Old Wives' Tales and Baby Gender: Will You Have a Boy or a Girl?

Old wives' tales are little more than super-circulated rumors. Never proven to be true, they're sayings and adages that generations of people have passed down regarding family health ("Eating carrots improves your vision"), safe parenting ("Wait an hour after eating before swimming"), and pregnancy. If you're trying to guess your baby's gender, read on for fun ways to hypothesize about whether you're having a boy or a girl.

Pay attention your sleep position at night. If you prefer sleeping on your left side, you're supposedly having a boy. Right side? You're pregnant with a girl.

Little girls aren't always sweet. Extreme nausea means you're expecting a daughter.

If your hands are dry during pregnancy, you might be having a boy. The old wive's tales for baby gender link soft hands with girls.  

Your favorite pregnancy foods may indicate your baby's sex, because citrus cravings have been associated with girls.

Are pregnancy hormones making your skin break out? The old wive's tales say you might be expecting a girl!

If you feel as though you're gliding through the day, rumor has it you're having a girl. Stumbling around? It might be a boy.

If your face gets fuller during pregnancy, then a little princess might be on the way. 

Do your pregnancy cravings involve potato chips, pretzels, and popcorn? Women who desire salty snacks might be expecting a boy. On the other hand, cravings for ice cream, chocolate, candy, and other sweets could hint at at baby girl.

Mood swings are common during pregnancy. If you're constantly switching between happiness and sadness and anger—and every other mood in between—you might expect a baby girl to join your family!

As it turns out, old wive's tales for pregnancy bellies exist as well. If you're carrying the baby low on your stomach, a baby boy might be in your future. If it's high, you're supposedly having a girl.

This old wives' tale for gender prediction might seem strange, but it's all in good fun. Dangle a chain with a charm over your palm. If it swings back and forth, you've got a boy! If it swings in a circle, you might have a girl.

"Show me your hands." Hold our your hand as your normally would in response to this question. A palms-up position means you're having a girl, while hands-down could indicate a boy!

Tune into the position of weight on your body. Women who carry their baby in front might expect a boy, while weight spaced around your middle could indicate a girl. 

You'll need a little boy for this one, whether its your own son, a nephew, or a friend's child. The old wive's tale says if the boy is interested in your belly, it's housing a girl. If he ignores you, it's a boy!

Some say you can guess your baby's sex by eating garlic—who knew? If the smell seeps out of your pores, rumor says you're having a boy. If there's no scent, it's a little girl instead.

Grab the nearest house key or car key. Did you pick it up by the round end? Expect lots of blue in your baby's future, because the old wives' tales say you're expecting a boy! Picking it by the long end means you might give birth to a girl.

If your age and year of conception are both even numbers—or both odd numbers— a girl is on the way.  One even and one odd number indicates a boy.

Listen to your little one's heartbeat. If you detect more than 150 beats per minute, you're supposedly pregnant with a girl. Hearing less than 150 beats per minute points to a boy.

According to old wives' tales for gender prediction, a child tends to be the same sex as the parent who is less stressed at the time of conception.

This old wive's tale might be a little surprising! If you dream about having a girl while pregnant, you might wind up having a boy—and vice versa. 

Take a good look at your pregnancy breasts. If your right breast is larger than the left one, it could mean a little girl is living in your womb. If the left breast is larger, it could a baby boy.