One Wive's Tale -- or rather Doctor's Tale -- That's Mostly True

There are probably more old wive's tales about circumstances in pregnancy and birth than any other topics. It's perfectly reasonable that these are the topics that old wives, mothers, and others would gab about the most over the years, sharing tips and experiences. And while many such tales are eventually proven wrong (or only true for a few), sometimes they can be fairly helpful.

Old Wives Tales and the Determination of an Unborn Baby's Gender... there's a sociological, linguistic or anthropological thesis somewhere in there! If you crave more foods, or this or that, then it's a boy or a girl... I'll let the ultrasound tell me. However I do want to share one such tale I heard recently that may actually be useful.

One of my clients is old friends with an Obstetrician with decades of experience. She shared with me his favorite method of pre-modern-sonogram gender determination. By his own calculations, it is about 80% accurate:

• If you grow more body hair and find yourself shaving much more frequently than usual: It's a boy! Perhaps brought on by the extra testosterone in your system.
• If you find yourself shaving much less than normal, it's a girl.
  
• If you aren't noticing a difference in the amount of body hair -- you'll have to wait to know the gender until birth or a sonogram!

I last shaved my legs in Pittsburgh. Granted, I have a relatively hairless body as these things go, but still -- some weeks later, my legs are still smooth as, well, not quite a baby's butt, but almost. =)