Published on September 14th, 2020 and Updated on March 11th, 2024
Your baby’s heart is extraordinary. It is one of the first sounds from your baby you hear during pregnancy and is vital for delivering oxygen to your baby‘s growing brain and body. But can your baby‘s heartbeat help predict the sex of your newborn? In short, no, fetal heart rate is not a reliable indicator of fetal sex. However, you can learn a lot by listening to your baby‘s heartbeat; see what’s below to learn more.
What’s below:
- The Wives’ Tale Explained
- Baby Heartbeat and Gender – Research Busts the Myth
- What Does Your Baby‘s Growing Heart Tell You?
- When Sex is Determined – Sex vs Gender
- Reliable Tests to Reveal Your Baby‘s Gender
- Additional Baby Gender Reveal Myths
- Get to the Heart of the Gender Question with SneakPeek
The Wives’ Tale Explained
Myth: If your child’s fetal heart rate is below 140 bpm (beats per minute) it’s a baby boy, and a fetal heart rate above 140 bpm is one of the signs of a baby girl.
While fun to try, this old wives’ tale is founded in outdated oral tradition, often to provide comfort to expecting parents about this topic which is out of our control. While there are methods like the sneak peek test that determine your baby‘s gender early, unfortunately, listening to your baby‘s heart rate is not a reliable way for predicting a baby‘s natal sex.
Baby Heartbeat & Sex – Research Busts the Myth
Two studies investigated this baby gender prediction method. One study was published in 2006 and the other in 2015; both sought to address the question “Is there a significant difference between a baby boy‘s heartbeat and a baby girl‘s?”
D.S. McKenna, G. Ventolini, R. Neiger, and C. Downing examined resting fetal heart rates in 477 pregnant women that were less than 14 weeks into pregnancy. As published in their paper “Gender-Related Differences in Fetal Heart Rate(FHR) During First Trimester”, 244 women had girls (51%) and 233 (49%) had boys with corresponding male and female fetal heart rates of 154.9 ± 22.8 and 151.7 ± 22.7 bpm respectively. While an average heart rate difference of ~3bpm was identified, this falls well within the margin of error therefore there is no statistical significance between male and female fetal heart rates during the first trimester of pregnancy and heartbeat is not a reliable method to determine newborn natal sex.
In “First trimester fetal heart rate as a predictor of newborn sex” published by L.A. Bracero, D.J. Seybold, S. Witsberger, L. Rincon, A. Modak, and L.V. Baxi, the authors studied medical files and ultrasounds of 655 women 8-13 weeks pregnant to compare first-trimester fetal heart rates with newborn sex at delivery. Findings show the average fetal heart rate for girls was 167.0 ± 9.1 bpm, and for males, 167.3 ± 10.1 bpm. While the error margin in this study was smaller, they too found no significant difference in FHR between males and females despite the common myth that a faster fetal heart rate indicates a female fetus.
What Does Your Baby’s Growing Heart Tell You?
Gender prediction based on heart rate may not work, but your baby’s heartbeat can provide great insight into the state of his or her heart health.
- A baby’s heartbeat begins to grow immediately after conception and only takes 8 weeks to form completely.
- Does your baby’s heartbeat seem a bit fast? That’s because an adult human’s heart rate ranges from 60-100 beats per minute, while a baby’s heart rate may be 110-160 beats per minute in the womb.
- A mother’s heart rate is likely to change during pregnancy; a woman will typically see an increases of approximately 7 beats per minute when pregnant.
- Healthy fetal heart rate, measured using a baby heartbeat monitor, is commonly in the range of 110-160, and may vary up or down by 15 bpm.
- Fetal heart rate may increase to 170 at around 10 weeks and then drop to approximately 130 near the time of delivery.
When Sex is Determined – Sex vs Gender
Your baby’s sex is founded on biological and physiological characteristics and is set once the sperm meets the egg. Sex is determined at conception, before your baby has a heartbeat, and even before you know you’re pregnant. Your little one inherits either an X or Y chromosome from the sperm and an X chromosome from the egg. Accordingly, “natal sex” is set such that females carry an XX chromosomal pattern, while males carry an XY chromosome composition.
Gender on the other hand is recognized by the World Health Organization as a social construct that refers to a set of characteristics, norms, and behaviors that are unique to males and females. Gender is not always set at birth, may differ from the person’s designated sex, and can vary from one society to another. In the U.S. gender is historically thought to be binary however gender roles and gender behaviors are ever-evolving.
Reliable Tests to Reveal Your Baby’s Gender
Now that you know that using a baby heart rate gender prediction is an old wives’ tale, here are some non-invasive tests that you can take to reveal the fetal sex:
Ultrasound Scan
This is the most common form of gender testing that is usually performed in the second trimester of pregnancy, typically during the 18th to 20th week of pregnancy. The ultrasound imaging procedure can identify the genitalia of the fetus by examining its measurements and can also scan for physical abnormalities.
Gender Blood Test
This testing requires a blood draw and can be performed during early pregnancy, allowing you to learn your baby’s gender earlier than ever before! There are also blood tests further into pregnancy that check for possible genetic abnormalities.
Genetic Testing
Also known as a prenatal diagnostic test, genetic testing looks for genetic abnormalities by examining cells and amniotic fluid. While this method can reliably determine fetal sex, it helps confirm if a fetal disorder is present and comes with greater risk to the unborn baby and mother. In Amniocentesis, a needle is used to withdraw amniotic fluid and in Chronic Villis Sampling (CVS), a tissue sample from the placenta is taken and used for testing. Genetic testing is not commonly recommended by your doctor unless a blood test suggests likelihood for a chromosomal condition.
Additional Baby Gender Reveal Myths
It is only natural that there have been countless other methods used throughout history to predict a baby’s gender. Like our earlier pregnancy myth, these wives’ tales aren’t reliable gender tests but can still be fun for you and your family!
- Ring Test – A popular wives’ tale involves a ring, usually the wedding ring. By dangling the ring on a string over the pregnant woman’s belly, one can determine the gender based on the movement. If the ring swings back and forth, it is a boy, while if it swings in a circular motion, then it is a girl.
- Linea Nigra – Others believe that the “linea nigra” holds the key. Commonly referred to as “the pregnancy line”, this is a dark vertical line that runs down the middle of the abdomen. How long the line is can supposedly tell you the gender. If the linea nigra stops at the belly button, then it is a girl. However, if the line continues to the xiphoid, which is the tip of the sternum, then it is a boy.
- Mirror Test – Then there is the classic: if you look better than ever, then it must be a boy. Meanwhile, if you are looking worse than usual, then it is a girl, because she is stealing your looks!
Of course, none of these are backed by scientific evidence or research. Nonetheless, they are simple and fun tests to do on your own.
Get to the Heart of the Gender Question with SneakPeek
You shouldn’t have to wait too long to get to know if your baby’s extraordinary heart belongs to a beautiful baby boy or a gorgeous little girl. Discover your baby’s gender with the SneakPeek Early Gender DNA Test.
The Early Gender DNA Test is the only one that can determine a baby’s sex as early as 6 weeks into pregnancy and has proven to be over 99% accurate1 in laboratory studies. Even better? You can take the gender blood test in the comfort of your home.
Get to the heart of your gender questions with SneakPeek.
This post has been reviewed for accuracy by the following medical professional:
Katie Smith is a seasoned Certified Nurse Midwife and a nurturing mother to six children, offering a unique blend of professional expertise and personal experience. She is the founder of Birth Your Way Midwifery and Women’s Wellness Center in Bay County, Florida. Katie's comprehensive approach to care is informed by her hands-on experience in motherhood and her passion for empowering women through their birthing journey. Her dedication extends beyond her center as she actively engages in community wellness and family health education.
Sources:
- Healthline. Baby Heart Rate and Gender: Can It Predict the Sex of Your Baby?
- Healthline. How Early Can You Hear Baby’s Heartbeat on Ultrasound and By Ear? https://www.healthline.com/health/pregnancy/when-can-you-hear-babys-heartbeat#TOC_TITLE_HDR_1
- Cook Children’s Healthcare System. Myths About Pregnancy. https://cookchildrens.org/newborn/pregnancy/Pages/myths-about-pregnancy.aspx
- CBS News. Moms Pregnant with Boys Eat More. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/moms-pregnant-with-boys-eat-more/
- American Heart Association. Fetal Circulation. https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/congenital-heart-defects/symptoms–diagnosis-of-congenital-heart-defects/fetal-circulation
- University of Oxford. Heart rate and blood pressure changes during pregnancy are less dramatic than previously thought. https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2019-09-12-heart-rate-and-blood-pressure-changes-during-pregnancy-are-less-dramatic-previously
- Karger. Gender-Related Differences in Fetal Heart Rate during First Trimester. https://www.karger.com/Article/Abstract/89065
- US National Library of Medicine. First trimester fetal heart rate as a predictor of newborn sex. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4679415/
- World Health Organization. Gender and Health https://www.who.int/health-topics/gender#tab=tab_1
- Fetal heart rate in the first and second trimester https://radiopaedia.org/articles/fetal-heart-rate-in-the-first-and-second-trimester?lang=us#:~:text=A%20normal%20fetal%20heart%20rate,around%20130%20bpm%20at%20term.
- Prenatal Genetic Diagnostic Tests https://www.acog.org/womens-health/faqs/prenatal-genetic-diagnostic-tests
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SneakPeek aims to provide the most accurate and up-to-date information to help our readers make informed decisions regarding their health before, during, and after pregnancy. This article was written based upon trusted scientific research studies and/or articles. Credible information sources for this article are cited and hyperlinked.
