Before scans, before gender reveals, before any of the science we have now, expectant parents have always found ways to guess. Some of these old wives’ tales have been around for centuries. None of them are remotely reliable. But they are genuinely fun to try, especially with family around.
Here are five of the most entertaining ones, in case you fancy giving them a go.
The wedding ring test
This is probably the most well-known one. Tie your wedding ring to a piece of string or a strand of hair and dangle it over your bump. If it swings in circles, the tale says girl. If it swings back and forth like a pendulum, it says boy. Some people swear by it. Others get a completely different result depending on how long they wait. Either way, it makes for a good five minutes.
The key test
Place a key on a table and pick it up without thinking about it too much. If you instinctively grab the narrow end, the tale says girl. If you grab the round top, it says boy. This one has no logic whatsoever, which is exactly what makes it charming.
The Chinese gender chart
This one has a bit more of a system to it. You match your age at conception with the month of conception on a chart, and it tells you boy or girl. The chart is said to be hundreds of years old and plenty of mums will tell you it got it right for them. Whether that’s the chart or a fifty-fifty chance is hard to say, but it’s fun to check regardless.
The spoon and fork test
Have someone you trust hide a spoon under one sofa cushion and a fork under another, without telling you which is which. Then sit down naturally, without overthinking it. If you land on the spoon, the tale says girl. Fork says boy. This one works best with a co-conspirator and tends to involve a lot of laughing.
The candle smoke test
Light a candle, hold it for a moment, then blow it out and watch the smoke. If it rises straight up, the tale says boy. If it curls and spirals, it says girl. This might be the most atmospheric of the five, and also the least repeatable, since the smoke does whatever it wants.
None of these will tell you anything definitive, of course. But they’re a lovely way to mark the wait, get family involved, and enjoy the guessing game before you know for certain.
