Can the baking soda test really predict your baby's sex?
Many people swear by this simple DIY pregnancy gender prediction test but is there any scientific evidence that it works?
Baking soda – or bicarbonate of soda – is brilliant for baking, cleaning and even treating insect bites. But some people say it can also be used by pregnant women in a simple at-home test to predict whether you're having a boy or a girl.
Here, we explain what the baking soda gender test is, how to do it – and get some expert advice from expert GP Dr Philippa Kaye on how accurate it is.
What's the baking soda gender prediction test in pregnancy?
It's a test based on the fact that baking soda reacts with acids, causing a fizzing or bubbliness – and there's a theory that the pH (acid/alkali balance) of a pregnant woman's urine varies depending on whether she's having a boy or a girl.
How do you do the baking soda gender test?
You'll need to collect some of your first wee of the morning in a clean container. Then you spoon in an equal amount of baking soda and watch to see watch happens.
The theory goes that:
More like this
- If it fizzes, you're having a boy
- If it doesn't fizz, you're having a girl
You can see a baking soda gender test in action, below, in a video made by Melissa from our MadeForMums Community. (Spoiler alert: it predicts she's having a girl and she actually ended up having a boy.)
How much fizz for a boy?
The fizz for a boy is, apparently, pretty noticeable – like the bubbles you get when you open a bottle of fizzy pop or like a head of beer.
How accurate is the baking soda gender prediction test?
Ah, well, here we're going to have to disappoint you.
"There are lots of factors which can affect the pH of your urine, whether you're pregnant or not" says expert family GP Dr Philippa Kaye, "including your diet and hydration levels. So, actually, if you take this test two days in a row, you're quite likely to get different results!
"I'm all for a bit of kitchen science but I wouldn't rely on this to predict if you are having a boy or a girl."
About our expert GP Philippa Kaye
Dr Philippa Kaye works as a GP in both NHS and private practice. She attended Downing College, Cambridge, then took medical studies at Guy’s, King’s and St Thomas’s medical schools in London, training in paediatrics, gynaecology, care of the elderly, acute medicine, psychiatry and general practice. Dr Philippa has also written a number of books, including ones on child health, diabetes in childhood and adolescence. She is a mum of 3.
Pic: Getty Images
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Authors
Helen is author of the classic advice book Parenting for Dummies and a mum of 3. Before joining MadeForMums, she was Head of Community at Mumsnet and also the Consumer Editor of Mother & Baby.
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