I thought it would be fun to test a handful of popular pregnancy myths and gender predictors—those old tales like “sweet cravings mean a girl” or “a heartbeat over 140 means a girl”—and see which ones matched my pregnancies. These are just my personal experiences, not medical conclusions, but I figured you might enjoy a comparison of what held true for me and what didn’t.
Rumor #1: If you crave sugary foods it’s a girl, and if you crave salty/savory foods, it’s a boy. FALSE FOR ME. My cravings were consistently for salty comfort foods both times—baked potatoes were a constant craving during Clara’s pregnancy and again with this little guy. So for my experience, sweets vs. savory didn’t predict the baby’s sex.
Rumor #2: If the heartbeat of the baby is over 140, it’s a girl. FALSE FOR ME. Both of my babies had high heart rates. In fact, the baby I’m carrying now had an early heart rate around 170, while Clara’s hovered closer to 160 at similar stages. Heart rate didn’t line up with gender in my case.
Rumor #3: You swell more when you’re pregnant with a girl. TRUE FOR ME. With Clara I experienced significant swelling—ankles and fingers were noticeably puffy, and I couldn’t even wear my wedding ring by 30 weeks. This pregnancy has been almost the opposite so far: I’m about four weeks from my due date and haven’t had that kind of swelling. That difference was striking.
Rumor #4: You have more morning sickness with a girl. FALSE FOR ME. I had morning sickness with Clara that lasted until around 18 weeks. This pregnancy has included morning sickness too, but it’s not limited to mornings—afternoon and evening nausea have been a factor as well. Symptoms varied, but they didn’t reliably predict sex in my experience.
Rumor #5: If you dream about having a girl or boy, your dream is right. MIXED FOR ME. For Clara, my dreams and a persistent inner sense that I was carrying a girl were accurate—I felt certain by about eight weeks. With this pregnancy I initially assumed I was carrying a girl because my early cravings and nausea felt similar to my first pregnancy, and yet I didn’t have those clear dreams until after we learned we were expecting a boy. So dreams lined up for one child but not the other.
Rumor #6: You carry higher and wider with a girl, and lower and more in front with a boy. HALF TRUE FOR ME. I definitely carried this baby more “out front” compared with Clara, who gave me a broader, wider-looking belly. That said, this little guy rode quite high for most of the pregnancy until he dropped more recently, so the “higher” part didn’t follow the usual pattern I’d heard about. In short, the carrying pattern was somewhat different between pregnancies, but not perfectly predictable by gender.
Rumor #7: Girls steal your beauty. TRUE FOR ME (in a lighthearted way). When I was pregnant with Clara I noticed more swelling, acne, and dull hair. This time around I’ve experienced much less swelling, clearer skin, and shinier hair—so I jokingly chalk it up to the “girl stole my glow” idea. Of course, pregnancy affects everyone differently, and I’m keeping the sense of humor about it (and the constant snack breaks don’t exactly make me feel like a bombshell).
At the end of the day, these old pregnancy legends are fun to compare but not reliable rules. For me, some matched one pregnancy but not the other. Some were completely off. What matters most is that the doctor says the baby is healthy and active, and we’re grateful for that. We’re excited to meet this little man in about four short weeks—he’s due in mid‑April—and I’m curious which of these rumors have matched your pregnancies. Which predictors were surprisingly accurate for you, and which were wildly wrong?