Old wives’ tales gender quiz, just for fun
Boy or girl? Ask the old wives.
Seven old wives’ tales, seven quick questions, one verdict. It’s right about half the time, which is the whole fun of it.
What are you craving?
Sweets mean a girl. Salty and sour mean a boy.
How has the morning sickness been?
Rough mornings mean a girl. An easy ride means a boy.
How are you carrying?
High means a girl. Low means a boy.
What was the heart rate at your last check-up?
Above 140 beats a minute means a girl. Below means a boy.
How is your skin?
Breakouts mean a girl, who is said to borrow your looks. A glow means a boy.
Are your feet colder than usual?
Cold feet mean a boy. No change means a girl.
Which side do you sleep on?
The right side means a girl. The left means a boy.
Old wives’ tales are right about half the time, the same as a coin. A scan is how you find out.
Just for fun. Your answers stay on this page.
What each tale says, and what’s known
Every one of these has been passed down for generations. Researchers have tested a few of them. One has more behind it than the rest.
Cravings
The tale: sweets for a girl, salty or sour for a boy. There’s no known link between what you crave and your baby’s sex.
Morning sickness
The tale: a rough first trimester means a girl. This one has the most behind it. In one survey of more than 2,500 mothers, those who had carried girls reported nausea and vomiting slightly more often: about a third of a point more on a nine-point scale. Earlier studies found more girls among women who needed hospital care for severe sickness. None of it is reliable enough to guess by.
Carrying high or low
The tale: high for a girl, low for a boy. How you carry comes down to your build, your muscles and how the baby is lying.
The heart rate
The tale: above 140 beats a minute is a girl. Studies comparing boys and girls in the first trimester found no meaningful difference. A baby’s heart rate changes through pregnancy, and with activity.
Your skin
The tale: a girl borrows your looks, a boy gives you a glow. Skin changes in pregnancy come from hormones, whoever is in there.
Cold feet and sleeping sides
The tales: cold feet and the left side for a boy. We know of no study of either.
Sources
- Banner Health, “Baby Gender Prediction: Do Old Wives’ Tales Really Work?”, 2026, with Karen Rodeffer-Evans, MD, an obstetrician-gynecologist.
- Young, La Rosa, Mehr and Krasnow, “Does greater morning sickness predict carrying a girl?”, Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics, 2021.
- Healthline, “Can a Baby’s Heart Rate Predict Its Sex?”, medically reviewed, updated 2025. It sums up a 2016 study and a 2023 review of studies.
- Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, “Educated Moms Better at Predicting Baby’s Sex”, 1999, on a study in the journal Birth.
How to actually find out
There are three real ways, and waiting is one of them.
An ultrasound
With us, a gender scan from 13 weeks, out loud or sealed in an envelope for the party. At your doctor’s office, usually at the anatomy scan around 18 to 20 weeks.
A blood test
The screening blood test many doctors offer from about 10 weeks can report the baby’s sex too. Ask your doctor or midwife about it.
Waiting
Plenty of families wait for the birth. The surprise is the same size whenever you open it.
Questions about the tales
How accurate are old wives’ tales about boy or girl?
About as accurate as a coin. There are two possible answers, so any guess is right about half the time. When researchers at Johns Hopkins tested the folklore on 104 pregnant women, the old sayings did no better than guessing.
Which old wives’ tale is the most accurate?
Morning sickness has the most behind it: in one survey, women who had carried girls reported nausea and vomiting slightly more often. Slightly. Plenty of women with rough mornings have boys.
Can the baby’s heart rate tell you boy or girl?
No. Studies comparing heart rates in the first trimester found no meaningful difference between boys and girls.
How early can you really find out?
By ultrasound with us, from 13 weeks, and we’re surest from 15. If we’re not certain at your visit, we say so, and the re-check is free. More about finding out.
Is my quiz saved anywhere?
No. Your answers stay on the page and are gone when you leave it.