Signs You're Having a Girl: Are There Ways to Tell?

The first thing many people wonder when they find out they’re pregnant is what sex the baby will be.

So are there any signs you’re having a girl?

Can you tell early on?

No doubt, your aunty, boss, and that girl you went to school with (and haven’t seen in ten years) all have “surefire ways to tell.”

And they don’t seem to mind sharing their methods with you either. 😬

And then there’s that comment from your elderly neighbor that you must be having a girl because of how big your breasts have gotten. 😂

So are there any truths to these tales?

We’ll take you through some of the most noteworthy myths and legends out there — and key you in on whether there’s really a way to know.

In this article: 📝

Signs you’re having a girl: myths and legends

When pregnant with a girl, the old wives’ tales range from kind of fun to downright weird.

And some are just plain unfair.

While most of these theories have little scientific basis, they have been sold as proof that a little girl is on the way.

1. Pregnancy nausea is worse

They say pregnancy nausea is worse with girl babies.

And there are even some studies to back this one up.

(More on this later.)

But we don’t know exactly why (or conclusively, if) this is the case.

2. Mood swing mayhem

Carrying a girl supposedly means you’re more likely to have dramatic mood swings.

The truth is, mood swings just happen when you’re pregnant — regardless of what color you plan on painting your nursery.

Pregnancy hormones can be wild.

It’s only natural to be thrown off kilter.

3. Location, location, location

Carrying your baby high and gaining weight around your hips and bum?

It’s a girl for you!

(In reality, there are so many factors that go into where you carry your weight — and your baby — including your genetics and body type.)

4. Your tooth is at its sweetest

If you’re craving candy and cake, you may have been told that it’s best to invest in pink.

Again, science says nope.

5. Beauty thief

Okay, we think this one is the worst of the myths — and definitely untrue.

As the legend goes, a girl baby supposedly steals all your beauty.

So apparently, you should expect dull hair, oily skin, and breakouts!

There is NO science behind this one, and we think it’s a little mean.

Let’s kick it to the curb along the other outdated terms we’re challenging with our #renamingrevolution.

6. A quicker heartbeat

A rapid heartbeat is thought to signal a girl, and a slower one, a boy.

Truth is fetal heartbeats are all pretty fast with no differences between the sexes.

6. Your left boob is winning the size race.

Are your breasts the same size?

If lefty is bigger than right, the old wives’ tales say it’s a girl.

Science disagrees.

Many women have breasts that are different sizes, and that can be exaggerated as your breasts grow in pregnancy.

7. Your skin is soft.

Does that mean boy mamas are scaly? 😳

Well, the same myth also says that dry hands are a sign of boy babies, while soft hands indicate a girl.

This is another one we’d like to get rid of.

As embryologist Navya Muralidhar says, “truth is, dry itchy skin is perfectly normal during pregnancy”.

8. The numbers game

Do you get an odd number when combining your age at conception with the number of the month you conceived?

While it’s much cheaper than an anatomy scan, it’s far less reliable.

In fact, not reliable at all.

9. Skull theory

This is the idea that when measured on scans, girls have rounder chins and smaller foreheads.

The internet is full of true believers, but experts are not convinced.

10. You sleep on your right.

This one’s a nope.

No evidence to support that a preference for any sleeping position while pregnant is an indicator of whether there’s a blue or pink nursery in your future.

11. Your urine is pale yellow.

Nopety nope.

The color of your pee is an indicator of how hydrated you are, not what flavor of bun is in your oven.

12. Your pillow faces south.

Nopety nope nope nope.

This would imply that the way your bed is positioned in your house can influence baby’s gender.

It’s no surprise that there’s no scientific evidence to support this one.

And finally, there are a whole lot of “tests” you can do to supposedly predict the sex of your baking babe.

Again, there’s no real science behind most of these, but they certainly pass the time — and some can be great fun at a baby shower.

(Not the ones involving urine, obvs.)

Signs you’re pregnant with a girl: What science says

It’s important to note that while they can be a fun part of pregnancy, these guessing games are really just that — guesses.

Doctors have different ways of telling a baby’s sex that have nothing to do with the direction your pillow faces.

IVF gender test

This is one of the earliest ways to get to know your baby’s gender, but the catch is: you can only do it if you’re undergoing IVF.

You may ask for a genetic test of your embryos before a transfer, done via PGS or NGS (pre-implantation genetic screening and next-generation sequencing).

This is often done to rule out any genetic disorders.

Navya explains, “the IVF gender test checks the chromosomes of your baby for any abnormalities, finding out their sex in the process”.

So you can either choose to skip that surprise at the baby shower, or ask your doctor for an envelope that you’ll open on the day of the shower, or with your family!

Anatomy scans

Experts will usually defer to what they see on an ultrasound at 20 weeks, (although even then, mistakes happen).

Aside from that big anatomy scan, other tests may be performed that can tell your baby’s sex.

NIPT

NIPT (noninvasive prenatal testing) looks for certain genetic differences that cause health issues.

They can be performed from about nine weeks on.

And yep, they can also tell you if you’re having a girl or a boy.

CVS

Chronic Villus Sampling (CVS) is a genetic test used to identify genetic or chromosomal conditions like Down syndrome.

It’s usually done between ten and twelve weeks.

You may be offered this test if you’re over 35 or if there is a history of genetic differences in your family.

These tests are not routinely offered to all mamas.

But if you do happen to have one of them, you could ask your doctor what the results say about your baby’s sex.

Other clues you’re having a girl

There are also some recent studies that have some interesting things to say.

Remember the part about pregnancy nausea as a clue you’re having a girl?

As we discussed, there may be something to it.

This 2017 study suggests that mamas who are pregnant with girls might indeed have more severe pregnancy nausea than those carrying boys.

It found that these women show a heightened inflammatory response to bacteria.

Another earlier study also showed more Hyperemesis Gravidarum amongst girl mamas.

But even if further studies show this to be true, it’s certainly not a hard and fast rule.

It’s very difficult to compare one person’s experience to another.

Especially with something like nausea.

It’s also believed that your cortisol levels — in other words, how stressed you are — may impact the sex of the baby.

In 2012, a study was released showing that women who were more stressed before their pregnancies tended to have girls.

Definitely interesting, but nothing definitive.

Yet. 👀

If you’d like to find out your baby’s sex, the 20-week anatomy scan is usually your best bet.

When it comes to signs you may be having a girl, every culture and community has different ways of making predictions.

And the ones we’ve explored are but a drop in the ocean.

While there’s little scientific backing for most of them, they can be a lot of fun.

And hey, they’re usually right about half the time. 😉

But if you want to test out any of these signs you’re having a girl, share them with the other moms-to-be on Peanut!