Heart rate and sex of baby

[sallycinamon]

I know this has been done before but how reliable is the baby's heart rate as an indicator of gender?

I was talking with a friend and she said it is just an old wives tale - slower heart rate boy, faster girl. However, I read in a serious, quite scientific book on pregnancy written by some expert obstetrician that is is 70% reliable.

We decided not to find out but as I am sure is the case with lots of other mums-to-be we can't help speculating...!

What are the experiences of other mumsnetters?

Don't believe in it Ds2 would be a girl from his heart rate.

We got told galloping horses for a girl, chugging train for a boy, personally they seem to sound the same, that sort of rhythmic gallop, but when i had to be monitored about 4 week before i had dd, the midwife checking monitor, when asked if we knew what we were having and we said no as we didn't want to know but had been told about the heartbeat sounds, said 'ooh, if i had to bet money i'd say that was a galloping horse.. and she was right! dh was furious, just kept muttering 'well she's just bloody told us what we're having now, hasn't she?!!!'

I don't believe in it - DS would be a girl and DD would be a boy

dd was pretty fast, and ds was slower. And as soon as I listened to ds' heart rate on the doppler it sounded different and so I guessed it was a boy. And I was right.

My midwife told me that fast heart rate - 120-150 = boy

She was right both times

Didn't find out until each birth

Also, I carried both boys very high and 'in front', couldn't tell I was pregnant from behind whereas my frinds who had girls got fat arses [sorry] so is that another old wives tale??

Well my personal opinion from surveying myself and friends and family

Above 150: Girl or hyperactive boy
Below 135: Boy or placid as a snail girl.

Hi there. I was the other way around. both times 150 plus and 2 lovely daughters

My doc was doing his own survey and insisted faster heart rate = girl. He predicted a girl for me and was right.

The theoretically boundary is 145 I think. Above for a girl, below for a boy.

However, heart rate changes through pg and according to whether babe is asleep or awake etc.

It is not reliable but IMO a bit of fun to place a punt on.

I was induced. The girl next to me - her baby's heartbeat was slow, my bab's heartbeat was MUCH faster.

She had a baby girl before I had even begun with labour.

As my baby had a faster heartbeat then hers I was convinced it would be a girl.

at 9.15pm that night I had a baby boy!

Was your boy a fiesty little one DrNotherner?

Yes he is rather feisty!

Another one to add to my spreadsheet then...