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Am I Having a Boy or a Girl?

Am I Having a Boy or a Girl? Its the obvious question, this article discusses it.
Author Siv Klemets

Is it important to know the sex of your baby as soon as possible? Most expecting parents want to know whether they are going to have a boy or a girl. Of course, there are also parents who refuse to find out about the sex of their child until birth but generally, many parents are excited to know. It is part of human nature to be curious about whether you are going to have a boy or girl, and it sure helps when you are decorating the nursery or purchasing things for the baby. What are some of ways that can help parents to find out about the sex of their baby? From the traditional to the scientific, let’s take a look at the various ways to find out if you are having a boy or a girl.

What Determines the Sex of the Baby?
According to scientific research, the sex of a baby is determined by the father. Basically, it depends on the chromosome supplied by the father, which can be either an X chromosome or a Y chromosome. If the Y chromosome is supplied by the father, then, the baby will be a boy. If the X chromosome is supplied by the father, then, the baby will be a girl. On the other hand, mothers don’t have any influence on the gender of the baby because they can only supply an X chromosome. Is there a higher chance that the baby will be a boy or a girl? There’s an equal chance that the baby can be a boy or a girl because the number of sperm with Y chromosomes and sperm with X chromosomes are almost identical.

Scientifically, the sex of a baby is a coin toss but there are many methods and theories about how the baby’s gender can be determined as well as how to tell if you are having a girl or a boy. Some of these are folklore, traditions, myths, and even one that involves a clog remover.

The Way You Carry
Yes, the way you carry tells a lot about the gender of the baby. It’s quite a common tradition in many cultures to “predict” whether you are going to have a girl or a boy by the way you are carrying the baby. Of course, this “sign” will not be obvious until the later stages of pregnancy. Here’s how it works. The baby is a girl if you are carrying high and the baby is a boy if you are carrying low. Do you think it’s true? Try to observe other expecting mothers and ask them if they are having a boy or a girl!

Heart Rate
According to one theory, you can tell the sex of your baby by looking at your heart rate. The magic number is 140 beats per minute. If it’s higher than this number, then, you can expect a girl, and if it’s lower than this number, then, you can expect a boy. At this moment, there’s no scientific study to prove or disprove this theory so it may be closer to a myth.

Drano
Other than helping you to unclog drains or pipes, apparently, Drano can also be used to check the sex of your baby! How’s that? Before you try this experiment, be warned that Drano produces toxic fumes so you should be careful. The best time to perform this test is around the 4th month of your pregnancy. When you get out of bed in the morning, collect about 2 to 3 ounces of urine in a disposable cup. To see the results of the test clearly, you need a medium-size glass jar which has been thoroughly cleaned. After you have set the jar on a flat surface, introduce 2 tablespoons of Crystal Drano into it, and then, you should pour in the urine. There will be some sort of chemical reaction so you are advised to be a safe distance away. After about 10 minutes, examine the color of the solution. If the color does not change, it’s a girl, and if the solution takes on a brownish color, then, it’s a boy.

Mayan Wisdom
The Mayans were great with numbers and calendars so they had also devised a simple method to tell the gender of your baby. It’s a relatively simple idea where you match the year of conception with the mother’s age at conception. If one number is odd and the other number is even, then, you can expect a boy. If both numbers are either odd or even, then, you can expect a girl.

Here are some scientific methods:

Ultrasound
Around the 24th week of your pregnancy, you may be given an ultrasound examination just so that it can be determined that your baby is healthy. In most cases, the baby’s genitalia may be seen or the midwife, doctor or ultrasound technician can tell you the sex of your baby. In some cases, the baby may be positioned in such a way that it’s not possible to check on the gender so you may have to take another ultrasound scan to check again but generally, it’s not recommended to conduct too many scans.

Gender Kits
Just like there are home pregnancy kits, there are also kits that can be used to check the gender of your baby. These kits are available in the United States and the United Kingdom. To perform the test, the expecting mother has to extract a little blood which is to be sent to the company which manufactures the kit. After testing, the company will send you the results. Though the test kit company promises the results to be highly accurate, the kits have not been verified yet.

Genetic Testing
Done by inserting a needle into the placenta via the belly to withdraw some fluid, Chorionic Villus Sampling is performed to determine if your baby is suffering from chromosomal disorder. The results of this test can also help to determine if you are carrying a boy or a girl.

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