Signs You're Having a Girl: Are There Ways to Tell?

You’ve got that BFP, and now you’re wondering, are there any signs you’re having a girl? Read on to find out what methods claim to work — as well as ones that actually do.

The first thing many people wonder when they find out they’re pregnant is what sex the baby will be.

Can you tell early on?

No doubt, your aunty, boss, and that girl you went to school with (and haven’t seen in ten years) all have “surefire ways to tell.”

And they don’t seem to mind sharing their methods with you either. 😬

And then there’s that comment from your elderly neighbor that you must be having a girl because of how big your breasts have gotten. 😂

So are there any truths to these tales?

We’ll take you through some of the most noteworthy myths and legends out there — and key you in on whether there’s really a way to know.

Read on.

In this article: 📝

Signs you’re having a girl: myths and legends

When pregnant with a girl, the old wives’ tales range from kind of fun to downright weird.

And some are just plain unfair.

While most of these theories have little scientific basis, they have been sold as proof that a little girl is on the way.

Let’s explore:

1. Pregnancy nausea is worse

They say pregnancy nausea is worse with girl babies.

And there are even some studies to back this one up.

(More on this later.)

But we don’t know exactly why (or conclusively, if) this is the case.

2. Mood swing mayhem

Carrying a girl supposedly means you’re more likely to have dramatic mood swings.

The truth is, mood swings just happen when you’re pregnant — regardless of what color you plan on painting your nursery.

Pregnancy hormones can be wild.

It’s only natural to be thrown off kilter.

3. Location, location, location

Carrying your baby high and gaining weight around your hips and bum?

It’s a girl for you!

(In reality, there are so many factors that go into where you carry your weight — and your baby — including your genetics and body type.)

4. Your tooth is at its sweetest

If you’re craving candy and cake, you may have been told that it’s best to invest in pink.

Again, science says nope.

5. Beauty thief

Okay, we think this one is the worst of the myths — and definitely untrue.

As the legend goes, a girl baby supposedly steals all your beauty.

So apparently, you should expect dull hair, oily skin, and breakouts!

There is NO science behind this one, and we think it’s a little mean.

Let’s kick it to the curb along the other outdated terms we’re challenging with our #renamingrevolution.

6. A quicker heartbeat

A rapid heartbeat is thought to signal a girl, and a slower one, a boy.

Truth is fetal heartbeats are all pretty fast with no differences between the sexes.

6. Your left boob is winning the size race.

Are your breasts the same size?

If lefty is bigger than right, the old wives’ tales say it’s a girl.

Science disagrees.

Many women have breasts that are different sizes, and that can be exaggerated as your breasts grow in pregnancy.

7. Your skin is soft.

Does that mean boy mamas are scaly? 😳

This is another one we’d like to get rid of.

8. The numbers game

Do you get an odd number when combining your age at conception with the number of the month you conceived?

While it’s much cheaper than an anatomy scan, it’s far less reliable.

In fact, not reliable at all.

9. Skull theory

This is the idea that when measured on scans, girls have rounder chins and smaller foreheads.

The internet is full of true believers, but experts are not convinced.

10. You sleep on your right.

This one’s a nope.

11. Your urine is pale yellow.

Nopety nope.

12. Your pillow faces south.

Nopety nope nope nope.

And finally, there are a whole lot of “tests” you can do to supposedly predict the sex of your baking babe.

(Read all about them here.)

Again, there’s no real science behind most of these, but they certainly pass the time — and some can be great fun at a baby shower.

(Not the ones involving urine, obvs.)

Signs you’re pregnant with a girl: What science says

It’s important to note that while they can be a fun part of pregnancy, these guessing games are really just that — guesses.

Doctors have different ways of telling a baby’s sex that have nothing to do with the direction your pillow faces.

Anatomy scans

Experts will usually defer to what they see on an ultrasound at 20 weeks, (although even then, mistakes happen).

Aside from that big anatomy scan, other tests may be performed that can tell your baby’s sex.

NIPT

NIPT (noninvasive prenatal testing) looks for certain genetic differences that cause health issues.

They can be performed from about nine weeks on.

And yep, they can also tell you if you’re having a girl or a boy.

CVS

Chronic Villus Sampling (CVS) is a genetic test used to identify genetic or chromosomal conditions like Down syndrome.

It’s usually done between ten and twelve weeks.

You may be offered this test if you’re over 35 or if there is a history of genetic differences in your family.

These tests are not routinely offered to all mamas.

But if you do happen to have one of them, you could ask your doctor what the results say about your baby’s sex.

Other clues

There are also some recent studies that have some interesting things to say.

Remember the part about pregnancy nausea as a clue you’re having a girl?

As we discussed, there may be something to it.

This 2017 study suggests that mamas who are pregnant with girls might indeed have more severe pregnancy nausea than those carrying boys.
It found that these women show a heightened inflammatory response to bacteria.

Another earlier study also showed more Hyperemesis Gravidarum amongst girl mamas.

But even if further studies show this to be true, it’s certainly not a hard and fast rule.

It’s very difficult to compare one person’s experience to another.

Especially with something like nausea.

It’s also believed that your cortisol levels — in other words, how stressed you are — may impact the sex of the baby.

In 2012, a study was released showing that women who were more stressed before their pregnancies tended to have girls.

Definitely interesting, but nothing definitive.
Yet.

Signs you’re having a girl — the bottom line

If you’d like to find out your baby’s sex, the 20-week anatomy scan is usually your best bet.

When it comes to signs you may be having a girl, every culture and community has different ways of making predictions.

And the ones we’ve explored are but a drop in the ocean.

While there’s little scientific backing for most of them, they can be a lot of fun.

And hey, they’re usually right about half the time. 😉