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Pregnancy

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

Original poster

heart rate determiner of sex????

26 replies

sallycinamon · 26/07/2008 13:09

I'm sure there are loads of threads on this but I can't work out how to look alphabetically!

Anyway, is there any truth in consistently slower heart rate more likely to be boy and consistently faster heart rate more likely to be girl? I read in quite a scientific book about pregnancy that it is 70% reliable in determining the sex but was wondering whether personal experiences of mumsnetters proved this or not.

My midwife thinks there is some truth in it but I'm not so sure!

OP posts:
solo · 26/07/2008 13:11

My MW thought the same. I knew the sex of both my Dc's and the heart rate proved correct in that way.

hatrick · 26/07/2008 13:14

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

lulu1414 · 26/07/2008 13:14

My GP who is very good and I trust her very much thinks there is a fair amount of evidence for this. She said my baby "sounded more like a girl than a boy" when she listened to the heartbeat and I had already been told at 12 week scan that it was 85% certain it was a girl. At 20 week scan was also told I was having a girl. We'll see when she comes out!

Ewe · 26/07/2008 13:15

Rubbish IMO, DD had a boys heartbeat all the way through my pregnancy.

TinkerBellesMum · 26/07/2008 13:32

It is a method that's used but I saw a chart with heart rates on when I was pregnant last time that suggested it didn't work. It did work for Tink though.

paolosgirl · 26/07/2008 13:34

It worked for all 3 of mine - 2 DS's and one DD. My midwife the first time round said that she knew there was no real basis for it, but that it proved correct to often IHO for it to be discounted completely.

IdrisTheDragon · 26/07/2008 13:35

DS had a consistently high heartbeat

DD had a consistently low heartbeat

Original poster
sallycinamon · 26/07/2008 20:31

Although not quite an old wives tale it doesn't seem all that reliable. Didn't think so. Interesting though!

OP posts:
ScottishMummy · 26/07/2008 20:47

no scientic basis.urban myth along with prominent bump it is a boy/girl (depend on who you ask)

Remotew · 26/07/2008 20:54

My doctor was recording this when I was expecting. He did think it was a strong predictor, faster heart rate=girl, slower=boy. He got it right for me with a girl.

ScottishMummy · 26/07/2008 20:56

LOL well he did have a 50% chance of guessing correctly.not challenging to only have 2 choices

youfoolwoman · 26/07/2008 21:05

My midwife guessed right for me like this.

ScottishMummy · 26/07/2008 21:07

there are websites dedicated to these urban myths.fetal heart rate is not predictive of gender

ScottishMummy · 26/07/2008 21:16

har think about it anyone guessing as 50% chance of guessing correctly.so anecdotally lots of correct guesses (and incorrect too)

pg urban myths

Remotew · 26/07/2008 21:36

Scottish mummy well it was a while ago that my doctor was doing this study.

The other thing I've heard and this could be another urban myth but it was right in my case is : -

Make love for a girl and lust for a boy. i.e if you conceive earlier in your cycle say 10-12 days then the girl sperms hang around longer as they are slower. If you conceive at 13-15 days most likely to be the stronger swimmers, boys that get there. Is this all just rubbish again.

It was correct for me day 10, much to my surprise, and a girl.

ScottishMummy · 26/07/2008 21:58

lol i am imagining sperm olympics "strong swimmers" category

sperm viability is bitty more complex than good swimming

eidsvold · 26/07/2008 22:12

mine was right 1 out of three times. RIght for dd1 - wrong for dd2 and dd3.

expatinscotland · 26/07/2008 22:13

Mine was wrong two out of two times - didn't bother with it this time as at 20 week scan it was definitely a boy!

ScottishMummy · 26/07/2008 22:18

my hosp refused to disclose gender (scared of being sued litigious parents

Niecie · 26/07/2008 22:24

It was true both times for me and several friends who were pregnant at the same time as me.

Difficult to tell until you are getting towards the end of the pregnancy though - apparently it is more accurate the closer you get to the due date.

I also read somewhere there is some scientific basis for this but as always there is an overlap in the range of boy's and girl's rates so not 100% foolproof.

Remotew · 26/07/2008 22:28

Its 50/50 simple as. If you really want to know then wait until the 20 week scan and ask. I believe the Chinese nation was quite interested in these predictors when the policy was one child per family and they wanted to make sure that one child was a boy

ScottishMummy · 26/07/2008 22:29

niece lol absolultey no scientific basis of foetal heart rate and genfder.

you might as well ask the woman in tesco for her "prediction"

TinkerBellesMum · 26/07/2008 23:40

abouteve, that's true. X sperm are distance swimmers, where as Y is a sprinter.

However, they've also found that women have more to do with the sex because of their pH balance. Some women will only be friendly to X, some to Y and some are well balanced so will have an equal chance of either. Aparantly it keeps the world balanced.

ScottishMummy · 26/07/2008 23:44

LOL is that so

Flibbertyjibbet · 26/07/2008 23:58

Heart rate speeds up when the baby is active and slows down when its resting. So the speed of it depends on what the baby is doing when the heartrate is listened to, then there is 50% chance of you having a girl or boy..
So 50% of the people that try it will swear that it works.
Like those who say they know instinctively what they are having. As no one ever says 'i knew instinctively it was a boy but I was disappointed as we would have preferred a girl', I reckon you just think you're having what you want to have and 50% will be 'right'.