The Gender Prediction Project Two: Part Ten

Ten! We made it ten Gender Prediction Project posts this time around! That's exciting, at least to me. We have about two and a half months to go until Bean will be making his/her big entrance, so there is still quite a lot of time to add more predictions to our list! If you have anything you would like me to try, let me know either here or on the Facebook Page. I'm open to (almost) anything. :)

Dental Health

Pregnancy can be hard on all parts of your body, including your oral health. Some women who have never had a cavity in their life will suddenly get several while they are pregnant. For some there is just more sensitivity in their gums, something that can result in some bleeding when they brush their teeth. Luckily, if you are dealing with this extra pain/blood, there is a silver lining. It can also help you predict the sex of your unborn baby.

For whatever reason, it has been decided that your gums bleeding more than usual means that you are having a little girl! If they aren't bleeding at all, or at least no more than usual, then you are having a boy. I don't exactly understand the theory behind this one, and I don't have to. I just have to report what that means to me here on the blog. I have never noticed a particular change in my mouth during any of my pregnancies, except that my wisdom teeth seem to cause me more issues when I am expecting. (One of these days I will get over my irrational totally rational and practical fear of dentists and have them extracted.) This would mean that this method has a 100% accuracy rate for us so far. There hasn't been any major change in my oral health this pregnancy either (except for those pesky wisdom teeth again of course...Michael might almost have me convinced to have them out after Bean arrives...) which would lead me to believe that, for this prediction at least, we can expect a little boy in about 11 weeks. (give or take)

Mother's Hair Color

Don't worry, I'm not asking about your hair color. If you, like some of us, (ehem) are starting to notice strands of silver/gray, you can continue to pretend like it isn't happening. I know I will. This Old Wive's tale has to do with your mother's hair. If your mother is gray, or at least grayer than not, it means that you can expect a little boy in your future. However, if your mother is not yet gray, or is pretending she isn't (because apparently this prediction doesn't care if it's dye or natural according to everything I've read), then you will be having a little girl. 

This one is about 50% accurate for us so far. My mother's hair is sometimes dyed and sometimes natural. My mother is also the one who pointed out my own first gray hair, mid-contraction, during the birth of my youngest son. (Though I didn't see one until a couple of months later, so I don't count that one.) Thanks for that, Mom. ;) This pregnancy Mom is (mostly) natural though, which means we'll be having a little boy in October. (And, apparently if Mom wants me to have a daughter she needs to keep up with her hair more often.)   

Increasing Bust?

There are so many changes going on in your body during pregnancy. Things leak, they grow, they shrink, get darker, get dryer, fall out, swell, spread...The list is unending! One that is usually either extremely welcomed or not welcomed at all is the changes to our busts. Some women love and anxiously await the prospect that their chests might get significantly larger, and some of us dread the change. (Because when you already have to go to specialty shops in order to find a cup size that fits the thought of having to go even larger is likely going to send you into a hormonal tail spin!) 

Whether you are thrilled or devastated by the changes in your bra, take a moment to look down. If you are experiencing a dramatic change, the kind where your neighbors, friends, and folks at church are all doing their best not to stare open-mouthed at your newly straining buttons, you can blame it on your little girl. Not experiencing the change you had hoped for, or maybe hadn't hoped for, and it is because of your little boy. 

With both of my sons I went up a cup size or more (to my horror), and the change stayed around until I was done nursing. (As a matter of fact, they never went down to their "normal" size again after the birth of my oldest. I have shirts in my closet that I haven't been able to wear in over 5 years!) Based on that, this prediction method has been 0% accurate for us so far. This pregnancy, to my complete and total shock, they haven't grown at all. In fact, I'm fairly certain they are smaller, which is completely uncharted territory. That would mean that we should expect another little boy, unless my body just works the opposite way of how the Old Wives say it is supposed to, which I am beginning to believe. I suppose we shall see.

Blue wins the day again in this post, with all three predictions for a boy. That brings us up to 31 total little boy predictions against only 17 total little girl predictions. Team pink is trailing by quite a bit, but the fans are still loyal. ;) If you haven't already, take a moment to go cast your vote at our online baby pool and tell me what you think we're having. (We'll review those results on a later post!) 

Until next time, happy predicting!

*Disclaimer: This, and all posts for The Gender Prediction Project, is something I am doing for fun. I am not a doctor, and I make no claims that these methods of sex prediction work. This should in no way shape or form be taken seriously. Please do not go out and buy clothes, furniture, toys, paint, or wallpaper based on any of the prediction methods you see here. These blog posts should be taken with a grain of salt, and if you choose to participate in them along with me, realize that there is no way to know the sex of your baby 100% until they are in your arms and you are looking at the evidence with your own two eyes. Even ultrasounds can be wrong, so join in at your own risk! ;) Happy predicting!*

The Gender Prediction Project Two: Part Nine

Here we are. Entry nine of this years Gender Prediction Project, and I have some more prediction methods for you! If, like most of my fellow October 2014 Mommies, you already know the sex of your baby, it's okay. You can still play along. See how these old wive's tales measured up to your reality. If you are early in your pregnancy and still waiting to find out, try some of these out and see what they predict for you. If, like me, you choose to wait until the baby is placed in your arms to see what you have, keep track along with me and then let us know how the old wives did with predicting your baby's sex! This is fun for everyone!

Once Upon A Dream

Are you having dreams about the moment that beautiful little bundle is placed in your arms? Some people believe that your dreams can tell you what you are having! It's very simple. If you are dreaming of having a little boy, a little girl is on the way. If you are dreaming of having a little girl then you will have a little boy! Apparently, being pregnant gives mommies some kind of super-human dream power to see into the future, but only in reverse.

With both boys I had dreams of both genders, so I have no idea what that means. The most memorable dream with Sebastian was of a little girl that we named Josephine Katherine (we called her Josie Kate), and I swear to you that I could still feel her in my arms and smell her baby scent when I woke up. I was in love with that little girl! However, I had dreams about little boys too. I think that means that this dream probably has a 0% accuracy rate with us so far. Of course, it could be the first gender you dream about, or the dream that is the most real...They aren't very specific about some of these Old Wive's tales.

This time around my very first dream was of the most beautiful little boy! He had a head full of hair and these huge, beautiful eyes! He was also tiny, which is unusual for my children. (We grow them big!) I was enchanted! About two nights later I dreamed of a very bald, chunky, beautiful little girl. Since we know that there aren't twins in there, I again am at a loss for this one. We could be expecting either a little boy or a little girl depending on which dream is the most "accurate". That's a fat lot of help, isn't it?

Massively Moody?

Take a moment and think about how you've been feeling. Your mood tells you a lot about what is going on inside your uterus. If you are feeling like you have an even keel going on despite the crazy amount of hormones rushing through your system right now then you can expect a little boy. Are your mood swings giving other people whiplash? (Or causing them to join witness protection?) It's because of your little girl. 

I have always had a tendency to be rather weepy during pregnancy. Diaper commercials, a good book, spilled milk (literally)...I cry. I asked my husband once if he thought I was abnormally moody during my other pregnancies. (I trust him to give me an honest answer. He's not one to sugar coat these things, even when it might be safer better for him if he did.) He says that I didn't really have "mood swings" I was just more prone to tears. (Which is what I thought, but I thought it best to check with someone who had to experience it from the other side.) I think that this would make this method of prediction accurate for both boys so far.

This pregnancy however...Oh. My. Goodness. My moods have been absurd! I can go through 5 or 6 different emotions in a 45 second period, and none of them make even a bit of sense to me. I'm fairly certain that I'm not safe for human interaction some days. Little Bean is in there messing with my emotional mission control like it's a video game, and I wish s/he'd give Mommy just a little break. Given that we have 100% accuracy rate with this one so far a prediction of a little girl this Fall might not seem that far off.

Catching Their Interest

If you are in a position to have other little people around you during your pregnancy, specifically little boys, they can help you to predict what you will be having. If other little boys in your life (your children, nephews, friend's sons, strangers at the park...) are showing a lot of interest in your growing belly then you can expect a little girl. If they couldn't care less that you are in the middle of growing an entire new life from a couple of tiny cells then you are expecting a boy. 

This one has a 0% accuracy rate for us so far. I wasn't around little boys during my pregnancy with Parker, so I can't judge that one, but Parker was very involved and interested in my second pregnancy, and Bash is most certainly 100% boy! (He did tell us at the time that he wanted a sister.) This pregnancy both boys are interested. They will sit around discussing baby names and what they want to do with their new sibling when s/he arrives. Of course, they don't agree on what they want baby Bean to be at all, and there have been some impressive arguments in our home about whether we are getting a brother or a sister, but they are both most certainly showing interest! Based on that, Bean should come out a little girl in October. 

Unusually, this post seems to lean more towards team pink, with only one boy prediction against three predictions for a girl. One of those predictions for each (the dream one) could go either way though, so it could really be three predictions for a girl and none for a boy or two for a girl and one for a boy, but I decided to award each team a point for the dream prediction. This brings our total up to 28 boy predictions vs. 17 girl predictions. The ladies are still trailing, but there is time to catch up. :) I can't wait to see!

Happy predicting!

*Disclaimer: This, and all posts for The Gender Prediction Project, is something I am doing for fun. I am not a doctor, and I make no claims that these methods of sex prediction work. This should in no way shape or form be taken seriously. Please do not go out and buy clothes, furniture, toys, paint, or wallpaper based on any of the prediction methods you see here. These blog posts should be taken with a grain of salt, and if you choose to participate in them along with me, realize that there is no way to know the sex of your baby 100% until they are in your arms and you are looking at the evidence with your own two eyes. Even ultrasounds can be wrong, so join in at your own risk! ;) Happy predicting!*

The Gender Prediction Project Two: Part Eight

Woo hoo! With the help of your suggestions and a fevered search of Google for something I haven't tried already, we're able to continue these sex predictions into an eighth post! Fun, fun! With 3 months or so to go, I'm truly having a lot of fun with this. I have no idea how accurate any of these are. Even the ones that were 100% accurate with the boys were very likely a fluke, but I think it's exciting just to guess at this point. We'll know for sure soon enough, but until then I'm ready to do some more predicting! 

Your Child's Hairline

I actually knew about this one when I was pregnant with Bash. I'm not sure why I didn't include it in the first Gender Prediction Project, but I'm going to add it now. I hope you play along. ;) 

Unfortunately, this is one of those methods of prediction, just like the First Word, that can only be done if you already have a child. I apologize to all the FTMs (first time moms) out there, but this one won't work for you. Try not to be too disappointed though. The other methods I am going over today do apply to you, and you can store this one away for when you are expecting number two. :)

Apparently, this is an old method used by Native American's to determine a baby's sex. Look carefully at the hairline of your first child. If it goes strait across at the neck the sex of the baby following that child will be the same. If their hair line comes to a point the sex of the following child will be the opposite of the child you are looking at. For example, we have determined that the hair at the back of Parker's neck goes strait across. (Though I had to ask Michael's opinion too just to be sure. The way his hair curls made it a little harder for me to be 100% sure on my own.) This means that our second child should have been another little boy, which ended up being 100% accurate for us.

Without a doubt, Bash's hair goes across in a strait line. (He doesn't share his brother and Daddy's curls so far.) There isn't even a hint of a point to his hair line, which means that Baby Bean should come out a little boy too. Not much longer until we find out for sure. :)

Look Into My Eyes

Actually, look into yours if you are wondering if your new baby is going to be a little lass or a lad. A quick peek in the mirror can tell you what color to paint the nursery. (Disclaimer: Do not paint your nursery based on this, or any, method of gender prediction. Even ultrasounds in this day and age can be wrong, so chances are the Old Wives aren't going to have it right more than 50% of the time! I repeat, do not start painting!) 

If you have a "V" or "Y" shaped vein on the bottom of your left eye, you are expecting a little girl! If you have one on the right eye, you are carrying a little boy. If you have a "V" or "Y" shaped vein on both eyes you might want to sit down, because you are expecting twins...or a girl. No veins? I can't help you. Sorry. 

I didn't know about this one during my previous pregnancies, so I have no previous predictions using this method. This time around I found that my left eye has some impressive veins, but none that resemble a "V" or "Y". However, I have a very obvious "V" at the bottom of my right eye. Based on that, we'll be having a little boy in about 13 weeks. (Give or take.) 

Look Into My Eyes...Again

If you aren't sick of peering at yourself in the mirror yet, because a lot of these prediction methods seem to concentrate on one part or another of our general appearance don't they, go take another look. Pay particular attention to your pupils this time. If, after looking at yourself in the mirror for a full minute (awkward staring contest for the win!), your pupils have dilated you are having a boy. If they have stayed the same you are having a girl. 

Again, I'd never heard about this one with the boys, so I have no previous predictions to base the accuracy of this legend on. I did say I was game for anything though, so I had to try. I can't see how this would matter to your baby's sex at all. Scientifically, your pupils dilating (or not) would have to do with how much light is in the room, yes? Still, I sat there, staring at my eyeballs in the mirror for over a minute, waiting to see what would happen. My conclusion...not a darned thing. There was no noticeable change to my pupils in the time I looked, making this a prediction for a little girl come October. First girl prediction of the post award!

High or Low

Quickly scanning my first Gender Prediction Project Wrap Up shows me that I never did this one, which shocks me. I've always known about it, and can tell you exactly how I carried with both boys, so I'm really surprised I didn't include it the first time around. I'll make up for it by including it this time, complete with how it added up with both the boys. 

This one is simple. Look down. Are you carrying your baby way up high where you can hardly take a breath? You're having a girl. Is the baby settled down low in your abdomen? A little boy. Couldn't be easier, right? Wrong, at least in my experience. I carried high for both boys. There isn't a thing I can do about it. Many mothers I have talked to will speak with great joy about the moment their baby "dropped" days or weeks before labor enabling them to finally take a full breath again and enjoy filling their lungs fully. Never. Happened. Here. With both boys I carried high, and they stayed high until it was go time. Even my doctors have commented on it with both pregnancies. I can tell you to the second the moment that Bash "dropped", because it was when my water broke, and I was fairly sure that he had also broken my pelvic bone. (He didn't, but OUCH!) 

This has been 100% incorrect with both boys. I carried both boys very high, and neither of them "dropped" until I was actually in labor. (Which resulted in a very painful episode when my water broke with Bash and he dropped into my pelvic bone like a lead weight!) Bean implanted very high too, high enough that my RE commented on it at the very first ultrasound, but I feel much of his/her major movements lower than I am used to. This could be because s/he seems to like settling down in the breech position though, tush on my bladder. I'm also feeling more pressure lower down than I did at this point with the boys. I don't remember having pelvic pain this early on with the boys, but it's been going on for weeks already with Bean. I am only 27 weeks, so I suppose this could change, but I do feel like Bean is lower than his/her brothers this time around, which would predict a little boy for us. Given my history with this particular Old Wive's tale I am not convinced. 

That's 3 for a boy and 1 for a girl this post! The total predictions so far between all eight GPP posts stand at 27 predictions for a boy and 14 predictions for a girl. We'll see for sure in just about three months! I can't wait!

*Disclaimer: This, and all posts for The Gender Prediction Project, is something I am doing for fun. I am not a doctor, and I make no claims that these methods of sex prediction work. This should in no way shape or form be taken seriously. Please do not go out and buy clothes, furniture, toys, paint, or wallpaper based on any of the prediction methods you see here. These blog posts should be taken with a grain of salt, and if you choose to participate in them along with me, realize that there is no way to know the sex of your baby 100% until they are in your arms and you are looking at the evidence with your own two eyes. Even ultrasounds can be wrong, so join in at your own risk! ;) Happy predicting!*

Gender Prediction Project: You Decide

Happy Independence Day, Americans! This post will be short, because we have a lot of things planned today as a family, but I have a post requiring your participation, so I wanted to give everyone more than enough time to cast your votes!

One of the things taken into account when the Old Wives are making their predictions is popular public opinion. What do others think you are having? It might just give you some insight into what to expect. (After all, they have a 50% chance of being correct, right?) Usually people make these predictions based on how you are carrying, what you are craving, and if you have a "glow", so I thought I would post a couple of pictures and allow all of you to weigh in on what you think! Be an "Old Wife". Give it a try. The worst that can happen is that you're in the wrong 50%. ;)

Check out the pictures below and then follow this link to our online baby poll. Cast your votes (not only about gender, but everything from hair color to weight), and then keep your eyes open for a later edition of the Gender Prediction Project where I will share your results! 

Happy predicting, and have an amazing 4th of July!

*Disclaimer: This, and all posts for The Gender Prediction Project, is something I am doing for fun. I am not a doctor, and I make no claims that these methods of sex prediction work. This should in no way shape or form be taken seriously. Please do not go out and buy clothes, furniture, toys, paint, or wallpaper based on any of the prediction methods you see here. These blog posts should be taken with a grain of salt, and if you choose to participate in them along with me, realize that there is no way to know the sex of your baby 100% until they are in your arms and you are looking at the evidence with your own two eyes. Even ultrasounds can be wrong, so join in at your own risk! ;) Happy predicting!*