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Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Sounds mad but it’s true, honest! If you have 3 kids…

429 replies

Nunaluna · 07/05/2025 20:00

Same dad, no miscarriages to ‘break the chain’, if the first 2 are opposite sex, the third will be whatever number 2 was - so BGG, or GBB. Not BGB, or GBG.

It sounds crazy but it’s something I noticed ages ago - every time somebody announces they’re having a third, and they have one of each, I know it will be the same as the second child.

Prove me wrong, Mumsnetters!

OP posts:
blubbyblub · 07/05/2025 21:15

Nunaluna · 07/05/2025 20:12

It’s just something I’ve noticed - every time somebody with a boy and a girl announces they’re expecting number 3 I think ‘oh yeah that’ll be a boy/girl’ depending on what number 2 was, and sure enough I always seem to be right!

But lots of people on here have disputed your theory. So it’s a bit of a failed theory

longtompot · 07/05/2025 21:16

GBG here

Viniagrette · 07/05/2025 21:16

How could this possibly work? What's the mechanism?

Do the sperm heading towards the unfertilised egg, somehow know, based on their sex chromosomes and the sex of previous/existing children, to quit?

Does the mother's body in some way reject the inappropriately sexed sperm, though morphologically I believe female and male sexed sperm are incredibly similar? How would it be possible to discriminate in this way against some sperm and not others?

Or is there some kind of effect causing die off of inappropriately sexed sperm in the father-to-be's balls? Are his balls able to tell the sex of existing children, and not only that, but remember the order in which they were born?

What would be the reproductive value in any of these proposed mechanisms? I'm curious as to what selection pressure could be at work that would overcome the disadvantage of inactivating 50% of potential sperm?

Are you perhaps suggesting that there is an increased propensity to early spontaneous abortion of inappropriately sexed embryos for some reason, relating to the birth order and sex of existing children?

If any of this were plausible, how could the same dad have anything to do with it? You're suggesting that the sperm and/or female environment possess some kind of knowledge of / are influenced by not only the sex and birth order of existing children but their parentage as well?

What are the confidence intervals of your prediction and are the number of families you are aware of with 3 children (your sample size) great enough to attribute the results of your observation to a genuine effect rather than chance? I rather doubt this.

For the record, I have BGB.

KhakiOrca · 07/05/2025 21:17

BGG here

WeHaveTheRabbit · 07/05/2025 21:19

It doesn't seem to be true in my family or circle of friends. I expect it's a case of confirmation bias, as PPs have said.

One thing I have definitely noticed, though: nearly all the babies born on "Call the Midwife" are girls. 😅

Dingalingalong · 07/05/2025 21:19

That's (scientifically and statistically) bullshit. Anecdotally, my cousin has BGB.

🙄

KeenDuck · 07/05/2025 21:20

GGB here

Feelingleftoutagain · 07/05/2025 21:20

My siblings are: GBG so nope it doesn't work

ForeverPombear · 07/05/2025 21:22

I'm one of 4 and it goes GBGB

My uncles got 3 and it goes BGB

An auntie has four and it's BGBB

ForeverPombear · 07/05/2025 21:23

Also my partner is one of five and it's BGBGB

samarrange · 07/05/2025 21:23

I think the OP has been watching too much... GBB news. 🤣

CalliopePlantain · 07/05/2025 21:25

True for me. Girl, Boy, Boy (then another girl)

arcticpandas · 07/05/2025 21:26

Nunaluna · 07/05/2025 20:11

This only works where the first 2 are opposite sex - then 3 is the same as number 2. If that makes sense!

Also know of familes only having boys/girls. But for my family it's true GBB. The neighbour's got GBBG so your theory holds up so far:). Would be interesting to have some statistics..

Treesarenotforeating · 07/05/2025 21:28

Nope
BGB

MrsPlantagenet · 07/05/2025 21:28

Nope.

MoominMai · 07/05/2025 21:28

True for me mom had BGG

MustBeCrazyMama · 07/05/2025 21:30

I've had BGBB so not true

Ruelzdontapplyhere · 07/05/2025 21:30

Gbbb for me
Gbg for my mum
Gbbgg my sister

Pressthespacebar · 07/05/2025 21:35

I've got 9, 2 dad's

Bbgbg

Gbbb

So true for one batch but not the other 😬

SkaneTos · 07/05/2025 21:35

My father and his siblings are BGB.

Good friends of mine are GBG.

The Swedish royal family has GBG (Victoria, Carl Philip, Madeleine).

napody · 07/05/2025 21:35

UtterlyOtterly · 07/05/2025 20:05

I know four families who have GGB.

Yup we are another one. I really don't think if you did actual stats on proper samples it would be a thing at all. What would the mechanism be?!

frugalkitty · 07/05/2025 21:37

Nope, BGB for me

ForeverPombear · 07/05/2025 21:37

SkaneTos · 07/05/2025 21:35

My father and his siblings are BGB.

Good friends of mine are GBG.

The Swedish royal family has GBG (Victoria, Carl Philip, Madeleine).

We can look at the British RF as well. William and Kate have 3 - BGB (George, Charlotte, Louis)

adviceneeded1990 · 07/05/2025 21:40

Friend has GBG
In-laws had GBG

ChuckGarabedian · 07/05/2025 21:41

Boy-girl-boy here, but my brothers have girl-boy-boy and boy-girl-girl, so perhaps there’s something in it.