Pregnancy Cravings and Gender Prediction: Behind The Myth

While we can’t co-sign on myths surrounding food cravings when pregnant with a boy or girl, let’s have some fun and run down what pregnancy lore has to say about the sex of your baby.

Sweets, Dairy, and Fatty Foods: It’s a Girl

Craving sugar during pregnancy? According to myth, food cravings when pregnant with a girl tend to lean towards sweet, creamy, tart, and fatty foods.

Some common pregnancy cravings include:

• Chocolate
• Citrus fruits
• Orange juice
• Milk and dairy products
• Bread
• Teriyaki sauce
• Fried foods

So, do sweet cravings during pregnancy mean you’re definitely having a girl? While the myth persists, there’s no scientific evidence to back up the link between sugary foods and a female baby.

Protein-rich, Salty, and Spicy Food Cravings: It’s a Boy

Craving meat during pregnancy?

While a pregnancy sweet tooth is associated with having a girl, food cravings when pregnant with a boy are typically linked with savory and salty snack cravings in pregnancy.

These common cravings can include:

• Meat or proteins
• Beans
• Nuts
• Cheese
• Peanut butter
• Hot sauce
• Buffalo sauce

Again, no empirical evidence shows a link between these foods and having a baby boy. Interestingly though, this myth may pertain to a correlation of majorities: In one study , a slightly higher number of pregnant women craved salty foods than sweet ones, and as of 2019, the world’s males still outnumber females 105 to 100.

Why do pregnant women get cravings?

Between fluctuating hormones, a changing body, and all the work it takes to prepare your home for your newest family member, there’s a lot going on when you’re expecting. Finding comfort (or sanity) in the foods you desire is not only biologically inscribed—it’s a natural way we soothe ourselves even when we’re not pregnant.

That said, if there’s no proven connection between pregnancy cravings and gender, is there anything you can learn from the types of cravings you’re experiencing?

According to science, possibly. Let’s take a look at two reasons why you might be craving certain snacks during pregnancy.

Explanation #1: Your Body Is Telling You Something

When you’re ravenous for ranch potato chips, you may look at that bag of chips and see them for what they are—but your body could see them differently. Namely, as a source of a specific nutrient (in this case, sodium), which you may not be getting enough of in your normal diet.

Scientists theorize that craving certain types of food may be your body’s way of pushing you to acquire more of a specific nutrient or mineral. Let’s take a look at some examples:

• Can’t stop thinking about ice cream? Your body may need more calcium.
• Craving a big, juicy steak? Your body may require more iron.
• Are you desperate for banana pudding, a food you wouldn’t look twice at before getting pregnant? You may need to increase your potassium intake.

Growing another human being is an incredibly energy-intensive process, but your body doesn’t just need calories to pull it off—it also needs a nutritious, well-balanced supply of food.

Explanation #2: It’s Hormonal

Another potential explanation for pregnancy cravings comes down to hormonal changes. Over those nine expectant months, four pregnancy hormones in particular are suspected to play a role in pregnancy cravings:

• Estrogen and Progesterone: These hormones steadily rise during pregnancy and are also linked to PMS cravings. If you experience cravings during your period, you may have similar cravings while pregnant.
• Serotonin: Known for its mood-stabilizing effects, serotonin levels can influence cravings for comfort foods during hormonal fluctuations.
• Dopamine: Often called the “love” chemical, dopamine increases after sex, giving birth, and when satisfying intense cravings, contributing to a sense of reward.

The exact role each of these hormones has on specific food cravings is unclear. What is clear is the correspondence between our brains’ chemical composition, our cravings, and the security we derive from satisfying them during intense hormonal fluctuations.

Should you listen to your pregnancy food cravings?

It’s still crucial to maintain a balanced healthy diet, especially since excessive sugar intake or weight gain during pregnancy can result in gestational diabetes.

Here are some strategies for dealing with the cravings (especially the less healthy ones):

• Indulge in Moderation: Satisfy cravings in small portions. Try sharing sweets with a friend or partner to help control portion sizes.
• Eat Smaller Meals Frequently: Keep glucose levels stable and cravings in check by eating smaller meals throughout the day.
• Seek Healthy Substitutes: If you frequently crave unhealthy foods, find alternatives, like swapping a strawberry milkshake for a kefir strawberry smoothie or ranch chips for kale chips with a Greek yogurt dip.

While it’s usually safe to have some of that food you can’t get off your mind, if you’re unsure about a craving, you can always turn to your doctor for clarification.

Many expecting mothers may crave caffeine or alcohol, and wonder whether having a cup of joe or drinking wine while pregnant will affect their pregnancy. If that’s the case for you, it’s always best to play it safe and check in with your doctor.

I’m experiencing non-food cravings—is something wrong with me or my baby?

When you’re craving something inedible, it can be a sign that something’s amiss in your body.

Dr. Peter S. Bernstein of the Comprehensive Family Care Center of Montefiore Medical Center explains that some women crave “dirt, laundry starch, crayons, ground up clay pots, ice scraped from the freezer” while pregnant—and it’s a common enough occurrence to have a medical name: pica.

While some non-food items might be harmless to eat, others could be toxic to you and your baby. In particular, you might end up ingesting lead. What’s more, pica is a sign that you may be lacking crucial nutrients (like zinc) or have an iron deficiency.

Whenever you find yourself craving something you’ve never actually seen at the grocery store, it’s a good time to check in with your doctor.

Off-Limits Foods While Pregnant

Although you may be craving anything from blue cheese to hot dogs while pregnant , there’s a long list of foods that are usually off-limits to pregnant women. This list typically includes:

• Raw eggs due to salmonella risk
• Raw fish due to salmonella and campylobacter risk
• Raw shellfish due to salmonella, campylobacter, and toxoplasmosis risk
• Unwashed fruits and veggies due to toxoplasmosis and E. coli risk
• Raw poultry and rare meats due to salmonella, toxoplasmosis, campylobacter, and E. coli risk
• Smoked fish due to Listeria risk
• Pâté due to Listeria risk
• Raw, unpasteurized milk and its byproducts due to Listeria and campylobacter risk
• Deli meats due to Listeria risk

The list of foods you should stay away from while pregnant may seem long, but it boils down to four main guidelines: cook any meats you eat well, wash your produce thoroughly (or try a vinegar rinse ), and wait to indulge in deli meats and raw-milk cheeses until after your due date. You can read more about things to avoid during pregnancy on our blog.

Get the News You Crave with SneakPeek

Pregnancy cravings can hit at any point during a pregnancy, but they tend to follow a pattern: they hit the hardest in the first trimester, accelerate in the second, and taper off in the third. While pregnancy cravings aren’t a sign you’re having a girl or a sign of having a boy, they can be a fun way to try and make a guess.

If you’re anxious to learn the sex of your baby, you don’t have to rely on pregnancy lore to get the answers you’re looking for. SneakPeek’s DNA-Based At-Home Gender Test can tell you your baby’s gender as soon as 6 weeks into your pregnancy—before your first sonogram, and just as those first food cravings are beginning to take off!

SneakPeek is also the OBGYN’s #1 pick for at-home gender prediction tests, trusted by more than 1 million moms for its over 99% clinically-proven accuracy1, complete privacy protection, and fast turnaround times.