Though some parents-to-be would rather find out their baby’s sex on the big day, tons of others want the results right away! Guessing a baby’s sex has become something of a pastime too, with so many myths and signs you’re supposed to look out for determining whether your baby’s a boy or a girl. From high tummy vs low tummy to the pregnancy “glow”, you’ve probably heard them all!
Another thing people like to look into? Morning sickness, or a lack thereof. Some folks believe that bad morning sickness means you’re more likely to have a baby girl in your belly, while no vomiting during pregnancy almost always means you’re carrying a boy. But is there hard evidence to prove that this theory is true? Or is it just another old wives’ tale? Let’s find out!
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Health-Wise, What Does No Vomiting During Pregnancy Mean?
In regards to mum and baby’s health, morning sickness doesn’t really prove much.
Nausea and vomiting in pregnancy, or morning sickness, often happens around the sixth week of pregnancy. How long does it last? It usually dies down around the 14th week, but for some women, it can last much longer. The most common cause of morning sickness is an increase in hormones – particularly human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) and estrogen. Other factors include stress, fatigue, and lower blood sugar levels.
Some women develop hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) during their pregnancy. This is akin to a severe form of morning sickness where they experience weight loss and dehydration along with usual nausea and vomiting. It’s also chronic and, in extreme cases, can last pretty much all day and throughout the pregnancy. There isn’t a known cause for HG, but some believe it also has to do with increased levels of HCG.
Now, despite the annoying and sometimes debilitating nature of morning sickness and HG, some believe that it’s a sign that your both body and your baby are developing healthily. See, when a pregnant woman’s body experiences an increase in HCG and estrogen, it means that it’s working hard to create a nurturing environment for the baby to grow and develop.
On the flip side, if you haven’t experienced feeling nauseous even though you’re in the timeframe for when you’re supposed to feel it, don’t worry too much. There really isn’t any evidence to prove that lack of morning sickness shows any problems with the development and health of your baby.
So, should you be looking at morning sickness to determine your baby’s health? Definitely not. Regular check-ups with your doctor should provide you with definitive results on your health!
Bad Morning Sickness: Boy vs Girl?
So morning sickness can’t tell you much about your baby’s health, but can it help you figure out the sex? You’ve probably heard that old wives’ tale: Bad morning sickness = girl, while no morning sickness = boy. But what does science have to say about that? Are you sick more with a girl or a boy?
Sorry to burst your bubble, but there is actually not a lot of research to support this theory. There was a study from the ‘90s that found that women with HG were more likely to give birth to baby girls. However, a study in 2013 later found that out of 2,450 pregnancies, nearly 80 percent of these women experienced morning sickness with boys in their bellies. That’s conflicting data right there.
So How Else Can You Determine Your Baby’s Sex?
Enough with the myths and old wives’ tales. There’s only one cheap and surefire way to determine your baby’s gender – the ultrasound. Sure, you must wait till the 18th week of your pregnancy to find out, but you’ll (literally) be getting a clear image of your baby’s sex this way.
Another method that lets you discover your baby’s sex before birth is chorionic villus sampling (CVS), where doctors take a few cells from your placenta. However, CVS is usually done only when you’re genetically predisposed to certain illnesses and there is a possibility you may pass them on to your child. CVS helps find genetic and chromosomal disorders such as Down’s syndrome and cystic fibrosis and disorders linked to sex.
Morning Sickness Cures
Here are some ways you can experience relief from nausea and vomiting in the first trimester:
- Avoid taking your prenatal vitamins in the morning, especially when you’re hungry. Instead, take your vitamins at night on a full stomach.
- Avoid foods that upset your stomach, including excessively salty, oily, fatty, and spicy foods.
- Try natural remedies such as drinking ginger tea to calm your stomach and smelling essential oils to reduce nausea.
- Eat small, frequent meals rather than the usual three meals a day.
- Get some exercise early in the morning.
Conclusion
The next time a pregnant friend asks what no vomiting during pregnancy means, you’ve got the answers. Health-wise, mild or non-existent morning sickness isn’t indicative of any problems. And with the baby’s sex, nausea and vomiting during pregnancy haven’t been proven to be reliable enough signs to determine whether a baby is a boy or a girl. It’s best to seek a doctor and wait for an ultrasound.
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