Early Prenatal Stress = Higher Chance of Giving Birth to Girl? JFF

Updated on December 09, 2011
E.D. asks from Olympia, WA
12 answers

Just read an article, which argues that women are more likely to give birth to a girl after having had stress in early pregnancy. I have heard similar ideas in the past, but have no idea how well founded they are.

Anyway, I was curious and just thought it would be fun to see if this "rule" holds true for you all: Did you experience high levels of stress during the early portion of your pregnancy? Did you have a boy or a girl?

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So What Happened?

http://health.usnews.com/health-news/family-health/brain-...

Riley's post was illuminating! I suppose my question isn't very Just For Fun, considering the def. of stress that she gives.

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C.W.

answers from Washington DC on

After reading this article, my thought is that it is saying that women who are carrying boys that undergo large amounts of stress are more likely to miscarry than if they are carrying a girl, therefore there is a higher chance of "delivering" a girl if you are carrying one rather than a boy. The babies gender is already decided upon conception, so the amount of stress does not predict whether you will have a boy or a girl.

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K.M.

answers from Chicago on

If that were true than I would have an explosion of PINK not robots, blocks and video games! When I found out I was pregnant I was recovering from back surgery, was going back to a high stress 60hr a wk job in management, my son's father and I were not married, had only been together a year when we conceived (yes, I knew the risk, yes there was protection involved) so the stress of the situation, his job and band, our living situation (the band lived with us in a largish home and we were not ready to tell everyone yet!), Oh and scared that I may miscarry since I had before and was told I can not carry beyond the first trimester years ago. I think that qualifies for high stress and I "shoulda had a girl" but, I also KNEW with out a doubt that I was going to have a boy and boy was I happy about that - always wanted to be a mother to a son! Oh and yes, his father and I are together, and strong almost 7yrs and counting!

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J.B.

answers from Boston on

Riley, that's the most interesting thing I've read in a long time...thank you for sharing!

FWIW, the headline of the article could be re-written to something like "stress in pregnancy more likely to cause miscarriage of male fetuses than female fetuses." It doesn't seem to indicate that stress causes more girl pregnancies, just that girl babies are more likely to survive to birth than boys.

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L.F.

answers from San Francisco on

Not true at all. I had HUGE loads of stress with my 1st--- boy and my 2nd boy, and am under a bit more stress with my 3rd that I am currently pregnant with --girl. So....I think its not a factor. At least in my case.

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A.G.

answers from Boston on

I was extremely stressed while pregnant with my daughter due to hubby leaving me at 2 mos preggers etc... so maybe true????? lol...

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K.P.

answers from Seattle on

Not true in my case. I was HIGHLY stressed throughout my pregnancy start to finish due to my husband being deployed in Afghanistan and things happening. And we had a boy.

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C.W.

answers from Santa Barbara on

Like Sue pointed out, the gender doesn't change after conception.

J.U.

answers from Washington DC on

I was stressed out pretty bad during the 1st 6-7 months of pregnancy. My grandfather died, which was the very BEST man (other then my husband) that I have ever known, and my cat had cancer through out her entire body. I had this cat since I was 13 and she wasn't showing any signs of being sick other then this tumor on her armpit. I had to make a decision at about 7 months. It was a very stressful and emotional time.

In the end I had a handsome little boy.

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B..

answers from Dallas on

It didn't pan out that way for me or any of my sisters. We all had some pretty extreme stress (all pregnant at the same time) in the beginning of our pregnancies, with a family situation. Besides, the gender is already decided, before we even know of the pregnancy...that theory doesn't even make sense to me.

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K.L.

answers from Savannah on

Not true for my case . . . my husband had signed his papers for the army right before we found out about the baby. He was gone the entire pregnancy which was very stressful for both of us, especially since it was our first pregnancy.

However . . . I have not met one women who did not feel like she was under a lot of stress while pregnant, so I am guessing you will get about 50/50 with the answers!

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T.N.

answers from Portland on

Sorry, I must call Kings X. The only factor in determining whether a baby is a boy or girl happens before 6 weeks and is the X/Y chromosome.

Not nearly as fun, but at least it is scientific:-)

T.

J.W.

answers from St. Louis on

Nope. I was pretty much stress free with my daughters. I didn't check the link but how can that make sense, the gender is already determined by the time you are pregnant.

Oh no more of less with the boys.

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