Strangest pregnancy myths parents believe

If you have heartburn, your baby will be born with a lot of hair (29%) and spicy foods induce labor (21%) are some of the top myths Americans believe when it comes to pregnancy.

That’s according to a new survey of 2,000 parents and parents-to-be, with 250 who are currently pregnant and 250 who are trying to conceive. Results also revealed some other interesting myths, such as seeing certain animals could reveal your baby’s gender or even that listening to hard rock music has a negative effect on a fetus.

One respondent shared, “If we dream about fish, someone is pregnant in our family,” while another believes that  “if I were to break a mirror, my baby would be cursed with bad skin.”

Other unique findings include the beliefs that pregnant women shouldn’t look at roadkill, thunderstorms can induce labor and that if the baby is born on their side, they will be a genius.

And though many of these things can’t be proven true until their baby is born, one thing most parents can confirm ahead of time is the gender of their baby.

Still, beliefs such as when you’re pregnant with a girl, “everything is easier and you look much prettier” may leave parents wondering.

Conducted by Talker Research on behalf of SneakPeek, an early pregnancy gender detection test, results found that 69% of parents polled either did or will find out their baby’s gender before birth— half have girls and the other half have boys.

Sixty-four percent of parents tried to guess the gender of their baby before they found out. Interestingly, more dads were correct in their guess than moms (70% vs 63%).

Of those who had a gender preference (43%), more preferred to have a boy than a girl (59% vs 41%).

This is perhaps because parents polled believe it is more difficult to raise a girl (48%) than it is to raise a boy (26%) today.

Almost one in five (16%) even went so far as to pay attention to the moon phases during conception, as they believed it would help their chances of having their preferred gender.

Parents were more likely to say they could feel or sense their baby’s gender (38%) than they were to consider the “symptoms” of having a boy or girl (31%) when making their guess.

In fact, results found that there is little truth to these supposed predictors. Craving sweets while pregnant is typically believed to be associated with having a baby girl, though the results found that future boy moms experienced this craving just as much as girl moms (29% vs 28%).

Though most believe severe morning sickness is predictive of girl pregnancies, in fact one quarter of both boy and girl moms reported that they experienced typical to severe morning sickness, and despite glowing skin perceived to be a “common boy symptom,” more girl moms said they had clear, glowing skin than boy moms (18% vs 17%).

Taking things a step further, 14% of boy moms found that they were carrying low, a myth typically associated with having a boy, though 12% of girl moms also carried low.

Only 10% of girl moms experienced a heart rate above 140 bpm, despite being one of the most “common girl predictors.”

“Pregnancy is full of unknowns and anticipation, and it’s natural to seek insights and answers during this time,” said Melissa Gonzales, SneakPeek, Women’s Health president, Myriad Genetics. “That’s why 76% of parents who found out or will find out their baby’s gender early will do so before 20 weeks. It's one piece of knowledge they can trust and depend on to amplify their joy, prepare for parenthood and reduce anxiety."

For more than half of parents and soon-to-be parents, picking out a name (53%) and buying clothes and toys (51%) were the key drivers in finding out their baby’s gender ahead of time, but for others, it was more personal.

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Nearly a third (32%) wanted to share the news with family and friends, while 22% wanted to feel more connected to their child and 21% wanted to amplify their excitement.

But who’s at the top of the sharing list? Nearly two-thirds (65%) opted to tell their baby’s grandparents first, followed by a steep drop off with best friends (11%) and siblings (9%) falling next in line.

Still, 22% of parents polled will be hosting a gender reveal party with many friends and family, while 17% are hosting a smaller, more intimate gathering.

Despite their sometimes polarizing nature, parents are more likely to categorize gender reveal parties as fun than cringey (47% vs 31%).

“More pregnant patients are taking steps to feel informed and empowered. Thirty-six percent of those polled use apps to track movement and sleep, 36% create birth plans, 19% use at-home tests, and 18% work with midwives,” said Dr. Dallas Reed, OBGYN and geneticist at Tufts and a medical advisor for SneakPeek. “Yet only 4% said they found out their baby’s gender at home using a blood or DNA test. With today’s technology, it’s possible to accurately learn your baby’s sex as early as 6 weeks. It’s an unforgettable moment that can offer a lot of benefits for the parents-to-be, including promoting bonding.”

 Survey methodology:

Talker Research surveyed 2,000 parents, with 250 who are currently pregnant and 250 who are trying to conceive; the survey was commissioned by SneakPeek Early Gender Test and administered and conducted online by Talker Research between July 29 and Aug. 6, 2025.

We are sourcing from a non-probability frame and the two main sources we use are:

• Traditional online access panels — where respondents opt-in to take part in online market research for an incentive

• Programmatic — where respondents are online and are given the option to take part in a survey to receive a virtual incentive usually related to the online activity they are engaging in

Those who did not fit the specified sample were terminated from the survey. As the survey is fielded, dynamic online sampling is used, adjusting targeting to achieve the quotas specified as part of the sampling plan.

Regardless of which sources a respondent came from, they were directed to an Online Survey, where the survey was conducted in English; a link to the questionnaire can be shared upon request. Respondents were awarded points for completing the survey. These points have a small cash-equivalent monetary value.

Cells are only reported on for analysis if they have a minimum of 80 respondents, and statistical significance is calculated at the 95% level. Data is not weighted, but quotas and other parameters are put in place to reach the desired sample.

Interviews are excluded from the final analysis if they failed quality-checking measures. This includes:

• Speeders: Respondents who complete the survey in a time that is quicker than one-third of the median length of interview are disqualified as speeders

• Open ends: All verbatim responses (full open-ended questions as well as other please specify options) are checked for inappropriate or irrelevant text

• Bots: Captcha is enabled on surveys, which allows the research team to identify and disqualify bots

• Duplicates: Survey software has “deduping” based on digital fingerprinting, which ensures nobody is allowed to take the survey more than once

It is worth noting that this survey was only available to individuals with internet access, and the results may not be generalizable to those without internet access.