Pregnancy is a wonderful, mystical experience. For some, though, it’s even more mystical than others: So many myths, old-wives tales and legends surround the way an expectant mom is carrying her pregnancy that it becomes difficult to extract the truth. Here are five myths about bumps- the way your baby sits in the womb, and what (if anything) it means.
• Big bump, big baby, small bump, small baby
• The boy-or-girl bump : Legend has it that if your baby is being carried low, you’re having a boy, and a high bump means that a girl is on the way
• Hold a pendulum over the bump, and the direction it swings predicts the gender (the pendulum may be made from a wedding ring and string).
• If the baby ‘tightens up’ in the bump, mom’s expecting a boy
• The bump is shaped like a watermelon if there’s a girl inside, if you’re carrying more weight out front, it’s a boy
The size of the bump is more likely to be related to the height and muscle tone of the mom- a tall, well-developed woman will most probably have a high, less noticeable bump. A shorter woman will probably have a more obvious pregnancy.
The gender of the baby is determined at conception, so diet during pregnancy or other adjustments will not make the sex of the baby change. Of course, there’s lots of fun in guessing, but you’d be brave to trust the swing of a pendulum as a guarantee of either a boy or a girl.
Many of the myths have been passed down through generations, but, with ultrasound and the specialists who are able to read them, the need for prediction and uncertainty is dwindling.
Have you ever made guesses about your baby based on your pregnancy bump? What happened?
• Big bump, big baby, small bump, small baby
• The boy-or-girl bump : Legend has it that if your baby is being carried low, you’re having a boy, and a high bump means that a girl is on the way
• Hold a pendulum over the bump, and the direction it swings predicts the gender (the pendulum may be made from a wedding ring and string).
• If the baby ‘tightens up’ in the bump, mom’s expecting a boy
• The bump is shaped like a watermelon if there’s a girl inside, if you’re carrying more weight out front, it’s a boy
The size of the bump is more likely to be related to the height and muscle tone of the mom- a tall, well-developed woman will most probably have a high, less noticeable bump. A shorter woman will probably have a more obvious pregnancy.
The gender of the baby is determined at conception, so diet during pregnancy or other adjustments will not make the sex of the baby change. Of course, there’s lots of fun in guessing, but you’d be brave to trust the swing of a pendulum as a guarantee of either a boy or a girl.
Many of the myths have been passed down through generations, but, with ultrasound and the specialists who are able to read them, the need for prediction and uncertainty is dwindling.
Have you ever made guesses about your baby based on your pregnancy bump? What happened?
