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Get updates on how your baby develops, your body changes, and what you can expect during each week of your pregnancy by signing up to the Mumsnet Pregnancy Newsletters.

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Get updates on how your baby develops, your body changes, and what you can expect during each week of your pregnancy by signing up to the Mumsnet Pregnancy Newsletters.

Pregnancy

Old wives tale? Your toddler already knows you are pregnant and even the sex of the baby!

27 replies

clickingtock · 02/10/2012 12:27

Just intrigued me as I keep asking my toddler if he's having a brother or a sister (now 28wks but haven't had sex confirmed) and DS has until recently said a sister (but now saying brother )... My friend recently went for a scan and the sonographer asked her if she'd told her two boys (one 3yo) and she said yes, that the 3yo had been v interested in her tummy/boobs before she'd even given them the news and says he is having a sister now they've discussed. Sonographer said this is common and that toddlers (up to 5yo) are usually able to tell you if you are having a boy or a girl!

Would love your anecdotes on this!

OP posts:

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EdMcDunnough · 02/10/2012 12:29

No. Mine thought I was having a girl. In act EVERYONE I've spoken to has said, it's definitely a girl this time.

Bollocks. Literally

noblegiraffe · 02/10/2012 12:32

No, mine told some people it was a little brother and some it was a little sister. He's not very clear on gender at the best of times!

clickingtock · 02/10/2012 12:43

I think the sonographer was pulling my friend's leg!

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BionicEmu · 02/10/2012 13:55

My 2 year old doesn't seem to realise I'm pregnant, he just sees my bump as a very convenient step for climbing on me.

Well, that's not strictly true - we've tried explaining to him but now he just thinks that everyone has a baby in their tummy, including him and DH

charlienash25 · 02/10/2012 14:25

My partners sister has 2 DC (DS who is 10 & DD who is 5) Her DS knew all the way through her pregnancy she was expecting a girl and as they never found out they had to wait til she gave birth but he was correct.

Both her children confirmed to me I was having a girl (without even thinking about it) before I found out what I was having (have had extra scans and theres definately no dangly bits :D)

Could of course be coincidental....

NAR4 · 02/10/2012 14:28

My 18 month old referred to the 'babies' in mummies tummy, so much that my husband and I were convinced I was having twins. Had my 20 week scan and there is definately only one in there.

hellymelly · 02/10/2012 14:28

My dd ( at 18 months but very early talker) said "you have a baby in your tummy Mama, its a little girl". I'd only just found out myself I was pregnant and was waiting to tell her. She was right on the gender too btw.

sweetkitty · 02/10/2012 14:33

For DD3, DD1 who was 4 at the time today me I was having a girl baby called Rosie.

With DS everyone thought girl but the strange thing was when I was about 6 weeks pregnant DD1 who was 5 told me I hadn't another baby in my tummy, I said no DD1 it's just cake, no Mummy it's a baby, was I showing that early? When we officially told them she said "See Mummy I told you it was a baby and you didn't believe me!"

Mrskbpw · 02/10/2012 14:36

My son was convinced he was getting a brother all the way through my pregnancy and he was right.

I'm not sure how much of it is just saying anything at the time though. When the baby was about five days old, he peered into his Moses basket and said: "Is this the brother?". When I said it was, he said: "So when is the sister coming?"

Mind you, we're now ttc number three, so perhaps the sister will be coming soon?!

SecretCervix · 02/10/2012 14:40

My little girl is only a little toddler (15 months) and she keeps coming up to me when im lying on the sofa (which I do a lot of at the moment through tiredness) and she puts her head on my tummy. I did actually say to DP the other day I swear she knows! He said she couldn't possibly as she is so little, she isn't a cuddly baby really unless she really upset or something, so it is a little out of character for her!

NAR4 · 02/10/2012 14:46

My 18 month old is sure I have a baby girl in my tummy. Time will tell. Hopefully I will be able to find out at my 32 week scan.

clickingtock · 02/10/2012 14:49

I think they do know; or at least perhaps the more sensitive ones are clued into their mummies and what's going on. My DS seems to enjoy talking about it and has made the link between real live babies and pregnancy. I wonder about the gender thing tho - possible coincidental but loving all your anecdotes.

Mrskbpw - good luck with the TTC; I'll eat my boots if you get a girl!

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chipmonkey · 02/10/2012 14:50

I was eight weeks pregnant with ds2, hadn't told ds1 who was only around 20 months. Reading "Miffy" to ds1 we got to the point where Mrs Bunny says "If we could have a baby now, how lovely that would be" when ds1 turned around and patted my tummy. We actually hadn't said anything to him about the new baby as we thought he wouldn't understand and we had not discussed babies coming from tummies.

When we were ttc dd, I was changing ds4's nappy one day when he just suddenly said "The princess". Two weeks later I got a BFP and dd was born far too early 6 months later. She died unexpectedly when she was 7 weeks old but I always felt that ds4 knew her before she was born and still knows her now.

clickingtock · 02/10/2012 14:57

Sad but amazing story chipmonkey - sorry for your loss of DD but special to think that your other DC are close to her in their way.

OP posts:

madnortherner · 02/10/2012 14:59

We have a very small age gap between our two DSs and at the 20 week scan, DS1 would've been about 8 months old and when I asked the sonographer if she could see the gender of DC2, DS1 said a sound which began with a /b/ and ended like /oy/.

DH and I laughed and said, "Did DS1 just say boy? ". When the sonographer asked if we wanted to know the gender, we decided to find out and she confirmed that it was indeed another little boy in there.

Bramshott · 02/10/2012 15:20

Sorry for your loss chipmonkey.

My DD1 (who was then 4) said "my baby sister, who's in your tummy" at around the time I was thinking I should really buy a pregnancy test. DD2 is now 5 . . .

AnotherCerealNameChanger · 02/10/2012 15:23

I found out I was pg yesterday and my pretty much non verbal toddler has changed completely the last few weeks - we were tearing our hair out trying to figure out why but I'm pretty sure she knows that mummy has a passenger. After being weaned for months she has taken to pointed at my boobs and saying 'mine', she keeps bringing my her baby doll and putting it on my tummy too, horrendous separation anxiety as well.

My 10yo DNephew has yet to be wrong about the gender of a baby.

PurplePidjin · 02/10/2012 15:26

Small Nephew has informed SIL that his new cousin would be a boy.

Boy baby confirmed at 20 week scan (and again at 21 weeks cos they couldn't see everything) The first sonographer said the same, that young children often just know.

DN was 4 1/2 at the time. He lives a couple of hours away and we see them once a month or so. He's my partner's sister's child, so no blood connection.

He's also convinced the baby is called Dicky i have 8 weeks to convince him otherwise...

Treats · 02/10/2012 15:29

My DD patted my tummy and said "Mummy's got a big tummy because she's got a baby in there" when I was only about 5 weeks and we hadn't said anything to her at all about me being pregnant.

She hasn't said anything about the gender but keeps insisting that the baby will be called "John" so maybe that's a clue!

backwardpossom · 02/10/2012 15:38

3 yr old DS wants "a boy sister". Yes... ok.

StaceymReadyForNumber3 · 02/10/2012 15:46

Dd was 15 mo when I fell pg with ds, she pointed at my tummy numerous times between 4-6 weeks saying 'baby' so I thought I should test! She never guessed the sex though.

With dc3 she had a dream the night after I had taken a test and got +ve, that I had a baby. Again no sex was mentioned.

I think she knew both times.

For dc3 dd thinks its a girl, ds thinks it a boy. I think that's more about what they 'want' than think though.

GreatExpectations2012 · 02/10/2012 16:56

My DS insisted he was getting a sister and describing all the things they would do together. I spent months telling him it might be a boy or a girl. He was right though. Weirdly, he didn't mention all the bickering they would do now that they are respective 9 and 6...

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tara0202 · 02/10/2012 16:58

My toddler (2) had no idea I was pregnant. When she knew, though, she immediately said it was a boy - which it was. She also wanted to call him either Palm Tree or Toucan though

Unlurked · 02/10/2012 16:59

I hope to god this isn't true because my 2yo told me recently that i have a "FANTASTIC baby in your tummy mummy".

I nearly choked on my large glass of wine

ShipsCat · 02/10/2012 17:05

As soon as we told my DTSs, then 3.3, that there was a baby in mummy's tummy, they told everyone they were going to have a baby sister. They were so convinced, even when we told them that it could be a sister or a brother, that we found out the sex at the scan, so we could prepare them if it was a boy. They were right

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