Have you recently found out that you are expecting? If so, then you probably have a million and one questions and concerns running through your mind. One of your main questions is probably what gender your new baby is going to be. Will you have a boy or a girl? Will you be having multiples?
There are so many racing thoughts and questions that will run through your mind throughout your pregnancy. Is your baby okay? Did you accidentally drink before finding out you were pregnant? Will your pregnancy go smoothly? Any and all questions that you have are absolutely legitimate and can be addressed by your OB/GYN.
One of the biggest questions that you may have about your pregnancy is what gender you are having.
A baby’s gender can be seen via ultrasound between weeks 15 and 20 of your pregnancy. Sometimes, if you receive an earlier ultrasound for dating reasons then your OB may be able to give you an educated guess on the baby’s gender.
However, your baby’s genitals do not completely form enough to determine the sex of the baby until later on in your pregnancy.
If you are dying to know the gender of your baby and you can’t wait until your official ultrasound, then you can try a few old wives tales to see what gender you are having. Keep in mind though, that the old wives tales and myths surrounding a baby’s gender aren’t foolproof and may not be accurate.
One of the most common tests that women do to determine the gender of their baby is the ring test. This test uses your wedding ring in order to determine if you are having a baby girl or a baby boy.
All you need for the ring test is a wedding ring, or any type of ring, and a string. You also need another person to help you with the ring test.
How to Perform the Ring Test
To perform the ring test to determine your baby’s gender, simply have your partner tie a string to yours or their wedding ring.
Next, you should lie down on a bed or a couch and get comfortable. Have your partner hold the ring over your belly and both of you should try to hold as still as possible.
Allow the wedding ring to spin and move on its own without any help from you or your partner. The movements of the ring will help determine the gender of your baby.
Predicting the Results of the Ring Test
Predicting the ring test is very easy. If your wedding ring moves in a circular motion when it is held over your belly, then it is likely that you are carrying a girl. If the ring moves back and forth in a line, then you may actually be carrying a boy.
Remember though, the ring test isn’t foolproof, so your results may not be the same as your ultrasound results later in your pregnancy.
Unfortunately, science hasn’t proved that the ring test is very accurate. It is an old wives tale that can be a fun baby shower game or a fun thing to do with your husband. However, even if science can’t back up the ring test, it has worked for millions of women.
Take your own results with a grain of salt, and don’t go and decorate your entire nursery due to the results, but you can have a bit of fun with the test.
Ideomotor Movements and the Ring Test
One of the main reasons that the ring test is not considered super accurate is due to a phenomenon known as ideomotor movements. These types of movements are small muscle movements that occur without you even knowing that they are happening. Many people believe that these muscle movements are due to your subconscious.
This means, that if your husband is helping you with the ring test and really, really wants a little boy, then he may subconsciously move his hands back and forth to cause the ring to move back and forth.
However, if this happens, the muscle movements would be so small that you nor he would be able to see the muscle movements or know that they are happening.
Ideomotor movements can easily be taken out of the equation if you have multiple people perform the ring test on your belly. Plus, having all of your family members perform the ring test is a fun and simple way to help your family members connect with your pregnancy and your baby.
Keep tabs on the results of each test and then compare them with your actual ultrasound to see just how accurate the ring test is for you and your family.
