7 Signs You're Having a Baby Boy - Early Symptoms During Pregnancy

Are you in the early stages of pregnancy and wondering if you are expecting a baby girl or a baby boy? Are you desperate to have a baby boy and want to find out what all the signs and symptoms of expecting one are? Then you’ve come to the right place!

There’s lots of theories about whether you are expecting a boy or a girl out there, and so many of them are based on old myths and believes. Plus, lots of them only apply to when you are already showing, so not really to early pregnancy. For that reason, I have rounded up here all the baby boy symptoms during early pregnancy that you can look out for.

Some tests are based on scientific evidence, so that you can get a really good idea if you are expecting a boy or not, whereas some are a bit of a myth or old wives’ tales. All these can show up during the first trimester already, but I have also included some extra signs that can appear later on during the second trimester or third trimesters towards the end of the article.

Just be mindful that these early symptoms are not a guarantee that you are expecting a boy! While they can give you a bit of hope, the most reliable way to tell a baby’s sex is usually with an ultrasound at 20 weeks.

Choosing a baby boy’s name

7 baby boy symptoms during early pregnancy

What are the Chances of Having a Boy?

If you are wondering what the chances are of having a boy, there’s no great surprise that it’s about 50/50. However, it’s not exactly that clear since, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), there’s a slight higher chance of a woman expecting a boy, as the ratio of male to female births, called the sex ratio, is about 105 to 100. This calculates out to 51% of births result in a baby boy.

When can you find out if you have a baby boy (for certain)?

As I mentioned above, you shouldn’t rely 100% on the symptoms listed below to find out if you are expecting a baby boy or not. If you do want to find out if you are carrying a boy or girl then these are the most accurate tests available:

Cell-Free DNA Screening (also called non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT), MaterniT21 test, Harmony prenatal test, or other): from week 10
Chorionic Villus Sampling (CVS): between week 10 and 13

Amniocentesis: between week 16 and 20
Ultrasound: between week 18 and 22
Early Gender DNA tests:

Cell-Free DNA Screening

The cell-free DNA screening is a blood test that can be done from 10 weeks of pregnancy. The blood of an expectant mom contains small amounts of fetal DNA, which can be used to determine the risk of having a baby with a chromosomal abnormality, specifically trisomy 21, 18, or 13, or a sex chromosome abnormality.

This test can also be an early indicator of your baby’s sex. In fact, it can predict baby’s gender with an accuracy of almost 99%!

Just be mindful that it can be quite an expensive test, and your insurance may not cover it unless you are 35 or older, or have a higher risk of having a baby with genetic problems.

Ultrasound Test for a Baby Boy

Most pregnant women find out their baby’s sex during the mid-pregnancy ultrasound, which is usually done between week 18 and week 22 rather than in the earlier 10 week ultrasound scan. By this stage, baby’s genital can be seen clearly by an ultrasound technician, who will most likely be able to identify the sex.

However, if the baby is not in a position that allows the genitals to be seen, you may have to wait until the following 20 week anatomy scan or the final 37 week ultrasound.

Chorionic Villus Sampling (CVS) / Amniocentesis

Both CVS and Amniocentesis are prenatal tests that diagnose chromosomal abnormalities such as Down syndrome or other genetic disorders, and can also determine baby’s sex. The first one consists in a doctor taking cell samples from your placenta, whereas with the amniocentesis the doctor uses a needle to take a small sample of amniotic fluid.

The only reason why women may decide to go through with a CVS instead of an amniocentesis, is that it can be done earlier (from week 10), whereas for an amniocentesis you’d have to wait until week 16.

Both tests are usually performed only on women that are at higher risk of having a baby with chromosomal abnormalities, and are not even offered to women having a ‘normal’ pregnancy, mainly because these tests are invasive and carry a small risk of miscarriage. Also note that it usually takes 2 weeks to receive the results.

Early Gender DNA Tests

Did you know that there are some easy DNA test kits that you can use at home to determine your baby’s sex from week 7?! These involve you getting a small sample of your blood, either from your finger or from your arm, and sending it to a lab to get tested. Results can come back to you as early as one day!

One of the most popular DNA tests is from SneakPeek. They have 2 tests available: one where you prick your finger and results come back to you within 5-7 days, and one where you prick your arm (less painful) and you get the results back in one day!

The tests claim to be 99.9% accurate and they offer a full refund if the results turn out to be wrong.

Baby Boy Symptoms during Early Pregnancy

So, what are the signs of being pregnant with a boy? Without further ado, here’s all the early signs of a boy pregnancy that can appear from the first trimester!

1) Big Appetite

Are you constantly hovering around the fridge and the kitchen pantry for something to eat because you are constantly hungry? Well, guess what, one of the first symptoms of having a boy is a big appetite!

And there’s some research to back this up – it’s not just an old wives’ tale. According to this study from 2003, pregnant women carrying boys eat about 10% more than those carrying girls.

The findings from the study support the hypothesis that women carrying male rather than female embryos may have higher energy requirements and this could be due to the male fetus secreting testosterone (and reaching the mother through the placenta), which tends to increase metabolism.

2) No Morning Sickness

Are you just one of those lucky pregnant women that experiences none to little morning sickness? Or is it a sign of baby boy pregnancy?

In fact, another early symptom of being pregnant with a boy is very little nausea and vomiting, if not nothing at all. This is because, on the other hand, women pregnant with girls have higher frequencies of NVP (nausea and vomiting during pregnancy) during the first trimester of pregnancy than women gestating males. The latter was confirmed in a study from 2021 that collected data from over 4 thousands pregnancies.

The reason behind it seems to be that female fetuses produce more pregnancy hormone hCG than males and that could be the cause of all the nausea and vomiting, as well as pregnancy heartburn, if you are carrying a girl.

3) Lower Heart Rate

The fact that a boy’s fetus hart rate is slower than a girl’s is an old wives’ tale, but lots of moms swear by it. According to this belief, if the fetal heart rate is under 140 beats per minute (BTM), then the mother is expecting a boy. If it’s over 140 BTM, then it’s a girl.

However, there’s absolutely no scientific evidence to back this up. Plus there’s been studies, such as this study from 2006, that found absolutely no significant difference between male and female heart rates during early pregnancy.

That said, if you are the kind of person that never wanted to find out the baby’s sex throughout pregnancy, but want to be in for a bit of a spoiler just before baby arrives, know that during labor girls do tend to have higher heart rate compared to boys! That’s a fact.

4) Craving Salty

This saying goes that craving salty and savory foods, even during early pregnancy, is a sign that you are expecting a boy.

However, while craving salty can sometimes mean that your body needs to retain more water, since sodium tends to make you retain fluids, it doesn’t necessarily mean you are pregnant with a boy. No study has confirmed this.

5) Clear Face Skin

Another interesting baby boy symptoms during early pregnancy is a face clear of breakouts. In fact, pimples or acne can be a very annoying early pregnancy symptoms, but can also mean you are expecting a girl instead!

This is all based on the fact, like I mentioned above, if you are pregnant with a girl your estrogen levels are believed to be higher. And high levels of estrogen can lead to oily skin and face breakouts.

6) Higher Energy

A 2017 study suggested that women carrying female fetuses are more likely to experience achiness and fatigue during pregnancy, as well as exacerbated symptoms of some medical conditions, including asthma. This is because, according to the study, women carrying baby girls have a heightened inflammatory response when their immune system is challenged, compared to women carrying male fetuses.

This means that, if you are way more tired than usual or your asthma is getting worse, it could be a first trimester girl pregnancy symptom. Whereas if you are not tired or not getting sicker than usual, that could be a sign that you are expecting a baby boy.

7) No Mood Swings

Are you crying one moment and peeing in your pants from laughing so hard the next, or are you displaying no signs of mood swings at all?

Now, this symptom is not really backed up by scientific studies. However, there’s a belief that when pregnant with a girl, estrogen levels are higher, which could affect your mood. Whereas if you are pregnant with a boy, you won’t be really be affected by this.

In fact, estrogen is strongly associated with the brain chemical serotonin, also called the ‘happy’ hormone. When estrogen surges, it can cause imbalances and fluctuations in serotonin levels, causing mood swings.

That said, estrogen levels rise during pregnancy regardless of whether you are carrying a female or male fetus. So, in the absence of scientific studies backing this theory up, you might not want to take this symptom too seriously.

Other Signs of Boy Pregnancy (Including Myths)

1) Carrying Baby Low

If you are past your 15 weeks of pregnancy and start showing, then start taking notice of the shape of your bump. Carrying baby low instead of high is a sign that’s been long associated to mothers carrying a baby boy.

However, there’s no truth in that and it’s just a legend that many people like to believe in!

There’s many reasons why a woman may be having a lower or higher bump compared to others. One of which is that with your first pregnancy, your abdominal wall isn’t as stretched out as other moms having a subsequent pregnancy, so your bump will look higher, whereas with a second or other subsequent baby it usually looks lower.

2) Bright Yellow Urine

According to this old wives’ tale, if the expectant mom’s urine is bright yellow, then she’s carrying a boy. If it’s dull or barely yellow, then it’s a girl.

That said, the color of your pee can change throughout the day, depending on what you’ve eaten or how much you’ve be drinking, so it’s pretty hard to use this as a reliable indicator of whether you are expecting a boy or not!

3) Carrying Weight in Front

Another baby boy symptom that you often hear of is that of carrying baby’s weight at the front, instead of in your hips and rear. So, if you have a basketball-like belly sticking out at the front then you are expecting a boy.

Again, no scientific foundation for this one either, just an old wives’ tale people like to believe in.

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4) Baby Head Down

Are you approaching the end of pregnancy and your baby is head down and getting ready for birth? This could be a symptom of having a baby boy in your 8th or 9th month of pregnancy! This is because, on the contrary, if your baby is in a breech position, then you are more likely to have a girl.

This study published in 2015 analyzed the data from almost 800 pregnant women with baby in a breech position in Hungary between 1996 and 2011. What they found is that breech presentation was clearly related to fetal sex, with female fetuses having a 25% increased risk of breech presentation.

Another German study from back in 1976 found that more girls are born in breech position compared to boys.

5) Longer Linea Nigra

Last but not least, here’s another old wives’ tales according to which one of the pregnancy signs of a boy is a linea nigra that runs up past your belly button and all the way to your ribs. If it stops at your belly button instead, then you are expecting a girl.

Again, there’s no evidence that this is actually true. Not to mention that not every pregnant woman gets one!

FAQs

Are you more Emotional when Pregnant with a Boy?

While there’s no scientific evidence suggesting this, the opposite is often believed to be true. Meaning you are more likely to feel emotional and affected by mood swings if you are pregnant with a girl instead of a boy.

This is because, like I mentioned above, there’s a belief that when pregnant with a girl, estrogen levels are higher. This, as a consequence, can cause more imbalances and fluctuations in serotonin (the ‘happy’ hormone) levels, causing mood swings.

Do you feel more Tired when Pregnant with a Girl or Boy?

While further studies need to be done to confirm this, there is a 2017 study that suggested that women carrying girls are more likely to experience achiness and fatigue during pregnancy compared to women carrying boys. So, if you are feeling very tired during the course of your pregnancy, there’s a good chance are you are expecting a baby girl instead of a baby boy.

Summary

Here it is mom-to-be – all the early signs that you could be having a boy, plus other signs to look out for later on in pregnancy! As you can see some of them are backed up by scientific evidence and recent studies, whereas others are just popular believes or old wives’ tales.

You can also check out these symptoms that you are expecting a baby girl if you are curious.

Either way, remember that no sign will be able to give you a definite answer, and if you really want to find out the sex of your baby you should really try one or more of the tests listed at the top of this article, or wait for the 20-week scan!

If you want a bit of fun, you could also try lots of gender prediction tests that are available online, or in many pregnancy journals and planners. These will go through many myths and believes with regards to signs that you could be expecting a boy or a girl, and the final score will tell you your unborn baby’s sex. I wouldn’t rely on it to start planning the colors for your baby’s nursery though!

For more related articles on how to survive pregnancy:

100 Cute & Happy Pregnancy Quotes for Expecting Moms

11 Best Pregnancy Planners (incl. FREE & Printable!)

Are you an expectant mother and have some questions with regards to anything that’s written above? Or have you already had a baby and know of other baby boy signs during early pregnancy? Then please let me know in the comments below – I’d love to hear from you!

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7 Signs You’re Having a Baby Boy – Early Symptoms During Pregnancy