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Baby Hints & Tips

Heart rates of babies in the womb

An old wives tales states that the  you can use fetal heart rate for gender prediction.  Do the heart rates of babies in the womb determine the sex as per the old wives tales or is there more to it?

fetal heart rate for gender prediction

Baby’s heart starts beating at around 6 weeks of age.  A baby’s fetal heart rate starts slow and gradually increases to between 120 and 160 beats per minute.  There is an old wives tale stating that the fetal heart rate can determine the sex of the baby.

Other old wives tale include using a wedding ring, weeing on Draino and a Chinese gender chart.

The old wives tale states that

  • If your baby’s fetal heart rate is UNDER 140 beats per minute you are having a boy
  • If your baby’s fetal heart rate is OVER 140 beats per minute you are having a girl.

So we asked our community is this a myth or did the fetal heart rate accurately predict your baby’s gender

Community Question:

Fetal heart rate for gender prediction – old wives tale was FALSE for me

  •  I reckon that’s a wives tale!!! My sons heart beat was always over 140 obviously was a boy. Mel
  •  Definitely not true.  Zoe
  •  My sons heartbeat was always high. Kylie
  • The old wives tale wasn’t true for my son.  Madeleine
  • Definitely old wives tale… My son was always 155-160… Though I did get told via ultrasound 8 separate times he was a girl… Great surprise but!!! Nays
  •  My DS had a high heart beat. Also a family friend was told this and thought she was having a girl till she had an ultrasound to determine the sex and that said boy! Heather

fetal heart rate determining sex of your baby

  •  My son was 165 most of the pregnancy. This pregnancy I was 160 then at last ultrasound 145. Don’t know sex yet. But I would love a dd as I already have a ds. but happy either way.  Sara
  • I’m a midwife, and this is definitely an old wives tale. Any OWT you have a 50% chance of being right anyways lol.  Zoe

  • Not true! I have a son and his fetal heart rate was always >140bpm.  Chloe
  •  My boys were 150-170 I’m pregnant with a girl this time and she’s usually around 120-130. Aysha
  • My little boy had a very high fetal heart rate!  Jessi
  • That’s just what it is, an old wives tale. My LB’s is 153. Tiffany
  • My boy’s fetal heart rate was 145. Kristy
  • Nope. My sons heart beat was usually 160 bpm.  Chantal
  • My bub is a boy and always had a heart rate in 150’s. Jackie
  • I had the same but closer to 150 ish and we have since found out we are having a boy lol. But it’s fun to guess! Things I noticed typical of boys is the hair on my legs grew really fast compared to usual lol! It’s fun to guess! I googled it and it’s a fun read.  Laura
  • Heart rate means nothing when it comes to being a boy or girl…. I kid you not I’m 36 weeks and my sister is 35 weeks we went and had a bonding ultrasound together she is having a boy and I’m having a girl and both heart beats were 144 bpm …  Try the Chinese baby sex calendar or the ring test.   Arnique
  • My sons heart rate was above 140 the whole way through and so was my daughters. Carla
  • Both my boys were around 150 and my daughter 125 –Sarah
  • Nope, my first born DD was always in the high 160+ But my second born DD she was in the low 120-130’s till we hit 30 weeks.  Samantha
  • I was told by all my midwives and health professionals that the heart beat was lower so I was having a boy. And I had a beautiful girl. I wouldn’t go off the heart rate. That and the fact I was having bub checked every two weeks. All thought boy. Hehe   Lisa
  • My sons heart beat was over 140. Sallie
  • My bubs is anywhere from 140-200 and it’s a boy! So I think it’s a load of pooh! I had a scan just a few days ago and it still had testical. Brooke
  • My Bubbas was always under 140 and she was a girl so it was wrong for us. Stacey
  • A friend told me that too while I was pregnant with twins so every appt I was always curious. Both heart rates were usually in the high 140’s or 150’s and I had two boys! Melissa
  • Sadly I was hoping so too…first 2 were in the low 130’s and were boys, so when this one was 150+ at each scan I was sure I was having a girl…but no, it’s another boy. Which secretly I’m thrilled about anyway…rather like knowing ill have lots of loving sons to look after me.  Camilla
  • Just went back and checked my card my little boys heart rate was always around 145-150. Jessica
  • Both of my pregnancies have been 140-160 beats per minute and both are boys, so not true. Nicole
  •  I’m expecting my first and have a lot of people telling me that cause the heart beat has always been 150-160 b/m it must be a girl (we’re hoping to find out this week as bub didn’t cooperate with our 19 week scan). I asked my midwife and she said that during labour girls tend to have a higher heart beat, but during pregnancy it doesn’t mean much at all.. Shannon

  • My sons heart rate 1st ultrasound was 169bpm, the next 3 ultrasounds I had his heart rate was 150bpm. Definitely an old wives tale. Ash
  • My son’s heart beat was always high, so wives tale wrong for us. Smash Lucas
  • My 2 boys both had higher heart rates than this bubba who is a girl. Kirsty
  • I thought it meant boy. Boys have a higher heart rate apparently but you will never know what it is till it’s born! Madeleine
  • Lol agree with Brooke I have two boys and their heart beats were around 160 it doesn’t mean a thing… Skye-Marie
  • I’m having a boy and his heartbeat is 160. Skye
  •  My babies heart beat was high I had a girl my friends babies heart beat was low, she had a boy! I don’t think you can count on it. Hannah
  • My DD heart rate was 155bpm it’s just a wives tale.  Jamie

Fetal heart rate predicted the gender of my baby

  • Fetal heart rate for gender prediction was right for my two children. My sons heart rate was 138 and daughter was 152.  Lauren
  •  It worked for me!!! My baby was a girl at 165 a girl. Kristy
  •  It worked for me, I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl last night and her heartbeat was 145bpm on average toward the end and higher at the start. Another old wives tale that worked for me was eating chilli to induce labour…I ate chilli con carne for dinner, 3 hours later I was in labour hahaha.  Kate
  •  My dd was always 140+ and they told me it means girl. And she was a girl. Emma
  •  My baby’s heart rate was over 140bpm at every appointment and every Doppler checked…and we were surprised with a little girl let’s see if it’s true for you.  Melissa
  •  Was right for my girl and boy. Alisha
  • My bubs heartbeat was 146 at 19 weeks, we’re having a girl. Dannielle

Read about parents success with other gender prediction methods and old wives tales and understand all the pregnancy related abbreviations used.

Share in the comments below if the heart rate of baby in the womb accurately predicted the gender of your baby

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After baby is born

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