Is it a boy or girl? As far as pregnancy ponders go gender ranks pretty high on the list. Unfortunately, the majority of gender prediction methods are a guess at best relying on the fact that, well, their chances are always 50 percent. During my fourth pregnancy (which happened to be a girl after three boys), I got tired of Chinese gender charts and silly heart beat questions. Of course, that didn’t stop me from wishing I had a way to get even a little hint at what gender my baby would be. That’s why I decided to take my research on gender swaying and create a quiz that determines if you are more likely to have a boy or girl based on science.
This quiz can also be used prior to pregnancy to determine if you’re more likely to conceive a boy or girl, because almost all of the factors considered occur prior to conception. Only one question relates to pregnancy symptoms. You are welcome to read more about the reasoning and research behind our baby gender quiz on our page on gender swaying here and more about pregnancy symptoms and gender here.
For entertainment only:
It’s important to note that the factors used in this quiz, while supported by research, do not guarantee you’ll conceive one gender or another. They simply increase the chances. This quiz is purely for entertainment purposes and shouldn’t be used to say, paint your nursery in non-gender neutral colors. If you’re also curious if some other baby gender prediction methods have any scientific basis, look beyond the start quiz button.
Anyway, no strings, rings, or complicated charts, let’s get started….
The myth: A heart beat over 140 is a girl, under is a boy.
The facts:
There have been two major studies into fetal heart beat in regards to gender, and both found there was absolutely no difference in heart beat between girls and boys. A baby’s heart beat can be affected by fetal age, your blood sugar, and your blood pressure. If you were to check your babies heart rate, drink some apple juice, and check again shortly thereafter, assuming this myth was fact, your baby would likely switch genders!
Does carrying low or high predict gender?
Myth: If you’re carrying high, you’re having a girl, low, a boy.
The facts:
Most moms can vouch that babies move, a lot, but in reality whether or not you have a low basket-ball bump or a high no-show-er depends on your body, not your baby’s. Women with strong abdominal tone (often first time moms) frequently carrying higher, while women who have already had children tend to carrying lower and show sooner as their abdominal wall is already stretched. Your height and weight as well as your baby’s size and position in the womb can also affect how you carry.
Can cravings predict gender?
Myth: Sweet cravings mean it’s a girl. Salty cravings are for boys.
The facts:
Pregnancy cravings often change on a whim and are not affected by gender. Many assert that food cravings are either hormonal or as a result of deficiencies, but there is actually little to support this. The leading guess at what causes pregnancy cravings is cultural expectation. Here is an in-depth look at research on the subject.
Intelligender is a urine-based gender prediction test touted to predict gender as early as 10 weeks. It takes 10 minutes, and does this all for a low price of about $37. The question then becomes, does Intelligender work? Are there any studies into Intelligender accuracy? Is it legit or just a sad monetary preying on the desperation of pregnant women to know the gender of their baby just a smidge early. I know as a mom who had a girl after three boys I would have loved to know that 4th baby’s gender 10 weeks before my gender ultrasound. So, let’s dig into Intelligender a bit.
What is Intelligender?
Intelligender’s site is a bit vague on what exactly it is. They simple state it’s a “proprietary” mix of chemicals that react with hormones in your urine. These chemicals lead the urine to change to either orange (it’s a girl) or green (it’s a boy.) Use of Intelligender is then as simple as peeing in a cup just like the pregnancy test you took to confirm your pregnancy.
Is Intelligender accurate?
Hormone levels do differ in ways based on the gender of your baby, we talk about this a bit in our piece on gender and pregnancy symptoms. However, while a study did show that in women pregnant with girls hCG levels are around 18 percent higher as early as 3 weeks, women pregnant with males still have hCG in their system. The researchers in the cited study even state that elevated hCG levels cannot reliably be used to predict gender.
It’s also true that in male infants testosterone levels begin to rise more so than in female infants around week 7, peaking between weeks 9 to 11 to prompt external gender development, but even with blood sampling, these levels were only sufficient to detect gender in 28 percent of male pregnancies and 5 percent of female pregnancies with 95.5 percent accuracy—with a blood sample, not a urine dip stick.
This means that it is quite literally impossible based on well, science, that Intelligender actually works. So, why are there so many women saying it worked for them? Probability. Everyone has a roughly 50/50 shot at a girl or a boy. This means Intelligender will be right at least 50 percent of the time just by sheer coincidence. It’s nice they at least state on their website that Intelligender may not predict gender with 100 percent accuracy—hah, I’d say so.
So, should you try Intelligender?
There’s no risk to trying Intelligender or others like it minus spending a little less then $40. If you want to do that for funsies, I suppose it’s no different than the commonly suggested Chinese birth chart or swinging a needle. Just keep the notes on accuracy you’ve learned here today in mind.
I remember the first time I experienced spotting during pregnancy. My heart dropped, and my mind automatically jumped to the conclusion I was miscarrying, but vaginal bleeding while pregnant is actually quite common. In fact, around 25 percent of women, or 1 in 4, experience it during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.
Note: If you are not sure if you are pregnant and curious if what you are seeing is your period, implantation bleeding, or pregnancy spotting, you may find this page on what looks like a period while pregnant more helpful. This post is more aimed at spotting after a confirmed pregnancy in the first trimester. Bleeding during pregnancy in later trimesters is also covered here.
The probable causes of bleeding in pregnancy vary by what trimester it occurs in. This article covers three major time periods as well as the prevalence of pregnancy bleeding and risk factors. You can click any of the anchors below to jump to the section for your applicable stage of pregnancy or desired topic.
Bleeding during pregnancy in the first trimester (First month to about month 3):
Cervical changes
Blood flow to the cervix (the opening between the vaginal canal and uterus) increases during pregnancy. This can make it more prone to minor damage. Things such as sex, dilation or position checks, PAP smears, and even excessive physical activity, which may have triggered small contractions, can cause spotting during pregnancy.
You should always mention any bleeding to your care provider, though short-term spotting is not often a cause for concern, especially if it was just once and after an activity that may have affected your cervix.
Progesterone dip
Around week 6 the placenta begins to take over production of progesterone. Sometimes during this time, there is a slight and temporary progesterone dip that can cause light bleeding in pregnancy. This is the most common time for spotting during pregnancy to occur.
Infection
Infections that may cause inflammation to the cervix or vaginal canal can also cause spotting during pregnancy. These may include common infections, such as yeast infections and bacterial vaginosis, as well as sexually transmitted diseases such as herpes, gonorrhea, and chlamydia. Spotting accompanied by foul-smelling discharge, itching, skin rashes, or warts may be a good tip-off this is what you’re dealing with, though not all infections present with symptoms.
Subchronic hematoma
A subchronic hematoma is a pocket of blood or blood clot within the uterine wall. This cause of spotting might sound a bit scary, but in most cases, subchronic hematomas are minor and resolve on their own. Bleeding from a uterine hematoma may be as light as spotting or heavy with clots depending on severity. Ultrasound is usually used to confirm that severity.
Hematomas are another type of pregnancy bleeding sometimes mistaken for a period because they can cause heavier and repeated bleeds. These bleeds would still not be rhythmic, occurring around the same time each month.
Ectopic pregnancy
Sadly, there are a few causes of spotting during pregnancy that are bad news. Ectopic pregnancy, where the baby has implanted somewhere outside of the uterus, such as the fallopian tube, is one of those causes. Ectopic pregnancy can cause long-term fertility issues and even be life-threatening, so the earlier it’s discovered, the better. Symptoms of ectopic pregnancy in addition to bleeding or spotting may include severe cramping, abdominal pain, lightheadedness, and a pregnancy test that is positive, then negative.
Molar Pregnancy
Keeping up with those bad news causes of spotting during pregnancy, molar pregnancy occurs when tissue (a tumor) begins to grow within the uterine wall causing a positive pregnancy test.
Molar pregnancies are rare and caused by chromosomal abnormalities within the fertilized egg. In addition to spotting, symptoms may include:
Severe nausea or vomiting
High blood pressure
Measuring large (rapid uterine growth)
Passing of cysts
Pelvic pain or pressure
Very high hCG levels
Miscarriage
Finally, spotting during pregnancy can indeed be caused by miscarriage, whether missed or impending. Keep in mind that in almost all cases, nothing was done to cause or can be done to prevent early miscarriage. The most common cause is chromosomal abnormality.
Bleeding during pregnancy in the second or third trimester
While bleeding during pregnancy during the first month of pregnancy, and throughout the first trimester even, is quite common and usually not cause for concern, most of the cases later in pregnancy are far rarer, but also often less benign, unfortunately.
Placenta abruption
Placental abruption occurs when the placenta partially or completely separates from the uterine wall before birth. This can deprive the baby of nutrients and oxygen. Minor abruptions can be managed with rest.
Uterine rupture
Uterine rupture is most common in women who have previously had a c-section and is rare even in that case. Uterine rupture happens most frequently during active labor and is life-threatening to both mother and child. Given this, it requires an emergency c-section.
Placenta Previa
Placenta previa occurs when the placenta partially or completely covers the cervix. Depending on the severity of placenta previa, treatment may range from bed rest at home without physical exertion or sex to emergency c-section.
Incompetent cervix:
An incompetent cervix, sometimes called a weak cervix, may attempt to open or open before the end of the pregnancy. This condition is present throughout pregnancy but isn’t typically symptomatic (causing bleeding during pregnancy) until the baby becomes large enough to begin placing weight on the cervix. Incompetent cervix is one of the most common causes of second-trimester losses. You may notice increased pressure as if your baby has dropped into your pelvis, a change in discharge prior to spotting or bleeding, back pain, or contractions. An incompetent cervix can be stitched to prevent preterm labor if caught early enough.
Miscarriage or Premature labor
Before 20 weeks, an attempted loss or loss is still referred to as a threatened miscarriage or miscarriage. After 20 weeks, it’s referred to as premature labor. All the above-mentioned causes of bleeding during pregnancy can also be a cause of miscarriage or preterm labor. Certain infections, abdominal trauma, and chromosomal abnormalities can also be to blame, but in other cases, no cause is known. Take heart, however, in knowing the current rate of miscarriage after a heartbeat is seen at 8 weeks is a mere 1 percent.
As mentioned earlier on this page, bleeding during pregnancy, any bleeding, no matter how slight, should be reported to your care provider. Light bleeding during pregnancy is very likely no cause for concern. Heavy bleeding can be more serious, but either way, better safe than sorry.
How common is bleeding during pregnancy?
Surprisingly, I wouldn’t say there are a wealth of studies on this subject. From 1983 to 2023, 18 studies could be found (a full list of studies used in this piece, including summaries and links, can be found at the end of this page).
The observed rate of bleeding during pregnancy varied from 7 to 27 percent. As a result, 1 in 4 pregnant women is considered an accurate estimate by most sources for the prevalence of early pregnancy bleeding.
What type of bleeding is most common in pregnancy, and when it is most likely to occur?
Bleeding described as spotting or light accounts for roughly 90 percent of all pregnancy bleeding. Bleeding is most common in the first trimester, occurs only once, lasts one to two days, and is most frequently seen between weeks 5 and 8. This is suggested to be because around that time, the placenta takes over progesterone production, and a slight, temporary progesterone dip may result. It’s likely this common flow, duration, and timing is why so many women suspect they are still having or have had a light period.
Bleeding in pregnancy is sporadic, without a timely occurrence like a period, though episodes in the first trimester are also frequently seen around the time the next period after conception would have occurred.
What are the likely outcomes of pregnancy bleeding?
Unfortunately, in studies that examined the outcome of pregnancy bleeding, a similar pregnancy loss rate of around 50 percent was found. The rate of miscarriage in all pregnant women is estimated at between 10 and 25 percent, so it’s important to note that no studies found bleeding in pregnancy to cause miscarriage. Rather, it’s the other way around. Miscarriage is one possible cause of bleeding in pregnancy. Rates of loss were higher in those who experienced heavy bleeding and/or bleeding that exceeded 4 days.
In second-trimester bleeding, the chances of preterm labor, C-section, and low birth weight also increase.
What are the risk factors for bleeding during pregnancy?
Rates of bleeding in pregnancy are higher:
-In those older than 35
-When carrying multiples
-If you have had previous miscarriages
-When you have hormonal conditions or symptoms of hormonal imbalance, such as PCOS, fibroids, very long/short cycles, etc.
-If you have uterine abnormalities
-In those with diabetes
-With vaginal infections.
Studies on Bleeding During Pregnancy
Below is a list of studies done on bleeding during pregnancy with quick summaries of the rate of bleeding that was found and any other noteworthy points, such as when the bleeding occurred, whether it was light or heavy, how long it lasted, risk factors, etc.
Note: A University library login was used to read many of these studies. Some may not offer full access for free without a login. I only included studies here I was able to read. If you find others and would like them included, please contact me. The percentage shown in bold is the rate of pregnancy bleeding.
I do my best to respond to comments within 48 hours. All comments are moderated. Please remember, I am not a doctor nor a replacement for medical care. I can’t tell you what’s causing your spotting over the internet. I do have a medical background (medical assisting) and am a mother of four who struggled with infertility as well as multiple miscarriages. However, I am not a doctor nor claim to be one.
