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When you’re pregnant, especially for the first time, it can be an arduous time. From worrying about taking care of the baby to thinking about whether you’re having a girl or a boy, it’s a rush of rumination. Gender discernment is illegal in a lot of countries like India (1). However, since time immemorial, there have been superstitious methods of determining the baby’s gender. Why don’t you have a little fun and try them out? They can be completely wrong, but hey, you can get a few kicks out of it!
1. How You Walk
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The story goes that depending on how you walk, you can tell if it’s a boy or girl. This is according to a late 15th-century French book called the Distaff Gospels (2). The book is a collection of folk wisdom believed by peasant women of the time. Get your partner to watch you walk. If you lead with your right foot while walking, you’re said to be having a boy and if you lead with your left foot, it’s a girl.
2. With A Ring
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This is another piece of interesting folklore back from when science wasn’t as advanced. Tie a ring to a piece of thread and have your partner dangle it above your belly. If it moves in circles, you’re having a girl. If it moves back and forth, it’s a boy.
3. With Red Cabbage
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On your next time grocery shopping, pick up some red cabbage. Boil the cabbage in water and save the water. By mixing the water with your urine, you’re said to be able to make out the gender of the human inside you. If the water turns purple, it’s a girl, if it’s pink, it’s a boy. Since the water is likely to be purple to begin with, it might be difficult to make out in the beginning, but it’s a novel idea for sure.
4. The Direction Your Pillow Is Facing
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It doesn’t really matter how or in what position you sleep. However, just for this test, it can be of the utmost importance. If you sleep on your left side and the pillow faces north, you will give birth to a boy. If you sleep on right side and the pillow is facing southward, you’ll have a girl.
5. Your Skin And Hair
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When you’re pregnant, there’s a lot about your appearance that changes. Most obviously, it’s your belly, but if you look a little closer, your skin and hair change too. You’re likely to change in one of two ways. Your skin and hair are going to look either glowing with beautiful, lush hair or, alternatively, you could have dull, wispy hair. If it’s the former, you’re going to have a baby boy. If it’s the latter, you’re going to have a baby girl.
6. With A Calculator
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The Mayans back in their time developed this test. Apart from giving us a right scare back in 2012, this gender discernment test is a Mayan marvel (3). Take the mother’s age and add it to the year the baby was conceived. An even numbered result means a little girl and vice versa.
7. With A Key
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This is not the most out-there method on this list, but still, give it a try. Pick up a key. If you pick it up from the thin end, the baby is a girl. If you pick it up from the thick end, the baby is a boy. It may seem like it’s all about chance, but you can probably say that about any method that’s from an old-wives’ tale.
If you are really impatient about finding out the gender of the little one inside you, try out one of these methods. It’s especially useful in countries where you can’t ask your doctor about the gender. Even if you don’t get the result you want, or the result is plain wrong, you surely will have a few laughs.
