One question that people often wonder about during the entire term of pregnancy is whether the infant will be a boy or a girl. It seems that everyone wants to know the baby gender. This may be to help them determine what gifts to buy, or it may simply be natural curiosity.
There are a couple of medical tests that can be performed that will tell whether the child will be a boy or a girl. However, these tests are invasive and create a certain amount of risk for both mother and fetus. For this reason, these tests will not be ordered or performed for the sole purpose of determining gender.
One routine test that is performed at least twice during each pregnancy is the ultrasound. This gives doctors a view of the fetus without being invasive. It is used to estimate the gestational age and to monitor the baby’s development. The fetus is normally developed enough by the time the second one is performed to allow for an educated guess at the sex. However, one should not rely on this completely because there have been many cases where the guess was incorrect.
One can also find a number of non-medical methods of determining the sex. Many people choose to follow a Chinese gender chart that was reportedly found buried in a 700+ year old tomb near the city of Beijing. This chart supposedly is accurate in at least 90% of cases when properly applied.
In order to use this chart, the mother must calculate her age according to the Chinese calendar and the Chinese Lunar Month in which conception took place. These two figures give a coordinate that can be traced on the chart and the gender is displayed.
Some use the baby’s heart rate as a gauge to determine the sex of the fetus. Many believe that girls have a faster heartbeat than boys. They say that a heart rate over 140 indicates a girl while less than 140 indicates a boy. This theory has been tested, however, and no actual correlation between heart rate and baby sex.
Another test that has been used through the years is to take a needle or a wedding ring and tie it to a string. This is held over the pregnant woman’s stomach or wrist and allowed to hang loose. If it begins to move in a wide circular pattern, the baby is supposed to be a girl. If it swings back and forth like a pendulum, the baby is believed to be a boy.
Another test that has been seen for decades is the Drano test. It is important to note that this test is not recommended because it produces deadly fumes and could cause severe burns if it touches the skin. However, many believe that mixing two tablespoons of Drano with two or three ounces of the first urine of the morning. If the mixture turns brownish within 10 seconds the baby gender is male. If no significant color change is noted, the child will be a girl. This test has been determined too hazardous to use and its accuracy is seriously in doubt due to the subjective judgment regarding color.