Ooh, Baby I Love Your Way (post 22 of 30)

Tuesday, January 12, 2016:  32 weeks 1 day

This morning, at work, was one of the most active ones for the baby thus far in that he or she was wriggling around and squirming all morning into the early afternoon as I sat in a very long meeting.  There was so much action I wondered if other sitting around the conference table in the room could see the movement on the outside as I felt the kicking and moving!  LOL!  While on the subject of work, many folks there were surprised at the size of my belly from the growing it did over Christmas Break but remarked that you couldn’t tell I was pregnant from the back which was interesting to hear.

In the meantime, as the due date grows nearer, I find myself wondering daily whether we will be blessed with a little boy or a little girl!!  I am so surprised at my impatience in wanting to know as we close in on the due date as I did not expect to be this antsy over something we have no control over but either way, I am looking forward to what God has planned and to the surprise.  I can’t wait until Adam tells me which we will have…boy or girl?!  In the meantime, I’m borrowing these 21 tests I remember reading about on my dear friend’s blog a few years ago when she and Michael were eagerly awaiting on the arrival of their first child who we now know is little Liam!  Thanks, Lisa, for doing the legwork on providing these tests so that I could enjoy going through them now four years down the line!!  :)

As Lisa and Michael did, Adam and I are currently waiting until the birthday of our child so we, too, thought it would be fun to look at these old mid-wives tales as well.  The results of those tests are color-coded below.  Blue means boy; pink means girl; and, green means the results were inconclusive. 

Test #1: The Linea Nigra Test 

Latin for ‘black line,' a linea nigra may appear on a girl's belly during pregnancy.  This is a purple/brownish line which extends down the middle of your belly to your pubic area, about 1 centimeter in width. It’s known that hormones cause the linea nigra pigmentation, but it’s not known why it forms in the vertical line that it does.  The old wives tale is this – if you get a línea nigra and it runs from your pubic area to your belly button only, it’s a girl, and if it goes all the way up from your pubic area to the bottom-most part of your rib cage, then it’s a boy.  I don’t seem to have one so this test result is…GIRL!

Test #2: The Carrying Test - Version A
They say if a girl carries her baby low, it's a boy.  If she carries her baby high, it's a girl.  So what determines high or low?  Apparently, if your baby bump is up near your breasts, that's considered high.  I would say that I am probably carrying low.  So this test result is...BOY!

Test #3: The Carrying Test - Version B

They say that if you are carrying extra weight at the front, then you’re having a boy… but if you are carrying extra weight on your bum and hips, then you have been carrying a girl.  I would say that I'm pretty much carrying all out the front like a basketball.  So the test result here again is...BOY!

Test #4: The Carrying Test - Version C
If the belly looks more like a basketball, then the old wives say it's a boy; but, if it more resembles a watermelon, then it’s a girl.  Adam and I can’t decide…in his words, he says, the baby bump is a “round oval” so I would this test result says...INCLUSIVE!

Test #5: The Dry or Soft Skin Test

If your skin is dry, you’re said to be having a boy – and if it’s soft, then a girl is on the way.  I would say that my skin has had had both periods of dryness and periods of softness but that could be because this pregnancy has spanned summer, fall, winter, and is ending in spring.  So I would say the results of this test are...INCONCLUSIVE.

Test #6: The Baby's Heart Rate Test

The theory goes that if your baby's heart rate is above 140 beats per minute, it's a girl.  If it's below 140, it's a boy.  We will have to see what the heart rate is at our upcoming appointment on Thursday but it has been in the low to mid 140s at previous appointments so I guess we'll say that this test says…GIRL!

Test #7: The Flowing Locks Test

If a woman's hair has become thinner and dull, they say she's having a girl.  If her hair becomes full-bodied, glossy, and gorgeous, they say it's a boy.  My hair has always been thick so it’s hard to say if it has changed since pregnancy so I would say that it’s hard to determine this test therefore this test result is…INCONCLUSIVE!

Test #8: The Age and Month Conceived Test

This formula states that if you add your age at the time of conception (35) with the number of the month you conceived in (5 or 6?) and the resulting number is odd -- then a girl is on the way.  If the resulting number is even, then it's a boy.  We don’t know what the total is.  We suspect the baby is a honeymoon baby or shortly thereafter but since we got married in late May and honeymooned until very early June, it is hard to say if it was month five or six!  So, once again, this test is INCONCLUSIVE! 

Test #9: The Food Cravings Test

I wouldn’t say I have experienced any fun or weird cravings during this pregnancy with the exception of two or three weird food combinations that were one-time occurrences.  However, in the beginning, I was craving all things breakfast related at all times of the day (and night).  Toward the end of the pregnancy, I can’t get enough of Applebee’s boneless honey BBQ wings.  LOL!  However, I like breakfast and honey BBQ wings all the time so hope that this affinity for the taste of those foods will not change or go away after pregnancy.  They say if you crave sour or salty foods, then it's most likely a boy.  If you crave sweet foods like juice, fruits, or chocolate, then it's a girl which reminds me of my drinking more punch and juice than usual.  Then again, they say if you crave proteins like meats and dairy it's probably a boy and I have been wanting more milk and ice cream lately.  However, ice cream has always been a favorite food of mine so altogether, I would say the results of this test are INCONCLUSIVE!

Test #10: The Wedding Band Test

They say if you dangle your wedding band on a string over your belly, you can identify the gender of your child.  If the ring starts moving in circles, it's a boy.  If it moves like a pendulum from side to side, then it's a girl.  I tried this with my necklace rather than string so not sure this will give “accurate” results but nonetheless, when I did this, the ring moved like a pendulum from side to side so the results of this test point to..GIRL!

Test #11: The Morning Sickness Test

They say that if you experience morning sickness, you're carrying a girl.  If not, then it's a boy.  I experienced a little bit of nausea in the morning on two or three days throughout the pregnancy and also throughout the day regularly sporadically throughout all three trimesters, so I would say this test result is INCONCLUSIVE!

Test #12: The Cold Feet Test

If your feet get colder than they used to pre-pregnancy, it’s a sign you have a boy on the way. If your feet are the same, then it’s a girl!  I would say that my feet are the same so the results of this test are leaning toward GIRL!

Test #13: The Attractiveness Test
Do you look better than ever while pregnant? Or has the pregnancy done your looks no favors? As it goes, if you look great during pregnancy, then you are carrying a boy. If you don’t look too flash, you’re having a girl, because she’s stolen all your good looks!  Then again, it has been said that if you feel more beautiful during pregnancy, it could be because you're carrying a girl -- and thus the beauty of TWO women is shining through you!  So maybe because of this varied way to interpret the results, I should say that the results of this test are inconclusive.  I also vary from day to day depending on how I’m feeling and how clothes are fitting (or not fitting) in my perception of myself.  Hmm...Adam has fallen asleep as I type this so I can’t ask him for his answer (maybe that’s a good thing?  Ha!) but I would say I look the same even though some folks have said I have the “glowing” look which is nice to hear especially on days I don’t feel so glowing!  I would say that this test result is INCONCLUSIVE due to not personally knowing the difference. 

Test #14: Daddy's Weight Test
Apparently, if your husband puts on ‘sympathy’ weight with you during your pregnancy, then you’re supposed to be carrying a girl. If he doesn’t put on any weight, then it’s a boy.  Guess it’s a good thing Adam is napping for this one….He has joked about ‘sympathy weight’ especially as we cruise on through this last month of pregnancy so I will say the test result of this one points to GIRL!

Test #15: The Pillow Test

They say that when a woman sleeps, if her pillow faces north, then expect a boy.  If it faces south, expect a girl.  I have no idea as to how to determine this, especially with using a C shaped body pillow now…?!  I shall conclude that the results of this test say...INCONCLUSIVE but that’s due to my poor sense of direction..ha!

Test #16: The Acne Test

If you get acne during pregnancy, apparently you’re having a girl, and if you don’t, then you’re carrying a boy.  That means this test points toward BOY!

Test #17: The Sleep Side Test

So when you sleep, do you sleep on your left? Because if you do, then it’s a boy for you! On your right, a girl is in sight.  Goodness.  I normally sleep on my back or stomach but since these are not options for pregnant women, I'm also making use of sleeping on both my right and left sides.  I alternate back and forth, since now my hips hurt during the night if I stay on any one side too long.  So, the results of this test are...inconclusive.

Test #18: The Urine Test

Apparently if you have bright yellow urine, then you’re carrying a boy, but if it’s dull / clear, then you’re carrying a girl.  This seems to vary for me so I can’t really determine this one.  So, this test says...INCONCLUSIVE!

Test #19: The Hairy Legs Test

Has the hair on your legs grown faster than normal? Or has it grown just like normal? Because if it’s growing faster than it did pre-pregnancy, then you’re said to be having a boy.  If not, then it's a girl.  Seriously, where do they come up with these things?!  Is it because boys tend to be hairier and they cause Mama to grow hair faster?!  LOL!  Anyhow, I would say that everything is the same…So the result of this test says GIRL!

Test #20: The Guess Test

Research has shown that a mother's intuition is often right.  When asked to guess the gender of her unborn child, a woman is usually right 71% of the time.  So what is my guess?  I can’t really say!  In the beginning I felt strongly the baby was a girl but then when I saw the baby “live” on the ultrasound screen, I felt it was a boy.  The further into pregnancy we have gotten, I felt it was a boy and even had a dream the other night that I found out behind Adam’s back from the doctor what we were having and learned in the dream it was a boy.  However, in the last couple weeks, I have been thinking it’s a girl.  So, due to my wishy washiness, I would have to say that the results of this test are INCONCLUSIVE.  :)


The Final Results
Well, according to all these old wives tales, our baby has a 15% chance of being a boy, a 30% of being a girl, and in conclusion is a whopping 55% inconclusive.  Haha!  So guess only time will tell as we find out on the little one’s birthday!!