a girl. There’s a little bit of science to back this up. In a small study in 1999, researchers found that the nub theory was 70% accurate at 11 weeks and 98% accurate by 13 weeks (a slightly larger study in 2006 yielded similar results).

RESULT: