Sep 192012


There has long been speculation regarding whether a mother’s diet influenced the gender of the baby. While there is a pretty big body of folklore to suggest that it does, the scientific community has largely rejected the notion until recently.

In 2007-2008, the Universities of Exeter and Oxford conducted a study to examine the relationship between a woman’s diet and the gender of her baby. The studies seem to show some direct relations between how a mother eats and the gender of babies she conceives.

The difference wasn’t so significant as to suggest that you can determine the gender of your baby by changing your eating habits. Still, it can give you a better idea of which gender of baby you are more likely to conceive.

The study considered 750 women, all of whom were pregnant with their first child. Each of the women’s eating habits was considered. The main factor (as far as diet is concerned) in determining gender appeared to be the amount of Caloric intake (i.e., how much the mother had eaten) before conception. Generally speaking, the study found:

  • Women with higher Caloric intakes were more likely to give birth to boys.
  • Women with lower Caloric intakes were more likely to give birth to girls.

So, if you’re a healthy eater who makes sure to have a good breakfast every morning, you’re more likely to have a bouncing baby boy. If you skip meals regularly and go out of your way to make sure you fit into that size 4 swimsuit, you’re more likely to need some pink paint for the nursery.

The differences in probability aren’t huge, but they’re enough to be significant. In the study, the women who ate more were 56% percent likely to have boys, compared to 45% for those women with the lowest Caloric intake.

Can you accurately predict the gender of your baby based on your eating habits? No, but you may be able to make a guess that’s slightly better than 50/50. We don’t recommend you bet the rent on it. Wait until you get the ultrasound to do that (they’re 90% accurate). Still, any help predicting the gender of the baby is good help, right?

