With the newest Royal baby coming in the next few months, I was asked for my opinion for the Daily Express as to what the shape of Meghan’s bump may tell us about her baby! (link below)
For many generations, old-wives-tales have been passed down suggesting that the shape, size or distribution of a pregnancy bump can predict the gender of the foetus inside. Unfortunately, there is no scientific evidence to these rumours!
How can we determine gender?
The best way to determine a baby gender is through ultrasound scans at around 20 weeks gestation, which is offered routinely to all pregnant women in the UK.
It is also now possible to have non-invasive genetic testing through a blood test earlier on in your pregnancy. This can accurately tell the gender by picking up the foetus’s DNA that is circulating in the mother’s blood-stream. However in the UK, in most situations, this is not offered free on the NHS and is an expensive additional private test.
What else can we tell from the bump?
The duchess will usually have her bump measured each visit. Many places will use a personalised chart (such as GAP/GROW) to determine if the bump size is as expected for her (based on her own ethnicity, weight etc). If it looks like the measurement is too large or small compared to previous measurements she may have been referred to have an extra scan to formally assess the growth of the baby.
Measuring your bump with a tape measure is not completely accurate because bump size can be effected by water retention, body fat, time of day etc. Ultimately, no-one can really tell just from looking on the outside how the baby is growing, as women carry in all different ways depending on their body shapes, height and muscle tone.
We do not weigh women to check weight gain in pregnancy any more. There is no right answer to how much weight gain will mean you have a healthy baby. The important thing is to have a healthy diet and gentle exercise.
What can we tell from the shape of the bump?
The shape of the duchesses bump can also give us an indication of the position of the baby, which may be head up, head down or lying across the tummy. The position doesn’t matter much earlier in pregnancy, although the head being low can make walking uncomfortable. however, after 36 weeks babies should all be head-down in preparation for delivery.
You can find the full article over on the Daily Express: