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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

Midwife gender prediction upon hearing heartbeat?

36 replies

PipIsOutNow · 14/08/2012 15:18

Just been for my 16 week appointment and my very lovely and very experienced midwife said (after hearing the heartbeat) 'oooooh I think that's a little girl'. I said how can u tell and she said that boys and girls heartbeats sound very different.

Anyone any experience with this? Was your midwife right or wrong? Doesn't matter to me either way I'm just really interested by it!!!

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krisskross · 14/08/2012 15:25

yes i have. midwife correctly guessed from DS heartbeat that it was a boy, she just said it matter of factly. she also said they sound different- boys like a galloping horse girls like washing machines apparently. when i said it at work lots of people had heard similar.

hope all goes well!

OneOfMyTurnsComingOn · 14/08/2012 15:27

That's funny. My new MW did this last wednesday. Said it sounds like a boy. Seen loads of MWs and never had it said before.

Don't think anyone attempted a guess on my 2 DDs either.

NickNacks · 14/08/2012 15:29

My midwife (experienced one of 25yrs) made a prediction at 40weeks that I was having a girl.

She was wrong though!

skinnychai · 14/08/2012 15:38

My midwife also thought I was having a girl based on heart beat. She was also wrong!

Jods1 · 14/08/2012 15:50

I have heard that girls heartbeats tend to be at the lower end of the normal scale.. my cousins convinced i'm having a girl as the heart rate hasn't been above 140-145 bpm.. just over 2 weeks to go, so we'll see!

5madthings · 14/08/2012 15:51

i have heard this as well, something to do with a girls hearbeat being faster than a boys one?

my midwife said girl with no 5 and she was right, but i guess they have a 50/50 chance!

MrsPaynie · 14/08/2012 15:55

My midwife suggested that I was having a boy by the heartbeat, I thought the same too going by my previous pregnancies (1 boy 1 girl) was wrong though as the scan clearly showed a girl

Babieseverywhere · 14/08/2012 16:16

Whilst I was in labour with DC4 the midwife predicted a girl based on the heatbeat...30 hours later she arrived :)

Littlecherublegs · 14/08/2012 16:56

I have seen 3 different midwifes and each one has referred to baby as a 'she' upon hearing the heartbeat - apparently based on the fact that the avergae beats per minute was around 150 which is quite fast.
Boys are said to have slower heart rates (less than 150 bpm) though Im not sure how true this actually is.
Im due in 4 weeks so will find out then, we dont mind either way and are looking forward to the surprise!!

Lora1982 · 14/08/2012 17:41

my midwife said a girl cos it was moving round so much when she was trying to get the heartbeat.... we'll find out next week (at the scan... im not assuming i'll give birth next week!!)

MoonHare · 14/08/2012 17:44

My very experienced community midwife believes in this 'old wives' tale.

Boys heart rates are mean to be slower - less than 140, generally in the 120s-130s I've been told
Girls faster - over 140, 145-155 range

Anecdotally this worked with my last baby (a girl) my friend was due at the same time as me. Neither of us knew the sex of our babies. When we compared heart rates over the last few weeks of pregnancy we predicted I would have a girl and she would have a boy, we were right.

This time around it's been over 140 almost every time, so we'll see......

Crumm24 · 14/08/2012 17:45

My midwife said girl based on the heartbeat, but 20 week scan said boy...time will tell!!

Interestingly, my midwife was basing this on galloping horse for a girl, and train for a boy.

simonthedog · 14/08/2012 17:45

my midwife said girls heartbeats are quicker too. She already knew from the scan mine is a girl when she said this.

Original poster

PipIsOutNow · 14/08/2012 17:51

It's fascinating stuff!!! I have a private scan in Monday so should have a better idea then. The guessing is so much fun though and how amazing if she is right and that she can tell all that just from listening to a heartbeat!!!

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PipIsOutNow · 14/08/2012 17:52

Crumm I heard the conroe opposite - that a galloping horse was a boy???

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PipIsOutNow · 14/08/2012 17:53

*complete!!! Stupid phone!!!

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LeChatRouge · 14/08/2012 17:53

My midwife was at the end of her career and got all my three correct! Apparently using the heart rate method. She even detected my twins at 14 weeks with her stethoscope, sent me for a scan there and then, and it was confirmed that day.

GusTheOneEyedPolarBear · 14/08/2012 17:58

The midwife I had with ds2 said she was sure he was a boy - she was spot on!

FizzyFishAddict · 14/08/2012 18:04

Using this method my neice was supposed to be my nephew, and then DB's second baby was going be my neice and actually turned out to be my nephew!

CherryBlossom27 · 14/08/2012 18:06

My midwife told me she thought I was going to have a boy based on the heart rate and she was right :o

abcde1 · 14/08/2012 18:16

Load of rubbish as far as I'm concerned :)

I was told throughout my pregnancy by every single midwife that I was definitely having a boy, based on heartbeat and bump shape. Even whilst I was in labour we were discussing boys' names with them.

Two years on and still no penis...

Tangointhenight · 14/08/2012 18:29

It's an old wives tale, they say that a baby girls heart rate is faster during labour and delivery than boys but this isn't the case in pregnancy.

Sorry

A friend recently put a complaint in against a midwife for saying 'it's a hoy' from listening to the heart rate, friend didn't know it was an old wives tale and had adamantly told her MW she didn't want to know the gender. It was a very shitty thing for the MW to announce it without asking and my friend felt it spoiled the surprise, turned out the baby was a girl

Tangointhenight · 14/08/2012 18:29

It's a boy, oops!

LaGuerta · 14/08/2012 18:38

My MW announced at 39 weeks I was having "another lazy boy".

I was quite cross about this having chosen not to find out the sex, and because the phrase sounded a bit down on boys. I realise she was probably referring to a slower heartbeat.

She was right though.

Original poster

PipIsOutNow · 14/08/2012 18:40

Tango you haven't burst any bubble, I started this thread as a bit of fun. I'm really not bothered about the gender, just think if my midwife is right then it would be amazing!!!

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