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| - Last Updated on December 27, 2021 by Neelam Singh
Quick Take
Some social media posts claim that there are several ways to determine the gender of your baby according to old wives experience. We fact checked and found that the claim is False.
The Claim
“If it looks more like a basketball then it’s a sign you are having a boy, but if it resembles a watermelon then it’s a girl,” says a blog post on a parenting website.
Multiple social media users have made similar claims and shared them across social media platforms. The claim can be seen here and here.
Fact Check
Can physiological signs like mood swings, pimples etc. reveal the sex of an unborn child?
No. There is no scientific evidence that suggests the sex determination of an unborn child can happen through symptoms like morning sickness, mood swings, cravings or pimples. It is common for a pregnant woman to see these symptoms in her body. A pregnant woman suffers from physical and emotional upside down and is on strong medication to stay put through the condition. The symptoms like morning sickness, mood swings, cravings or pimples can occur because of any common reason and can never determine the sex of a fetus.
The sex determination of an unborn child can happen after the first trimester or 12th week of the pregnancy. There are different methods available to determine the sex of the unborn child but the most common is Ultrasound. The other methods such as Amniocentesis or Chorionic villus sampling are banned in many countries because they increase the risk of miscarriage. In India, it is illegal to check the sex of fetus through these methods.
Does the size of a baby bump vary depending on whether the baby is male or female?
No. there is no research that supports the theory that the size of baby bump depends of the gender of the fetus. It is one of the most common myths that surrounds pregnancy and gender prediction.
The size of the belly has more to do with the abdominal muscles and torso size. In case of weak abdominal muscle, the belly may fall lower because the abdominal wall is not stretched much. Likewise, in case of strong abdominal muscles, the belly may look higher.
Besides this, women with short torso may see their belly stick out as it is the only possible direction the bump can grow. Likewise, a woman with a bump wide-set may not see a bulging belly.
Dr Aruna Kalra, Senior Gynecologist and Obstetrician at CK Birla Hospital, Gurgaon, says, “The truth is that no-one can determine the sex of the baby simply by looking at the size of your belly – not even a doctor or a midwife. Your body will change at every different stage of your pregnancy so you can’t judge anything just with its size.”
Dr Sangita Chauhan Mahajan, Obstetrician-Gynecologist at Ekveera Hospital, Aurangabad, further explains, “The position of the belly during pregnancy depends upon the shape of the uterus, unique body type, and abdominal muscles. Finding out the sex of your baby is exciting. You will hear about lots of ways to predict important tidbits. But remember, most of these tales and theories are not based on fact. Just be patient, you will find out the gender soon.”
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