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Old Wives Tales

Many myths and Old Wives Tales about pregnancy have persisted through the ages. Here are a dozen Old Wives Tales we’ve heard. Please note, there’s likely not a grain of truth to any of them! (Then again, you be the judge!)

  • To predict the sex of a baby, suspend a wedding band by a piece of thread over the palm of the pregnant woman. If the ring swings in an oval or circular motion the baby will be a girl. If the ring swings in a straight line the baby will be a boy.
  • If a woman experiences heartburn during pregnancy, her baby will be born with lots of hair.
  • If a toddler boy shows interest in a pregnant woman, she is having a girl. If he ignores the pregnant woman, she is having a boy.
  • Ask the pregnant woman to pick up a key. If she picks it up by the round part, the baby is a boy. If she picks it up by the long narrow part, the baby is a girl.
  • If the mother’s age at conception and the year of conception are both odd or both even, the baby is a girl. If one is even and one is odd, the baby is a boy.
  • If a pregnant woman’s hands start to get dry and chapped, the baby is a boy. If her hands stay soft, she is having a girl.
  • If a pregnant woman is denied a craving, the first place she touches with her dominant hand will become a birthmark on the baby.
  • Ask a pregnant woman to show you her hands. If she shows them palms up, her baby is a girl. Palms down, it’s a boy.
  • A woman who gets acne during pregnancy is having a girl.
  • If a pregnant woman dreams of girls, she is having a boy. If she dreams of boys, she’s having a girl.
  • If a pregnant woman’s husband puts on weight during the pregnancy, the baby is a girl.
  • Anyone who denies a pregnant woman the food she craves will get a sty in his eye.
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©2005, MedCost, LLC. Reviewed for medical accuracy by the MedCost Medical Director. No information on the SmartStarts Web site is intended as a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult your health care provider with any questions or concerns you may have.
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