The Drano Gender Prediction Myth

First of all, it should be said that it is probably best not to predict your baby’s gender using Drano. While this method of predicting your baby’s gender has been around for a long time, there is not scientific evidence to suggest that it actually works, or that the results are in any way reliable. In addition to this, there may possibly be dangerous side effects from the fumes that are produced when mixing urine and Drano. Finally, there are much more reliable methods of predicting your baby’s gender that don’t pose a risk.

Having said all of that, the fact remains that many women believe that you can indeed predict your baby’s gender using Drano. TO predict your baby’s gender using Drano, you should first be certain not to handle the mixture yourself or to breathe in the fumes from the mixture. Get someone else to help you, for your safety and the safety of your baby.

The first step in predicting your baby’s gender using Drano is to collect around 2 or 3 ounces of your urine. You will want, it is said, to use the first urine of the day for this test. Once you have the urine, you will need to ask your helper to mix it with around two tablespoons of crystal Drano. Do not use the liquid form, as there will not be the same sort of chemical reaction. Once the urine is mixed with the Drano, observe the change. If the mixture turns brownish in color, it is said that you are going to have a boy. If the mixture doesn’t get any darker, and if it doesn’t become brownish in color, the Drano is predicting that your baby’s gender is going to be female.

There are other variations to using Drano to predict your baby’s gender. One version suggests that if the mixture bubbles, you will have a boy. Other variations suggest that a certain color might mean that you are going to have a boy, where a certain other color might mean a girl, and no color change means that the test has failed.

What You Eat May Help Predict Your Baby’s Gender

 

There has long been speculation regarding whether a mother’s diet influenced the gender of the baby. While there is a pretty big body of folklore to suggest that it does, the scientific community has largely rejected the notion until recently.

In 2007-2008, the Universities of Exeter and Oxford conducted a study to examine the relationship between a woman’s diet and the gender of her baby. The studies seem to show some direct relations between how a mother eats and the gender of babies she conceives.

The difference wasn’t so significant as to suggest that you can determine the gender of your baby by changing your eating habits. Still, it can give you a better idea of which gender of baby you are more likely to conceive.

The study considered 750 women, all of whom were pregnant with their first child. Each of the women’s eating habits was considered. The main factor (as far as diet is concerned) in determining gender appeared to be the amount of Caloric intake (i.e., how much the mother had eaten) before conception. Generally speaking, the study found:

  • Women with higher Caloric intakes were more likely to give birth to boys.
  • Women with lower Caloric intakes were more likely to give birth to girls.

So, if you’re a healthy eater who makes sure to have a good breakfast every morning, you’re more likely to have a bouncing baby boy. If you skip meals regularly and go out of your way to make sure you fit into that size 4 swimsuit, you’re more likely to need some pink paint for the nursery.

The differences in probability aren’t huge, but they’re enough to be significant. In the study, the women who ate more were 56% percent likely to have boys, compared to 45% for those women with the lowest Caloric intake.

Can you accurately predict the gender of your baby based on your eating habits? No, but you may be able to make a guess that’s slightly better than 50/50. We don’t recommend you bet the rent on it. Wait until you get the ultrasound to do that (they’re 90% accurate). Still, any help predicting the gender of the baby is good help, right?

 

Myths About Baby Gender Prediction

As long as people have been having babies, they have been making guesses as to the gender of their baby. Gender prediction is, in some respects, probably one of the oldest practices known to humankind. As science has progressed, we have become more and more able to make an accurate gender prediction, as well. Still, there are many myths that have grown up around the idea of predicting your baby’s gender.
Many of the myths about gender prediction have to do with old wives’ tales. For example, one old wives’ tale says that if you are craving sweets during your pregnancy, you will have a girl, whereas if you are craving sour foods like pickles, you will be having a boy. While your cravings aren’t truly related to your baby’s gender, this old wives’ tale does make one point that has been scientifically proven: pregnant women will often have cravings.

There are other myths about gender prediction that are not as obvious as the old wives’ tales. For example, there was a time when even the medical community thought that a fetal heart rate over 140 meant that you were going to have a girl. It has been demonstrated in the last couple of decades, however, that this is not necessarily the case, and that the link between fetal heart rate and your baby’s gender is a myth.

There are also myths about gender prediction that sound like they might be scientific, but actually are not. The Drano test is one of these. This test proposes to predict your baby’s gender by mixing your urine with Drano, and examining the results. While it sounds almost scientific, the fact of the matter is that there is nothing in your urine that will interact with the Drano to accurately predict gender.

Ultimately, the best methods of gender prediction tend to be ultrasounds and genetic testing. An ultrasound is, of course, only as reliable as the ultrasound equipment and the technician, but ultrasounds still have a decent gender prediction success rate. Genetic sampling is the most accurate, but generally not done solely for gender prediction as there are certain risks involved in the procedures.

The Ramzi’s Method of Baby Gender Prediction

English: An ultrasound of a human fetus, measu...
English: An ultrasound of a human fetus, measured to be 1.67 cm from crown to rump, and estimated therefore to have gestational age 8 weeks and 1 day. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

Let’s face it: the sooner you know your baby’s gender, the better. The technology is there; at around 18 to 20 weeks of pregnancy, you’re going to know with nearly 100% accuracy whether you’re going to have a boy or a girl. Yet, there are many other methods of baby gender predictions that may not be as scientific (and may also not be as accurate).

One newer, trendy method you may have heard of is the Ramzi’s Method. This method of baby gender prediction was developed by Dr. Saad Ramzi Ismail. The basic premise here is to use a sonogram to look at the location of the fetus, placenta, and other details at six weeks of age.

This scan measures gestational age, and it measures where the placenta is located. According to the research done by Dr. Ramzi Ismail, at the age of six weeks after conception, around 97% of male fetuses had either the placenta or the chorionic villi on the right hand side of the patient’s uterus. For female fetuses, either the chronic villi or placenta was on the left uterine side in about the same percentage of cases.

Traditional ultrasound done at 18-20 weeks specifically looks for the presence of sex organs. Obviously, sex organs aren’t detectable at six weeks into pregnancy.

This method is new, and fairly controversial. If you have an ultrasound early, you might talk to the doctor and the sonographer about the baby’s position and the placement of the placenta and chronic villi. While your doctor will probably not consider this placement to be a reliable determination of gender, it can be an interesting way to try to guess your baby’s gender ahead of time.

Until more research is done, the Ramzi’s Method will remain controversial. Controlled studies must take place that can validate or invalidate the result. In the meantime, take it all with a grain of salt, and use the information the way you would any other unscientific method of baby gender prediction: as a fun way to guess and hope, while you wait for reliable results.

Enhanced by Zemanta

Predicting Baby’s Gender before an Ultrasound

 

That first half of pregnancy – up until about 20 weeks when an ultrasound should clearly be able to let you know whether you’re having a boy or a girl – can be frustrating and tense. Predicting your baby’s gender is just part of that process. Whether you’re hoping for a boy or a girl, you really want to know.

There are a number of unscientific –yet sometimes accurate – ways you can use to predict baby’s gender before you have an ultrasound. While you wouldn’t want to make big decisions like what color to paint baby’s room or an entire wardrobe purchase before your ultrasound, you can use some of these methods to try to guess whether it’s a boy or a girl:

  • The pencil test. This test involves a sewing needle and a pencil. You’re going to stick the sewing needle firmly into the top of your pencil’s eraser. Then, you’ll thread the needle with a piece of thread that’s about six inches in length. Suspend the pencil on the backside of your hand. Put your hand on the table, with the palm facing downward. You’ll let the pencil swing freely. If it swings in a parallel direction to your arm, this method of gender prediction suggests a boy. If it swings perpendicular, this method of gender prediction suggests you’re going to have a girl, instead.
  • Check the heartbeat. The number of beats per minute of your baby’s heartbeat has been used in the past to determine your baby’s gender. While research has shown that this isn’t necessarily accurate, it can still be something to try. Ask the obstetrician about your baby’s heartbeats per minute. If your baby’s heart rate is over 140 beats per minute, you can predict your baby’s gender to be female. If your baby’s heart rate is under 140 beats per minute, you can predict a boy.
  • Get a gender prediction test. While these tests aren’t as accurate as an ultrasound, they can be more accurate than guessing (and much more accurate than some of the other methods meant solely for fun). Some of these tests even promise to refund your purchase price if they were incorrect after your baby is born.

Heart Rate During the First Trimester

The heartrate should be heard, to be certain, some time during the first trimester. When exactly the heartrate should be heard during the first trimester will vary from one woman to the next, and even from one pregnancy to the next. There are a variety of factors that go into when the heartrate will be heard during the first trimester, including what sort of equipment is being used to try to hear the heartrate, as well as the physical build of the mother.

It may be possible that the heartrate would be heard at just about five weeks along during the first trimester. The baby’s heart begins to beat at some time around four weeks to five weeks into the first trimester, but cannot always be detected quite so early. In most cases, a baby’s heartrate could be heard by about 8 weeks of pregnancy using a transvaginal ultrasound. It isn’t necessarily common or regular practice for a woman to have a transvaginal ultrasound at this point during the first trimester, however. A Doppler test can typically detect the heartrate at around 9 or 10 weeks of pregnancy. Using a standard stethoscope, you should be able to hear your baby’s heartrate during the second trimester, at around week 18 of pregnancy. If you have a bigger build, it can add between 1 and 3 weeks to the time before a Doppler or a stethoscope may be able to hear your baby’s heartrate. In some cases, it can be during the final days of the first trimester, at around week 13 or even 14, that your baby’s heartrate can be heard using a Doppler.

  • Generally speaking, you will be able to see your baby on an ultrasound about the same time that you would be able to hear your baby’s heartrate during the first trimester. In some cases, you may be able to see your baby on an ultrasound even a little bit earlier than you would be able to hear the heartrate during the first trimester. It may be able to detect a pregnancy as early as five weeks of pregnancy using an ultrasound, although the 9th to 10th week of pregnancy is more common.

Ultrasounds and Baby Gender Prediction

The number of ultrasounds you will have during your pregnancy will depend on how your pregnancy develops, if you have any complications and your doctor’s philosophy. Most doctors will not perform an ultrasound expressly for predicting the gender of your baby. Predicting the sex of your baby is an added bonus during the routine ultrasound. If your baby is positioned correctly, the ultrasound technician may be able to predict the gender after 16 weeks.

In addition to your routine scans, you may be able to find independent ultrasound companies who will provide ultrasounds. These ultrasounds will not be covered by your insurance agency and can be quite pricey. Once such company is Fetal Foto which has several locations around the United States.

There are two sites online which showcase ultrasound pictures, including ultrasounds which show the gender of the baby. Click any of the links below to visit the respective galleries.

What to Do While Waiting for Your Baby Gender Results

Cover of "Waiting for Baby (The New Baby)...
Cover of Waiting for Baby (The New Baby)

 

That first 20 weeks or so of pregnancy, before you find out whether you’re going to have a boy or a girl, can be a bit stressful. While you’re going to love and care for that child no matter whether it’s a boy or a girl, you want to be able to plan ahead appropriately. It can also help if you start thinking about names, and even talking to your baby and calling him or her by name in the womb.

Here are some things you can do to pass the time while waiting for baby gender prediction results:

  • Talk with your partner about gender roles. There’s nothing wrong with wanting a boy to be involved in sports and hoping a girl will play with dolls. Yet, for many people, stereotypical gender roles can cause concern, as well. Talk with your partner and decide where you stand in the area of encouraging gender-specific behavior from your child.
  • Focus on your relationship. Regardless of whether you have a boy or a girl, you’re going to need to be solid in your relationship in order to be good parents. Spend some time communicating with one another about your thoughts and expectations, as well as your basic ideas about parenting.
  • Talk to your other children, too. You may be a little bit torn about whether you’re hoping for a boy or a girl, but chances are your other children have very strong opinions on the matter. Listen to what they have to say; obviously, there’s not anything you can do about your baby’s gender, but by talking to your children you’ll help to identify potential issues of concern once your baby is born. A toddler who specifically wants a little brother might even be angry at having a sister, if you don’t have these kinds of chats.
  • Check out some gender prediction myths. While gender prediction myths are only accurate 50% of the time (as with any other non-scientific gender-related test) they can be fun, and help encourage your imagination.

It’s no fun waiting for the results, but fortunately you’ll know with plenty of time to spare whether you’re having a boy or a girl.

Enhanced by Zemanta