14 Funny Gender Prediction Tests to Try at Home
Thanks to all the advancements in science, parents are able to find out baby’s biological sex sooner than the standard 20 week ultrasound. In fact, first trimester genetic screening tests like NIPT can tell you if you’re having a boy or girl with near 100 percent certainty as early as 10 weeks. It’s hard to believe that before ultrasounds became a routine part of prenatal care during the mid-1970s, moms-to-be and pregnant people had to wait until the actual birth to find out baby’s sex. It’s no wonder then that there are so many old wives’ tales and tests dedicated to finding out baby’s sex. These weird, wacky ways to (supposedly) predict baby’s sex have been passed down from generation to generation and used to be the only clue moms-to-be and pregnant people had to go on. While not medically accurate or proven, these fun and lighthearted baby gender predictors can help you pass the time as you anxiously wait to find out if you’re having a boy or girl. If you’re up for some giggles, we’ve rounded up a bunch of other fabled (if not totally bizarre) gender prediction tests you can do at home. But remember, while these gender predictors are fun and lighthearted, it’s ultimately baby who will show you who they are in due time.
Unfortunately, there’s no 100 percent accurate baby gender predictor. Most of these baby gender prediction tests are correct only around 50 percent of the time—meaning they’re about as accurate as flipping a coin. In fact, according to Meleen Chuang, MD, an ob-gyn and medical director of women’s health at the Family Health Centers at NYU Langone, despite how many old wives’ tales and tests there are around predicting gender, their accuracy is usually low. “These tales are often based on myths and superstitions rather than reliable methods of determining gender,” she says. “These methods are not backed by scientific research and shouldn’t be relied upon for accurate results.” In short, these tests hold zero medical validity. Plus, Chuang says home baby gender predictor test kits that analyze your urine or blood aren’t reliable either, but there’s usually no harm in trying them as long as they’re not taken too seriously. (If you’re curious about how to find out baby’s sex using scientifically accurate methods, read more here.)
Let’s get this one out of the way first. If you’re searching for ways to predict gender at home, you’ll likely stumble across something called the Drano gender test. We’re here to tell you not to do this one, as it can be harmful. This test calls for mixing urine with Drano to look for the color change, but can produce noxious, harmful fumes, Chuang explains. There’s no reason to put yourself or baby at risk just for a gender prediction test (and a highly dubious one at that). If you’re keen on trying an at home gender test, keep reading for some much safer alternatives.
Perhaps the most popular (non-medical) gender prediction test is the Chinese gender predictor chart. It’s got a storied history, and no one’s really too sure exactly where it came from. Some say it stems back to the Qing Dynasty, while others say it was discovered in an ancient tomb, but there isn’t evidence to back up either claim. In terms of how it works, the Chinese gender predictor chart uses the month baby was conceived along with Mom’s age at conception to predict baby’s sex. Wondering what your future could hold? Use our handy Chinese gender predictor calculator to plug in your information and see what it returns.
It was accurate with my last pregnancy and it has been with my friends and cousins pregnancies as well. I’m doing my bloodwork soon to see if it’s accurate again.
To try out this super-popular gender test at home, mix equal parts first morning urine and baking soda and watch how it reacts. If it fizzes, you could be pregnant with a boy, but if it doesn’t react, there’s a good chance it’s a girl (or so the story goes).
Similar to the baking soda gender prediction test is the red cabbage gender test. Only this time, you’re looking for a certain color rather than a fizzy reaction. To perform this baby gender test at home, chop some fresh red cabbage and place it in a pot of water. Bring the water to a rolling boil, then let it cool and pour some of the cabbage water into a cup. Take a sample of your first morning urine and mix equal parts with the cabbage water. Swirl it around and see what color it turns. Pink or red supposedly indicates a boy, while purple means a girl.
Anecdotally, those who’ve tried the ring gender test say it seems to be accurate. To do it, tie a string to your wedding ring, then lie down on your back and have your partner hold the ring by the string over your belly. Legend says if the ring swings in a circle, you’re having a girl. But if it swings back and forth, then you’re about to become a boy mom.
We did the ring test, and it was correct for both!
The necklace gender test is nearly identical to the ring test, only you perform this one on your wrist. Why? No one seems to know. To take this test, use a necklace instead of a ring on a string. Place your arm on a table or another flat surface with your wrist facing up. Then, dangle the necklace over your wrist and bob it up and down a few times. Let it hover over your wrist and see what type of motion it makes once you stop bobbing it. If it moves in a circle, baby may be a girl. If it goes back and forth, you may be expecting a boy.
Finally, a gender test that doesn’t require you to pee on anything or swing items back and forth! To perform the Mayan gender predictor test, all you need is a couple of numbers—specifically, the year baby was conceived and your age at conception. According to Mayan legend, if these numbers are both even or odd, then you’ll welcome a girl. But if one is even and the other is odd, it’s a boy.
Here’s a gender prediction you may not have heard about before. According to this old wives’ tale, in order to determine the sex of your next baby, look at the hairline on the nape of your current (or youngest) child’s neck. If their hairline comes to a peak in the middle, you’ll give birth to a child of the opposite sex. If it’s straight across, you’ll welcome another child of the same sex.
When I found out about this one, I looked at my baby’s hairline on her neck, and lo and behold, it’s straight across—which means, according to this gender prediction test, if I were to go for baby #5, I’d end up with a fourth daughter. Have mercy.
Are you rocking a dewy complexion that’s free from acne? You could be expecting a boy! Or are you experiencing tons of breakouts during pregnancy? They say it’s all that extra estrogen from the girl you may be carrying. Mom’s complexion has long been a subject of debate when it comes to predicting baby’s sex.
Is the shape of your bump more like a watermelon or basketball? Let’s face it, many pregnant bellies look like one or the other by the end of those nine long months. If you happen not to know baby’s sex by then, try this old wives’ tale! If your belly protrudes and seems to come to a point, like a watermelon, you may be carrying a boy. If it’s round like a basketball, you may be welcoming a girl.
In my first pregnancy, I had the perfect basketball belly. And, yes, I was expecting a boy! Coincidence? Probably. But it was still fun when I’d confirm for guessing strangers.
Here’s an off-the-wall baby gender test that seems to have no basis in science whatsoever, but is still fun to try! According to this one, if a mom-to-be picks up a key by the long, skinny end, she may be pregnant with a girl. If she picks it up by the broad, round end, she may be carrying a boy.
There’s tons of anecdotal evidence for this storied boy or girl test. According to the old wives’ tale, if you’re craving sweets, you’re likely carrying a girl, and if sour or savory is your jam right now, you’re birthing a boy.
I had girl, boy, girl. With girls, I craved fruit and sweets, there wasn’t enough pineapple in the world I couldn’t eat. With my son it was meat. Red meat. I barely ate it before I was pregnant. I craved it so much I actually thought I was anemic.
Pregnancy dreams can get pretty crazy, so don’t sweat it if you dream you’re marrying a fish or giving birth to your purse. But can these absurdly vivid dreams also indicate the sex of your future baby? This old wives’ tale says if you dream about a child of a certain sex, you’re carrying the opposite. Keep in mind, there are probably lots of other factors at work here too, as is always the case with dreams.
This was true for me, when I repeatedly dreamt of a girl while I was pregnant with my son.
Are you having major mood swings now that you’re pregnant, or are you over the moon all the time? If you are, we totally get it—there are a whole bunch of not-so-fun pregnancy symptoms. But did you know some believe your mood is indicative of baby’s sex? This wives’ tale says moodiness and irritability are associated more closely with girl pregnancies, while a feeling of calm contentment may indicate you’re expecting a boy.
I just knew. With my two boys the symptoms were so different, but I knew.
Once you get to about the halfway point of pregnancy, you may notice a line of darker pigment that travels up the middle of your bump. It’s called the linea nigra, and it’s a perfectly normal part of pregnancy. But some believe it can indicate the sex of your growing baby! To use your linea nigra as a gender prediction test at home, study it in the mirror. If it stops at your belly button, it means you may be having a girl. If the line continues all the way up to your ribs and chest, there’s a chance you’re pregnant with a boy.
If you’re sporting a head full of luscious locks during pregnancy, this quirky gender prediction test says you’re probably carrying a boy, while dry, limp hair may mean it’s a girl. Similarly, excessive hair growth, often in places you wouldn’t prefer, can indicate you’re carrying a boy. Ahh, the joys of pregnancy!
Mine was pure intuition. The morning of our first anatomy scan I said to my husband, ‘I feel like I was destined to be a boy mom’—no explanation, just a feeling I had. We now have two boys.
These at-home gender prediction tests can be a fun way to pass the time during pregnancy, but remember not to rely on them for accurate results and to always speak to your provider for reliable information concerning baby’s sex, Chuang stresses. “The most accurate method for determining a baby’s [sex] is through medical procedures such as ultrasound or genetic testing.”
Please note: The Bump and the materials and information it contains are not intended to, and do not constitute, medical or other health advice or diagnosis and should not be used as such. You should always consult with a qualified physician or health professional about your specific circumstances.
Plus, more from The Bump:
Meleen Chuang, MD, is an ob-gyn and medical director of women’s health at the Family Health Centers at NYU Langone. She earned her medical degree from SUNY Stony Brook.
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