Technology today has taken the guessing and wondering out of much of many of the questions surrounding the development of the fetus in the womb. With the advent and constant enhancement of ultrasound technology we now have a virtual window into the womb so much so that we can see the face of an unborn child before he or she ever arrives. But it was not always so.

In the not too distant past there were many myths and predictions regarding pregnancy and what the expectant mother was exposed to. Even the symptoms of pregnancy were purported to contain clues to the appearance and health of the unborn child. These predictions were delivered with a knowing expression and a tone of certainty by women who had become experts based on the fact that they had already given birth. Some of these tales are still circulating today.

While some of the old wives tales are downright humorous, while others were at the least a little bit risky. Let’s take a look at a few of them to see which, if any, are based on fact.

A lot of the most common tales deal with, of course, gender prediction. For instance, those of us who gave birth to our children before the advent of the ultrasound will no doubt remember being told that we were having a boy if our little bundle of joy had settled low. If our baby bump was up high under the rib cage the older women observed our forms knowingly and declared that we were having a girl. The truth of the matter is that the mother’s muscle tone and body structure determine where the baby bump will be positioned on her body. The little one growing on the inside doesn’t get to pick a favorite location because they are one gender or the other.

Another predictor of gender was the baby’s heart rate, which was able to be heard long before the advent of the ultrasound and fetal heart rate monitor by means of a stethoscope. A rapid heart rate was purported to be a guarantee that the expectant mother was going to deliver a boy, while a slower heart rate was attributed to a girl baby. Many a mother was surprised to learn that her boy was actually a girl that had perhaps raised her heart rate by a vigorous kicking session as the Dr. was checking her heart rate.

A third at home predictor of a baby’s gender no doubt must have originated from the tradition known as water-witching to determine the location of water underground. In this particular variation a needle or the mother’s wedding ring was suspended over the expectant mother’s baby belly tied to a thread or string. If the suspended needle or ring swung back and forth the administrator of the test deemed the baby a girl, while a horizontal or circular motion meant the baby was surely a boy.

Whether or not the baby would be born plus or minus hair on its little head was also the subject of an old wives tale. If the expectant mother experienced a lot of heartburn, her child was supposedly destined to have a head full of thick hair. No heartburn meant a bald little newborn according to this tale.

One particularly disturbing tale before the advent of the home urine test was that a sure indication of whether or not a woman was pregnant was to mix urine with Drano to see what color the liquid turned. The problem was that there seemed to be no general agreement as to what color meant a positive result. Mixing anything with Drano is not particularly a smart idea, but many did that very thing in an effort to find out the answer to the age old question of baby or no baby. Thank God for home pregnancy tests.

Another popular wives tale was that a pregnant woman was not to bathe because of the risk of bacteria invading the womb. As medical knowledge progressed it was discovered that a mucous plug protects the unborn child in the womb and nothing from the bath water is going to invade the baby’s space.

One particularly hazardous tale that many pregnant women bought into back in the day and sometimes, unfortunately still do is that labor can be induced by ingesting a mixture of orange justice and castor oil. That combination often does result in a trip to the hospital, but it is sadly not labor, but just a tummy ache brought on by the vile combination.

While it is tempting to listen to the advice of the women who have experienced childbirth long before us, modern medicine and technology is a much safer and much more credible source of information regarding pregnancy. Sorry, Granny.