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Does Being Pregnant With a Boy Feel Different Than Being Pregnant With a Girl?

Post by Abby Katsev
Health + Wellness Mom's health Pregnancy
Does Being Pregnant With a Boy Feel Different Than Being Pregnant With a Girl?

Pregnant and not yet sure if you'll be welcoming a baby boy or a little girl? If so, you've probably heard something along the lines of 'you have no acne, you're definitely having a boy!' or 'oh you had morning sickness? It's definitely a girl.'

There are plenty of old wives tales where predicting a baby's sex is concerned, from theories about what a pregnant woman is craving to how she's carrying her baby bump. Is there a tremendous amount of scientific evidence to support any of these ideas? Well...no. But there are many, many believers, and some moms swear up and down that being pregnant with a boy is a totally different experience than being pregnant with a girl.

We handed it off to the women who would know best — the ones who have carried both baby boys and baby girls. Did their pregnancies differ based on their babies sexes? Here's what they had to say!

The mama who had totally different symptoms

'I had a very easy pregnancy . I did not really have any uncomfortable symptoms or major cravings. My only negative symptom was acne (old wives tales that say that is a girl symptom were wrong). I carried mostly in my belly and felt great up until delivery. When I got pregnant with my daughter, it was a totally different experience! I knew I was pregnant before I even took a test because of how I was feeling! I was nauseous and sick for most of the first trimester. I had a feeling was a girl immediately because my symptoms were so different from my pregnancy with my son. It was a much more difficult nine months. I was more tired and irritable, but ironically my skin was great!' - Talya, @themotherfix

The mama who had a tough time carrying her daughter

'I definitely had a harder pregnancy with my little girl than with my little boy. With my little boy, I had morning sickness until about 22 weeks, with my girl it was more like 28-29 weeks and it was way more intense. With my little girl's pregnancy, it seemed like I had ALL of the pregnancy complications too, gestational diabetes, gallbladder attacks, kidney stones, acid reflux, you name it. I got it. However, with my little boy, I avoided those, but I had migraines during the first trimester.' - McKinzie

The mama whose symptoms were pretty similar

'I was pregnant for the first time in 2013 with my daughter...that pregnancy was really easy. No morning sickness, no complications, just a little tired off and on. My labor and delivery were also very normal with no complications...Fast forward to 2016/2017 and the pregnancy with my son. It started off fairly similarly, just a little tired without any sickness. I was also hoping for a boy this time around, although the pregnancy didn't feel any different I did have more complications with this second pregnancy including gestational diabetes, and a lower placenta that thankfully moved up and wasn't an issue. ' - Amy, @thedailyhostess

The mama who had totally different cravings

'When I was pregnant with my boys, I craved jalapeno-stuffed olives every single day, to the point that I would push myself to excruciating heartburn. With my daughter, I craved more sweets and baked foods. Also, I noticed a difference in morning sickness -- I had none with my girl, but with my sons, I was throwing up every morning for months. I don't know whether this was coincidence or if there were actual biological differences. It does seem that the pregnancies were different, but there were a few years between each, so it probably just felt this way because of the changes my body had gone through.' - Ashley, @ashley.kimler

So here's what we take from all this: Sure, being pregnant with a baby girl can feel different than being pregnant with a little man. But does it always? Not necessarily! Consider this: Actress and singer Jana Kramer — already a mama to a gorgeous little girl — is expecting her second baby. She admitted that she assumed she was carrying another girl because of how rough her first trimester was, and how similar it felt to her baby girl's pregnancy. But as it turns out, Jana is set to welcome a baby boy. So those old wives tales don't always hold true.

'The way a woman carries a pregnancy is so subjective,' OB-GYN Dr. Kiarra King told us. 'Many women SWEAR they are having a boy or girl based on symptoms they experience. Alternatively, people will say they are having a boy or girl based on the fetal heart rate. While I think it can be fun to guess sex based on some of these, we really don’t base final gender determination on these things! We use ultrasound primarily, and some genetic screening tests can also help determine gender.'

There are so many factors that can affect how your pregnancy will go, from your age, to your lifestyle, to the simple matter of luck (there are women among us who sail through pregnancy without ever experiencing a hint of morning sickness!). So if you're trying to predict your baby's sex based on how your pregnancy feels, we have this advice for ya: Have fun with the theories and predictors. Ask your friends and family members for their best guesses. Even take a peek at the Chinese or Mayan gender predictor calendars if you're inclined...but hold off on buying sex-specific clothing and decor until a blood test and/or ultrasound gives you a clear answer.

 

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