Craving chocolate, biscuits or ice cream? Then you're probably having a girl. Can't resist chips, cheese or other savoury foods during pregnancy? Then according to a well-known old wives' tale, you must be expecting a boy.
It's a theory that has been passed down for generations. And sometimes it even seems to hold true. During my own three pregnancies, my food preferences were completely different. When I was expecting my daughter, I had a huge craving for croquettes and bread with sprinkles. During my second pregnancy, when I was expecting a boy, it was citrus fruits and mandarins. And during my third, also a boy, I had a much stronger craving for savoury food.
Coincidence? Or can your baby's sex really influence what you crave during pregnancy?
Do you get a girl if you crave sweets and a boy if you crave salt?
This well-known theory has actually been studied. In a study of 500 women, pregnancy cravings were compared with the sex of their baby. Of the women who craved sweets, 64 per cent had a girl. Among women who mainly craved salt, 57.7 per cent had a boy.
This seems to support the well-known old wives' tale. Until you look at all the results.
The researchers found no statistically significant link between cravings and the baby's sex. For example, the distribution for citrus fruits was almost equal: 47.5 per cent had a boy and 52.5 per cent had a girl.
So my huge craving for lemons and mandarins during my pregnancy with a son? Scientifically speaking, it was mostly a fun coincidence.
But what causes pregnancy cravings?
Surprisingly, we still don't know exactly. We do know that pregnancy can affect taste, smell, appetite and food preferences. Your metabolism changes and your body continuously adapts to the growth of your baby.
Nausea also seems to play a role, especially with food aversions. Research shows that nausea and a sudden intolerance of certain foods often start around the same time. No such clear link was found for cravings.
Even more interesting is that your preferences can change during pregnancy. Earlier research found savoury cravings relatively often early in pregnancy, while many women's preference for sweets became stronger around the second trimester. The need for salt seems to increase later in pregnancy.
What you crave may therefore say more about the stage of your pregnancy and how your body is responding to it than about whether you're having a boy or a girl.
Why does one pregnant woman crave chocolate while another craves mandarins?
There doesn't seem to be a single explanation. Hormones and changes in taste and smell may play a role, but so do what you are used to eating and which foods you find pleasant when you feel nauseous, for example.
This is also evident when researchers compare pregnant women from different countries. Cravings are not the same everywhere. Some studies mention chocolate, sweets and fast food frequently, while in other parts of the world, sour fruits or locally popular foods are at the top of the list.
This also makes the well-known explanation that a craving simply means your body is deficient in a certain nutrient less likely. So craving chocolate does not automatically mean you are deficient in magnesium, and craving oranges does not automatically mean your body needs more vitamin C.
Can a boy or girl make no difference at all?
There are some indications that the baby's sex is associated with minor differences during pregnancy.
In a study of 244 pregnant women, the average energy intake of women expecting a boy was about 10 per cent higher than that of women expecting a girl. The researchers found no greater difference in weight gain.
This does not mean that being extremely hungry automatically means you're having a boy. The study only shows that it is biologically plausible that a pregnancy with a boy or girl may have slightly different effects on the mother's body. Whether this then also causes specific cravings, such as salt with a boy and sweets with a girl, has not been shown.
What do cravings for sweets or salt actually indicate?
Above all, that you are pregnant with a body working at full capacity. Your blood volume increases, the placenta grows, your metabolism changes and your baby constantly needs nutrients to develop.
This is why it is more important to look at your overall diet than at a single craving. During pregnancy, folic acid, vitamin D, iodine, calcium, iron and omega-3 fatty acids, among others, deserve extra attention.
And of course, not every craving needs to be healthy. If you suddenly have an enormous craving for bread with sprinkles, there doesn't need to be any complicated physical explanation for it. Sometimes you just want bread with sprinkles.
Can cravings predict whether you're having a boy or a girl?
No. Based on current research, you cannot reliably predict whether you're having a boy or a girl from cravings for sweets, salt, sour foods or savoury foods.
That doesn't mean it's not still fun to compare during pregnancy. In some studies, craving sweets when expecting a girl and savoury foods when expecting a boy appears strikingly common. However, the differences are not strong or consistent enough to make a reliable prediction.
Frequently asked questions about cravings and your baby's sex
1. Does craving sweets during pregnancy mean you're having a girl?
No. Although the well-known old wives' tale says that craving chocolate, ice cream and other sweet foods is associated with having a girl, there is no reliable scientific evidence to support this. In a study of 500 pregnant women, 64 per cent of those who preferred sweets did indeed have a girl. However, when all cravings and pregnancies were compared statistically, no significant link was found between cravings and the baby's sex. So craving sweets can occur when expecting both boys and girls.
2. Does craving salt or savoury foods during pregnancy mean you're having a boy?
This also cannot be reliably predicted. In the same study, 57.7 per cent of women who craved salt had a boy, but again, the overall link between cravings and sex was not significant. Food preferences can change during pregnancy. For example, research shows that a preference for salt may increase later in pregnancy. So craving chips, cheese or other savoury foods may therefore have much more to do with changes during pregnancy than with your baby's sex.
3. Can your diet before pregnancy influence the chances of having a boy or a girl?
Some studies have found links between a mother's diet before conception and the sex of her baby. For example, a British study associated higher energy intake before pregnancy with a greater chance of having a boy. However, this does not prove that diet causes the sex of the baby or that you can influence it yourself. The genetic sex is determined at conception by the combination of sex chromosomes: the egg provides an X chromosome and the sperm provides an X or Y chromosome. There is currently no proven diet that can reliably increase the chances of having a boy or a girl naturally.
4. Does a strong craving during pregnancy mean you are deficient in a nutrient?
Not necessarily. It sounds logical that craving chocolate would indicate a magnesium deficiency or craving fruit would indicate a need for vitamin C, but there is insufficient scientific evidence to support this. Cravings seem to be associated with a combination of changes in taste, smell, appetite, hormones, metabolism, habits and cultural factors. A craving is therefore not a reliable way to identify a vitamin deficiency. If you have noticeable symptoms during pregnancy or are concerned about deficiencies, targeted blood tests can sometimes provide more information. Craving non-food substances, such as earth or clay (pica), is something to discuss with your midwife or doctor.
