Pregnancy mythbusting: from ‘eating for two’ to pineapple bringing on labour | Dubai Birth Photographer
/How many of these have you tried? Common be honest with me! Click the photo below for the full article.
"Eat red meat or salty food if you want a boy; eat sweets if you want a girl
The idea that there are boy foods (strong, meaty) and girl foods (light, sugary) is basically sexist, but food may influence the sex of the baby. In 2008, scientists found women who had a high-calorie diet prior to conception were slightly more likely to give birth to a boy. Not that wolfing down the calories is recommended (see above).
You can tell the sex of the baby from the shape of the bump ...
The only thing the bump might tell you, bearing in mind that women love to be stared at and commented on, is if it’s a woman’s first pregnancy – in subsequent pregnancies, stomach muscles may be weaker and the baby may be carried lower. The shape of the bump is determined by the size and position of the baby and the body type and muscle tone of the woman.
… and from what you are eating
Again, women are supposed to crave sweet things if they are expecting a girl, and savoury things if it’s a boy. There’s no evidence for this, but how much you eat may be a predictor. Boys tend to be around 100g heavier than girls at birth. In one study of 304 women, those who went on to have male babies had about a 10% higher energy intake during the pregnancy."