By Lucinda Jordaan
There's nothing like a pregnancy to bring out the old wives' tales.
There's the advice on what to eat and why.
And there's the guessing as to whether you are carrying a girl or a boy. Boys give you beauty, girls steal your beauty, say grandmothers.
Girls will also have you suffering from severe morning sickness and other ailments. And some swear by your child's heart rate, claiming that girls' hearts beat much faster than boys'.
Today we look at the most common myths and how true they really are.
- Myth: Carrying your baby "high" means you'll have a boy; carrying "low" means you'll have a girl.
- Fact: Your overall body shape, your baby's age, size and position are just some factors that determine how you look when pregnant.
Shape
Short-waisted women, for example, look different to long-waisted women. And experts say that nothing about your shape has anything to do with the baby's sex.
- Myth: Suspending a gold ring from a string over a pregnant woman's belly can predict the sex depending on the way it swings - back and forth for a boy, in a circular motion for a girl.
- Fact: Your baby's gender does not influence the pull of gravity. And the direction the ring swings is influenced by the thoughts of the person holding the string, so if you want to see whether this really works, check it out with at least three people pulling the string.
- Myth: If your leg hair grows faster during pregnancy, it's a boy; if it grows slower, it's a girl.
- Fact: It's true that testosterone may influence hair growth. And it's true that a boy has more testosterone than a girl. But actually, there isn't enough hormone present in a foetus to have any significant hormonal impact on the mom's body.
- Myth: If you crave sour or salty foods, it's a boy; sweets, it's a girl.
- Fact: Although doctors aren't totally sure what causes a woman to crave certain foods during pregnancy, most universally agree the baby's sex isn't one of them.
- Myth: If a pregnant woman's urine is a dull colour, it's a girl; if it's bright, it's a boy.
- Fact: The only thing that will influence the colour of your urine is the liquid you consume, say doctors. So if you're a little dehydrated, it will be a darker colour - and vice versa. - Daily Voice