What Is Ring Gender Test? How Does It Work? And Its Accuracy

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Different cultures have their traditional methods for predicting an unborn child’s gender. The ring gender test is one such sex-prediction game that requires just a ring and a string.

Read on to know how to conduct this test and interpret the results. However, note that this technique is not scientifically proven, and its accuracy cannot be guaranteed.

How To Do The Ring Gender Test?

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You may try the wedding ring test at your baby shower or in private with your family.

Tie your wedding ring to a piece of thread.
Hold the thread over your belly as you lie on the bed.
You may also ask your partner to dangle it over your belly.
Allow the string to move without any external interference.

There are also a few alternative ways to do the ring on a string test. Those variations include:

Use a strand of hair in place of thread.
Use a needle in place of a wedding ring.
Hold the ring over the wrist instead of the belly.
Place the threaded ring in your palm for some time, and then raise the string so that it swings over the palm.
Hold the string in front of the belly while you are standing.

You may also use an engagement ring or promise ring instead of a wedding ring.

Did you know?

Some experts think that knowing the baby’s gender can help parents feel closer to their baby, making their existence more realistic (4).

Interpreting the results

Here is how to interpret the result of this pregnancy test.

If the ring moves in a circle, you are said to be carrying a girl.
If it moves to and fro, you are said to be having a boy.

How Accurate Is The Ring Test For Sex Prediction?

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If you are looking for scientifically proven sex predictors, the ring test is not one of them. It is part of folklore, and how it works is not known.

Practically speaking, this test might be influenced by the subconscious working of your mind and ideomotor movements. The ideomotor movements are subtle muscle movements that occur without any conscious effort. Dr William B. Carpenter introduced the phrase “ideomotor action,” which means muscle movements responding to outside influences (1).

Trivia

According to anecdotal evidence, a husband performed the ring test about 40 times, and the results indicated a girl. However, the wife delivered a baby boy (5).

Are There Any Studies On Ring Test For Sex Prediction?

A study performed by Johns Hopkins of Bloomberg School of Public Health in 1999 found that amongst the 104 women who used any of the sex prediction methods such as the ring gender test, only 55% guessed it right, suggesting that using these methods is similar to taking a wild guess (2).

Ring On A String: The Safe Sex Prediction Test

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Safety is of utmost importance during pregnancy. Eagerness to know the sex of the baby can sometimes lead to unwise decisions. However, the string test is safe and simple, although its accuracy cannot be guaranteed.

A better option is an ultrasound scan that is usually performed around 18th to 22nd week, as a part of regular prenatal check-ups, could help determine the baby’s sex (3). However, your doctor will not tell you about the sex of your baby if prenatal sex determination is illegal in your country.

The ring gender test is one of the traditional methods of predicting the sex of the unborn fetus by using a thread and a ring. Although the use of such folklores of sex prediction has been around for a long time, not many scientific studies prove the efficiency of these methods. Experts suggest that performing such tests is almost equal to taking a wild guess about the baby’s gender. However, they can be performed for fun. Therefore, it is advisable to consult the doctor for the correct result.

Disclaimer: Sex-prediction methods are only for fun and do not replace medical examinations. MomJunction believes in gender equality; we do not support or encourage sex determination nor entertain any queries on finding the sex of the baby.

Did you try to predict the sex of your baby? Did any of the tests work? Let us know in the comments section below.

Infographic: How To Do A Ring Gender Test

The Ring Gender Test is a traditional, simple, and non-invasive method for predicting the gender of an unborn baby. You could try this method for fun with your partner and the family during pregnancy. In the infographic below, explore the step-by-step guide for this popular method of gender prediction.

stepwise guide for a ring gender test [infographic] — Illustration: MomJunction Design Team

References:

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