PA
There has only been one topic of discussion in our house this week – sex!
Once upon a time it might have been about where or how to do it. These days conversations about sex are almost solely about whether our baby is going to be a boy or a girl.
Last time we had no idea what the gender of our baby was going to be before it was born. We thought it would be nice to let nature take its course.
But this time with the 20 week scan fast approaching we're determined to find out. And, as my wife has started wearing her maternity clothes, all thoughts have turned to whether we will we need to buy new clothes for the baby or can we recycle all that boy stuff we've already got.
Neither of us really minds what the sex is but there are already plenty of people ready to offer a view on what it might be based on goodness knows what.
One friend of ours said she was absolutely convinced it was girl, another had no doubt it was a lad. Surely there's no way of knowing, I thought? So I took the internet to find out, with surprising results.
Here are some of the supposed pointers...
Am I getting fat?
That's right, not her, but me. A study in Denmark found that fathers to be who put on weight had more girls. Those who didn't put on some extra weight seemed more likely to have a boy.
Verdict: I was a bit overweight before and am still a bit overweight. So goodness knows what that means and why on earth would it have any effect? The scientists certainly seem to have no idea. On balance this suggests – a boy.
Is the baby sitting high?
Supposedly, if the baby bump is low it's a boy, high and it's a girl.
Verdict: My wife says it's high up. But so was our last baby and that turned out to be a boy. So, possibly, this suggests a girl.
Which breast is bigger?
A slightly larger right breast shows it is a boy apparently.
Verdict: My wife says her right breast is always bigger. Perhaps this suggests...a boy.
What is she craving?
There's an ancient theory that if she wants to eat sweet things then the baby is likely to be a girl. But if it's salty fare that she loves it will be a boy.
Verdict: My wife always chooses salty foods over sweet and that hasn't changed during pregnancy. So another indication that it will be a boy?
More morning sickness?
According to research in Sweden mothers are actually more likely to have a female if they have serious morning sickness during pregnancy.
Verdict: Her morning sickness was much worse this time than last. So er, this suggests it's a girl.
Has she got cold feet?
I'm tempted to say it's a bit late for that...but apparently German medical experts discovered that poor circulation, which can cause cold feet, is linked with having boys.
Verdict: My wife has very cold feet – it's a boy!
Is her nose spreading or her hair getting red highlights?
One of the more ridiculous suggestions is that if her nose starts getting bigger it's a boy.
Verdict: Her nose is just the same as far as I can see, nor is she going ginger. It's a girl!
Mmm, I think I'm more confused than ever!
There's one more old wives' tale; that if she looks blooming with health she's having a boy.
My wife certainly does, but more importantly, she has just informed me, that for the first time in weeks that she feels sexy too.
I think it's probably time to make the most of this important second trimester window - and worry about whether the nursery needs to be pink or blue a bit later!
STOP PRESS! We've just had the scan – it's a boy. The person conducting it said: "Sometimes it's not possible to be sure of the gender...but in this boy's case I don't think there can be any doubt about it."
So did any of these maternity myths hold true for you when it came to your newborn's gender?