Sunday, December 10, 2006

Old wives' tales, analyzed

Warning: belly shots appear later in this post.

Now, onto the topic of the title: old wives' tales, specifically those about gender prediction. Let's see how they did.

1. Higher heart rate = girl; lower heart rate = boy.

Clearly, the old wives failed me here. The heart rate of my little alien has consistently been on the high side - 150-160. I guess he's just high-strung like his mother.

2. Good skin = boy; bad skin = girl.

Give this one to the old wives. My skin has been very clear since BFP. Now, my skin isn't, say, as prone to eruptions as a teenaged fry cook's, but I do get a zit here and there. This isn't to say I look radiant - I am still as pasty as ever.

3. Morning sickness = either boy or girl, depending upon whom you ask.

I'd always heard that more morning sickness meant a girl, the theory being that you have more female hormones wreaking havoc on your body (which I think is the same idea behind #2). But some people swear that, no, it's boys that make morning sickness worse. I do know that with hyperemesis, girls are statistically more likely, though not by a huge amount (56% vs. 44% or so). So who knows how to score this one.

4. Craving for sweets = girl; craving for salty foods = boy

The old wives are clearly not to be trusted. I have heavily preferred sweets (during those times when I have been able to eat) to salty foods, although I do occasionally yearn for "all natural" cheet.os (those white puffy ones in a paper-ish bag).

I think that about covers it. Any other classics you've heard?

I continue to feel better, though not well. I am down to 16mg a day of Z0fran, but I still can't take a shit. On Friday, we went to my office holiday party, and I felt awful afterwards, although one can't help but guess that the all-fried menu (and my joyous embrace of it) might have had something to do with it. Chicken fingers, potato skins, etc. - mmmmmmm. I would have eaten 10 mozzarella sticks, too, if they'd had 'em.

Anyway, here are some belly shots - both at 17 weeks. One shows the bare belly, and the other gives you an idea of how I've been trying to camouflage it with clothes. Both pictures feature my new fleece yoga pants from Victo.ria's Se.cret - one of my friends told me these were all she'd worn in late pregnancy (well, she'd had the classic version, but it's cold here, so I went for fleece). I never ordered any since, well, I was never pregnant, but now that I have some, I can tell you that they would be PERFECT for day six onward of stims during a fresh IVF cycle. If only I'd known.

SHOT #1: The goods



















SHOT #2: Incognito (sort of)

6 comments:

Jane said...

Wow -- You have less belly at 17 weeks than I did at zero. ;-) I'm sure the camouflage is working just fine. I take it you haven't told anyone at work yet?

The only wives' tale that has proven inaccurate for me (and we still could get a delivery room surprise, I suppose...) is the ring on a string test, which may not be applicable for twins anyway, but which seemed to indicate a boy and a girl.

Michelle Falkoff said...

The MM will have less belly full-term than I do now, but I try not to think about it. Speaking of which--I have a couple of pairs of those yoga pants, non-fleece, that might serve well here, as well as previously-mentioned winter coats and sweaters...sad that my normal clothes will still swim on the MM in a pregnant state, but at least Larki doesn't have to bear the sole burden of clothing all of our pregnant friends.

OHN said...

Wow-17 weeks and hardly a bump! I was out of my regular clothes at about 6 weeks--lol.

Hopeful Mother said...

As many of the others said, you look unbelievable (it's just too bad you don't yet FEEL unbelievable). I would love to look as slim as you do at zero weeks... I'm afraid people already think I'm pregnant since I am a little overweight and have a little belly...

Thanks for the advice on the yoga pants - I "hope" to be growing so many eggs this next cycle that I need to wear different pants. That would be a refreshing change... but I won't hold my breath waiting. :-)

Hope you start to feel better soon... isn't the 2nd trimester supposed to be worriless?!

TLB said...

Well, I haven't yet had anyone yet approach me asking for my due date, but I suspect that MM at full term will be smaller than I am normally. You look awesome, even if you feel like shit, and as Billy Crystal used to say, It is better to look good than to feel good. Screw it, I hope you feel better anyway.

noela said...

Wow -- I am going to end up saying the EXACT same thing as everyone else here, but, that is a tiny belly for 17 weeks!! Seriously, I think one would HAVE to know you are pg, to even THINK there might be even the POSSIBILITY of the belly there!

And, with your "camo" tactics, I have to say, unless your co-workers saw you being sick every day, I bet they do NOT have a clue!! LOL

Sorry you feel like crap, but you do LOOK great!! ;)

I'm not into Victoria's Secret stuff much -- for yoga type pants I think LULULEMON is the ONLY way to go!! ;)

Love all my Lululemon pants/shirts/hoodies and would live in them 24/7 if I could (which I practically do! LOL)

Hope you feel better soon!

xx
Nilla