This pregnancy, I’ve dealt with a lot of advice… even more so than with my first child. And I’ve heard ALL of the old wives tales it seems!
- Don’t put your hands above your head
- Don’t climb a ladder
- Don’t eat hot food
- If you carry low, it’s a boy
- If you have a lot of movement, it’s a girl
I usually just nod my head and go ahead with whatever it was I was doing that prompted that comment – or at least wait until that person is gone and then dig into the hot salsa. But, there are a lot of old wives tales about pregnancy – and they’ve been around a long time. So, I thought I’d tackle some of the popular ones today and give us a bit of fun around here. 😀
Old Wives Tale #1: If you have a lot of heartburn, your baby will be born with a head full of hair.
My, oh my…is this false or what? I had VERY little heartburn with Annie and she was born with lots of hair. I was convinced I was going to have a bald-headed baby because I couldn’t conjure up any heartburn. This time around everything gives me heartburn, and I’ll likely have a baby whose head looks like Mr. Clean’s.
Myth #2: Don’t lift your hands above your head or the umbilical cord will get tangled around the baby’s neck and it will choke.
I can’t even make sense of this one in my head. Why does lifting my hands over my head make a cord wrap around something in my uterus? Anyone? Anyone? Didn’t think so – very untrue…no movement I do makes any difference to the umbilical cord. My goal is just to move as little as possible…when people are looking.
Old Wives Tale #3: If the heart rate is above 140, the baby is a girl. If it’s fewer than 140, the baby is a boy.
This is dumb. Boy is this dumb. Annie’s heart rate was always low – even the doctor was convinced she was a boy. When she popped out and was a girl, we were all astounded. Everything pointed to her being a boy. And yes, she’s still ornery to this day – takes after her arm-raising Mama. Y
Myth #4: When a pregnant woman sees something really ugly, it means she’ll have an ugly baby.
Quick! Someone get me some eye patches!
Myth #5: If you carry high, it’s a girl. If you carry low, it’s a boy.
I carried high with Annie…but she had a low heart rate. Oh dear. I’m carrying low with this one, but with a higher heart rate. I AM SO STINKIN’ CONFUSED! I choose to think I’m carrying low because when I’m ready to go into labor, this baby will just shoot out of me in like 5 minutes. Amen.
Old Wives Tale #6: Hang your wedding band on a string and then dangle it over the pregnant woman’s belly. If it swings in a circle, boy…if it swings back and forth, it’s a girl.
For Pete’s sake…if you want to know that bad, just go get an ultrasound already. Sheesh. And I’m pretty sure the way it swings has something to do with PERSON HOLDING THE STRING.
Old Wives Tale #7: If you dream you’re having a girl, it’s a boy. If you dream you’re having a boy, it’s a girl.
Last night I dreamed I was eating a Big Mac…does that mean I was really eating a Whopper? We women – we’re so fickle. We even dream in opposites. Men just don’t have a chance to get it right.
Myth #8: Don’t take a bath while pregnant.
Don’t wear deodorant either…or shave. Actually, the shaving part makes sense. I can’t bend over well enough to shave (34 weeks) because my belly feels like a solid rock. Let’s just go au natural. *Gag Attack*
It’s okay to take a bath while pregnant, just don’t get the water too hot – and avoid baths if your water breaks….do not however, avoid deodorant while in labor. Sweaty work, that labor.
Myth #9: Drink a ton of water so your amniotic fluid is clean and your baby doesn’t come out dirty.
We’re worried about our baby being dirty, but not our Mama. Yes, drink water…and you can give your baby a bath. I’m pretty sure all babies come out “dirty.”
Old Wives Tale #10: If the Daddy also gains weight with you, it’s a girl.
Why is a girl always at fault for a man’s weight gain? You most certainly did not shove that Whopper or Chunky Monkey ice cream down his throat. He ate it willingly…at 3am…in the parking lot of Kroger. Yes, I eat all day long – what’s it to ya? Who’s counting?
Did I share one of your favorite old wives tales? If you’ve heard another I didn’t mention, please share it below!
I had a little girl and her heart rate was high, I carried kinda low, I had the worst heartburn that she should have came out looking like Chewbacca but she did have a good bit, I always lifted my hands above my head and she was absolutely fine I’ve also heard if you crave sweets and what not your having a girl and when I was pregnant I only wanted pizza🤷🏼♀️🤷🏼♀️
My little one is two now and always does the downward dog pose (like she’s doing yoga) and all anyone wants to tell me is when she’s doing that she’s looking for or wanting a sibling and that pregnancy is near or already here😂🤦🏼♀️ I just laugh it off bc this mama isn’t ready for another one yet and unless my IUD fails there won’t be no babies for a little bit
Laughter is the best choice! Ha ha! 🙂
Before I got pregnant I was 23 years old when I dreamed that I was pregnant with a little boy that was back in 2003, I remember because I wrote it down in my journal the time and date this happened, 5 years later in 2008 I came out pregnant .. I had a healthy baby boy. In 2014 I had another dream that I came out pregnant and I was having a little boy, 4 years later in 2018 I had another healthy baby boy
I remember last year when I had my little one I had a dream that I became pregnant with a little girl I was in shocked because I’m 39 years old and I felt old to have babies at that age now imagine what I am having.
I don’t believe in the husband gaining weight during my pregnancy indicates that is gonna be a girl. When I was pregnant with both my boys my husband gained a lot of weight with me he went from a size 32 to a size 40 and I had two healthy boys and both boys move like crazy in my belly. Now I’m pregnant with my third child in my second trimester this baby moves real slow and I have a round belly.
I wanted to know if it really does work cause I tried the ring thing it says yes I’m pregnant but wen I take a pregnancy text. It comes back negative can anyone help me out
I would make an appointment with a doctor – that’s the only way to know for sure!
Julie, Humorous Homemaking Team
I freaking love this article
Thanks Tasha!
— Julie, HH Team
I’m calling false on the ring trick. Please actually try it. It’s seriously freaking me out. I used a ring my mom gave me not a wedding ring then my hair I looped I piece of my hair through it, Then i held the ring with the hair over my fingers and went over them twice, then held the ring over my hand and it worked. After the 4 try it stopped. and it said one boy and three girls and stopped. I currently have a son, no girls yet. But when I tried it on my mother, it worked, she has 3 boys 1 girl then it stopped.
Also I don’t know my baby’s gender yet. And every time my mother in law talks about the baby she will say it IS a boy. And I said well actually I don’t know yet. And she is going to be mad if it’s not a boy plus she wants it to be born on the day her husband died. She was mad when my last one wasn’t born on the day he died…I’m due before then tho..and I don’t think it should matter. She is being weird. Her husband will be gone two years In february
I was told that if i jump, or run, or dance while pregnant that it will wrap the cord around the babys neck..i dont do these things but i really dont know how true it is…?
It’s not true. 🙂 No worries.
Lol. I was told because my husband ‘s family had a lot of breech babies mine was going to be born breech. Geez, thanks for the encouragement. I was told I’m not supposed to bend over either because if I do I’ll break the baby’s neck. I’m only allowed to squat. Of course I do what I think is best. It all sounds bizarre.
Well, the neck thing is one I haven’t heard. lol
I did the wedding ring thing with all my kids and it worked!
My last baby I had this past July 2015 I tried the baking soda/pee test and sure enough it was right! Crazy I do believe in some of these!
Also the heart rate one was right on for me too!!
The stupid umbilical cord around the neck I hated when people said that! We moved into our new house my husband built us and I was 5,6,7,8,9 months preggers with our 5th. I got hell for hanging curtains I got hell for just about everything!! I almost was convinced that the umbilical cord around the neck when you hang curtains was true!! GEEZ love how people not pregnant freak pregnant woman out!! Lol
PS- I have 5 children and all of the ones I just wrote worked for all 5!!!
Ha ha! That’s funny – science says it’s not reliable, but it’s super awesome that it worked for you. 🙂
There’s a lot of science to dock a lot of these wives tales maybe you should look further into it
Alot of these “wives Tales” came before modern technology. both my girls, high heart rate, carried high. no heartburn, oldest alot of hair, 2nd, none. i also think some of these come from ‘majority’ or average statisics. idk
Never can tell what it’s going to be until they arrive!
That is because there is a lot of Statistics that show that the wives tales are correct. Another words, scientific evidence that they are correct and I’m sorry she’s making it sound like there is no proof at all that these wives tales could be somewhat true/accruate. It does not say anywhere that a wives tale is 100% accurate. A wives tale is just something (with these, pregnant women) to believe in and also to have fun with. But yes there is a lot of statistics to back up some of these wives tales.
This post is AWESOME. I love your humor (and sarcasm!). I am currently @ 16 weeks with my first baby and I have already heard a few old wives’ tales from folks. My husband especially believes we’re having a girl because baby’s heartbeat at the last appointment was 160 bpm (apparently anything over 140 bpm is supposed to mean a girl). We’ll find out in less than a month!
🙂 You’ll find out soon!!
My sweet husband, toward the end of each of our four pregnancies, would start feeling sorry for me. He’d come home and tell me the latest old wives tale he’d heard about how to hurry the process along a little. He’d pack his exhausted, uncomfortable, bathroom loving, round little mom- to – be -again wife off to find the bumpiest road ever, or have me ride around our bumpy property on our old riding mower…but wouldn’t let me MOW while I was doing it (I was pregnant, after all, and shouldn’t be doing something that strenuous) and once he even tried talking me into standing ON MY HEAD. True story.
For the most part, I went along and humored him. It gave me something to do to pass the time until nature jumped in and gave me the go ahead. LOL
I can’t even stand on my head when I’m not pregnant. LOL
I looked on the foolproof Chinese calendar for girl/ boy, and was told I was having a girl…I had twin boys.
LOL 🙂
we did try the wedding band Idea for my cousin and she did have a girl. It did swing that way
Fun! 🙂
When my husbands grandmother was still alive, she did the wedding band trick on all the pregnant ladies of the family and was correct most of the time. I’m told it has to do with the electricity or “energy” every body gives off. Truely just science.
Also, in all of my pregnancy dreams, I never got the chance to find out the sex of my baby, because in all of my dreams, the baby was kidnapped. For the record, she wasn’t. And she’s a she.
I hate those scary pregnancy dreams. They’re the pits.
I tend to think that all pregnancy advice is old wives’ tales. Actually, not true, but your body has a way of letting you know that you shouldn’t do something when you’re pregnant.
For example, and I guess this makes me a bad mom or something, but I ate SO MUCH DELI MEAT when I was pregnant. I’m sorry, but during my second trimester, if I went a day without a Subway club sandwich with extra turkey, someone was likely to get killed without notice.
On the other hand, I was told popcorn was fine, but every time I ate it, the grand little fetus inside of me kept me up at night, barfing into my own hands because I couldn’t get to the toilet in time. Let me be pregnant how I want to be pregnant. We’re all just going for comfort, so bug off!
LOL That totally made me laugh out loud!
I love old wives tales. I actually had a dream I was having a girl, and we are. But she did have a high heart rate! I love the OWT about the hands above your head, LOL! So silly.
My favorite one is about seeing something ugly. LOL
Here is one for you: if you put a knife under the bed, it cuts the pain in two.
And I can get you a good deal on the Brooklyn Bridge!
No bridges for me…I don’t like water much. 🙂
hmmm I read the post about pregnancy in the 50’s and that is not true at all. More like the 1900’s. I was born in the 50’s and have all of my moms old Parents magazines – her baby pregnancy book and no where does it say those things.
As for smoking and drinking, my moms baby book said it was not advisable but back then, people did what they wanted. I’ve never heard of a doctor lighting up with his pregnant patient.
Well you’ve just given me some material to blog about – I used to think the same things when I was a young mom in the late 70’s and 80’s but after my mom passed and I got all her stuff, I did some reading. I was shocked. Many of the recommendations were the same as now.
I’m glad I found this. I love the 50’s and 60’s and am proud to be a part of that generation. Looks like I have to right some wrongs in the blog world about pregnancy and childbirth.
You go girl!
In my husband’s family, the last 3 generations all had 2 boys. So when we got married, I was patted on the back and told we were destined to have…2 boys. We even had both boy names picked out during my first pregnancy. But guess what? I must be some kinda rebel cause we had…2 girls! One at a time. 😉
🙂 We all need a little shake up in our lives.
A friend of mine had a theory on the heartburn bit: His wife’s family are all second or third generation Italians who, naturally, eat a hefty amount of acidic tomato products. They are also blessed with some genes causing gorgeous thick hair. See the connection? Now, I’m full-blood German and could get volcanic heartburn from drinking milk during my pregnancy. I also had a boy with a full head of hair like I did as a newborn. Figure that one out. I’m thinking old wive’s tales are a sorry explanation of God’s amazing design.
God’s design is awesome, huh?
I misread your title as 10 Old Wives TELL about pregnancy!
I almost choked!
Lol
BHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If you need to talk to someone about a future post with that title, I may *ahem* know someone…
i heard that if you have a lot of acne, skin spots, oiliness, etc. then you are having a girl because she is “stealing” your prettiness from you.
I had never heard that before I wrote this post! Ha!!!!
This could be true… I had great skin, then I got pregnant. And got serious rosacea. And now it won’t go away. And my baby (girl) is 14 months.
Yikes!
Thought you’d enjoy this! Trivia about being pregnant in the 1950s!
http://babyandbump.momtastic.com/pregnancy-second-trimester/594473-being-pregnant-1950s.html
So funny! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Hilarious! I’ve been hearing these as well. 😉 But I actually did read somewhere (a few years back) that the heartburn thing may be true? Who knows. And I sure hope you’re not birthing a Big Mac b/c my goodness that wouldn’t be healthy at all!! 😉
No, I was just eating it. My, it was tasty.
My great-grandparents thought that hanging a hat on one end of the bed or the other could decide whether or not you would have a boy or girl. Also, shoes under the bed pointing north or south could decide whether you would have a boy or girl. Of course, all this had to be done prior to conception. They had 10 children – 5 boys and 5 girls – must have been a lot of shoe shuffling and hat changing in that home.
LOL That made me laugh!!! Thanks for sharing!
I must have really had them stumped. My dear daughter was transverse until about 3 weeks before I was due. She still lies crosswise in bed.
🙂 Isn’t that so interesting? I find it fascinating!
I had SO. Much. Heartburn with all 3 of my pregnancies, and they were all bald. My second baby didn’t get any hair until she was almost 3.! 🙂
Also, I had 2 of my girls in August. Some old lady told me not to go swimming because it would make the baby cold…guess she doesn’t know humans are warm-blooded. Lol!
That’s funny considering they tell women how good it is to swim during pregnancy to relieve back pain. 🙂
These are hilarious! Especially since I haven’t hear half of them. And no, that heartburn one – definitely not true!!!
I do keep wondering about carrying the girls high and boys low. But when consulting other moms, most of us had girls first anyway – I think it is really just a slackening of the skin and muscles . . .
That would make sense…
Too funny! But haven’t we all been “advised” by some well-meaning person? 🙂
Honey, I get “advised” every day. LOL
These were so funny…. my maid of honor and I were reading these together. I get married in a month and everyone expects me to be pregnant within the next month 🙂
Go for it! 🙂
Okay but you forgot the one that says that if you fill up your toilet bowl with Draino and then pee in it you can tell the sex of the baby by the color the draino turns. Can’t remember what color it is but its either blue or green, one is for a boy the other for a girl. It was a popular one when I was pregnant, but I never felt the need to go out and buy draino to see if it worked or not.
I saw that one in a magazine or something…but I didn’t put it on here because I thought it was a joke. LOL
Fun! I have 2 precious girls, and we didn’t know what we were having either time! One born with blondish/red hair, and my 3 week old has a ton of dark hair. I carried one all around and high the other I carried out front and low (everyone swore she was a boy). What do you think about influencing gender (pre-conception) by eating different foods, timing intercourse, etc. ?
I don’t really worry about that kind of stuff – I just sorta leave it up to God. But hey, if someone wants to try it I would read the post. LOL
Haha! I love this! You are a hoot. I did have a lot of the normal things with Emma (high heart rate, carried high,she’s moved a lot) but a lot of other things not such much (no heartburn, dreamt of having a girl ALL THE TIME, etc). At the end of the day, these things don’t even matter. I had a girl with a head full of hair so there you have it. 🙂
Don’t matter a whit….God knows what he’s doing. 🙂
Stacy,
I really, really enjoyed this 🙂 Thank you so much for sharing!
I’m expecting #3 and each of my pregnancies have been very different… with my 2nd I was convinced I must be having a girl because everything was so different than the first time–but I ended up having another sweet boy 🙂 So I’m not really guessing this time!!
Can’t wait to hear about the arrival of your new little one!
I always guess wrong, so I figure what’s the use? Ha!
When I got pregnant I worked in a tire/oil change center. My doctor had some VERY specific advice about what I could and could NOT do at work. Climbing anything over 2ft was one of the restrictions. Apparently, being pregnant can make your balance off and the risk of falling is higher. After I got in my 3rd trimester she added anything that would cause my head to go lower than my pelvis. (as if I could bend over that far!) She said that with the blood rushing to my head could cause falling over as well. *L* Regardless the last 2 months I was on “rest” because of early labor. Oh and I had wicked heartburn. My son had NO hair on top of his head but he had balding man’s hairdo. You know, where they have hair around their ears and the back of their head…yeah. It’s still kind of sparse up there and he’s three!
I think if we could all bend over that far, none of us would have issues shaving our legs during the last two months. LOL
LOL, too funny, I had never heard of some of these! #1 and #5 were actually true for me, though. I had much worse heartburn with the second and he had a LOT more hair than the first (he also had a much bigger head.). And I carried both of them very low, and they were both boys. But… if I ever have a girl, I guess I’ll find out if it had anything to do with the gender or just me. I’m guessing it’s just me!
I carried low with Annie and she came out female…but I’m carrying low again, so we’ll see. 🙂
I got stuck in the tub at the end of my first pregnancy. Bad idea. Thought I was going to have to call the fire department. The second time, I sat in it during labor and had no problem getting out. You never can tell.
Would that not be horrifying?? I can imagine all these men showing up to help naked Stacy out of the tub. *Shiver*
I’ve only heard a third of these, but the biggest misconception is not to take a bath after your water breaks. my water broke before I hopped into the tub to have my water birth. The worry resides with running tap water going up the birth canal, cervix, and then hit the baby. This hasn’t been proven either way, but it was a worry for pregnant women as a whole, before female anatomy was really understood. But after your water breaks is probably the best time to hop in the tub, it’s relaxing! Also, the ugly thing, I heard as if you make fun of an ugly person, or a specific detail your child will have that. My mom swore this happened with me because I have a stuck up pig nose and am the only one in the family, and of course distinctly remembers making a comment about another woman’s nose similar to mine when pregnant with me. I’d be inclined to believe her based on karma and all, except my mom says she was friends with the woman and I know my mom isn’t one to just simply talk trash about anyone, but especially her friends.
Yeah, the whole tub thing is just confusing to me…but you gave a good explanation. 🙂 Sorry about your nose. I guess my mom made fun of someone with funny looking toes.
When I was pregnant with our 1st child, my mom yelled at me so many times when I would stretch or I would pull my hair up higher on my head (in fairness though my little brother was born with the cord wrapped around his neck and body, so she is terrified of that happening. I had killer heartburn with both of my boys and both were born with thick hair, so fair with this baby I haven’t had any but man my husband has haha. My dreams have always been correct, they are always 1 week before the anatomy ultrasound and they are always 100% correct, the dream Sunday night showed me a baby girl and we go this coming Monday for the ultrasound 🙂
I love when people tell me these things because honestly I do laugh at them most of the time. Remember don’t cross your knees, you will have a harder labor. Oh and if when you stand up and put your ankles together if your legs tip then you will have a hard labor (Been told these forever, even when I was a teen and no reason to even care about this stuff hahaha)
HA! Those are two I had not heard before. 🙂
Thanks for the fun post! Everyone had me convinced my first was a girl. I’m just glad I was unmedicated & awake when HE was born. Otherwise I would have sworn they gave me the wrong baby!!
I still remember the utter shock when Annie came out female. I was not prepared for that. LOL
3 kids later and the goofiest one was “whoever you are mad at, that is who your baby will look like” they all look just
Iike DH (strong genes) but my middle babe resembles myself- does that mean I was self loathing? Lol
HAHAHAHAHA!!!!
Number 1 is possibly true.
http://voices.yahoo.com/pregnant-mothers-heartburn-expect-babies-451594.html?cat=25
🙂 This made me giggle.
Oh MY! LOL. I almost spat the coffee across the screen. ( NOTE: remember NOT to take a gulp then read your email.) Now I must go and thank all those nurses in the family because I missed out on all this, uh, advice – yeah, advice.
Dee
Well, don’t look at the ugly nurses….because you know what’ll happen then!
I don’t believe in any of this stuff. I’ve had 2 pregnancies….I carried both high, never had heartburn but maybe once each & both of them had heart rates in the 150-155 range most of the time. The first one even spent two years praying for a baby sister, so I must have 2 girls that were bald right? I have 2 boys with heads full of hair (one brown, one blonde). I know what you’re having…it’s a baby! =)
You’re right! It IS a baby! 🙂
Also, number 7 was true for me, at least. I always dreamed the opposite of the gender I turned out to have!
Maybe that’s true for me too then…because I knew Annie was a boy. And I always guess wrong for others too.
On myth #2, I think it’s because some goober got the idea that the baby mimics your movements while it’s in the womb, and it’ll get all tangled up in the cord. That’s all I can figure. My grandma told me that one while I was putting up blinds.
Did you still put up the blinds? 😉
Love it! You are such a good sport… cannot imagine the bad advice and “tales” that have been dished out over the years! Given the advice I got during my pregnancies and multiply that by the number of children… that’s a LOT of misinformation!
By the way, I think “it’s a BOY!” Just my opinion, nothing to back it up!
HUGS!
Everyone says it’s a boy! 🙂
Wow, I’ve had three babies, all girls, and I haven’t heard some of these. People are so CRAZY! As for the carrying low means a boy; so WRONG! Every time I’m pregnant, sooo many people tell me it’s a boy, and every time I just smile, because I carry VERY low, and as I said… three girls. I think it has more to do with how each woman carries.
I carry low too – it totally has to deal with each woman’s stature. 🙂
My favorite is the old wives tale that if you look horrible during your pregnancy, you’re having a girl because that lil stink is sucking the purdy right outta mama for herself. If you’re “glowing” during pregnancy and look wonderful, it’s a boy. LOL
Oh my gosh!!! Never heard this one! I’m not sure what I’d say if someone said that to me. LOL
I had a few chuckles with this information… Really though some people get into this stuff ‘strongly’ Thanks for sharing!
VERY strongly…even the woman checking you out at Kroger.
ROFL…. gotta love it. Heartburn was never an indicator for me either, I’ve had 5 babies and they all had some hair and not all of the gave me heartburn.
I carry high in the beginning, and then low at the end… hmmm… maybe because baby is descending and getting ready to fly out of me? (mine actually DO fly out… one doctor quipped “Oh my goodness you almost shot her into the wall and I almost dropped her!” ROFL… look out, torpedo babies are born here.
I lift my hands over my head all the time, praising God or getting food from the shelf! LOL… I’ve never had an ugly baby… though my last one came pretty close… I at least thought he was ugly for a couple days! LOL… I see ugly things all the time though.
I’m pregnant with number 6, and this time, we aren’t finding out. I love your shirt and think I need a copy! Im so excited about the surprise! This will be our first time with a surprise. I’m only a little over half way though… so I have a long time left to wonder.
As for heartrates, mine are ALWAYS 140 and over, and I have two boys and three girls. As for activity, mine are always highly active unless the placenta is on the front of the uterus, and then, they’re probably still active, but I can’t feel so much through that thick cushion! lol.
Cant wait to hear what your baby turns out to be!
And you better tell me what yours is too! 🙂
My brother in law gained almost as much as my sister did when she was pregnant with their SON! These are funny. I can’t wait to get pregnant and see what crazy advice people give me.
It’s purely out of sympathy. 😉
This is so funny!
I’ve only had one child, a girl, carried high with a super high heartbeat.
My grandfather gained as much weight as my grandmother did while she was carrying my mother. He also craved grapefruits, which is so adorable. My grandfather is the most special man alive, at 81!
I just wanted to share a story and thank you for bringing those stories back to life for me.
Blessings
🙂 That’s super sweet.
That was funny, very nice.
🙂 Thanks!
LOVE THIS!!!! After 5 babies in 6 years I have heard it all. However, as far as taking baths, I think that it is sound advice NOT to get into the tub after about 35 weeks. Or at least make sure your husband is home to wedge you out when you get stuck *throat clear* I am still praying for a GREAT sleeper for you!!!!!
Or, so you hear from OTHER PEOPLE right? 😉