Is the Chinese Gender Chart based on evidence?

One aspect which is lacking in the whole Chinese Gender Chart is the basis of scientific evidence. This is because there is none. Like so many good urban myths and Old Wives’ tales, there is just not any proof to support its claims.

But I really believe in it!

It is undeniable that some people really believe in gender prediction tools. It is claimed the Chinese Birth Chart is accurate up to 90% of the time – that’s pretty good odds if you believe it!

It's important to view the Chinese Birth Chart as a little harmless fun. After all, it's got to be right 50% of the time hasn't it?

The history of the Chinese gender chart

Originally found in ancient Beijing (then called Peking), the Chinese gender chart is an actual, physical chart that was allegedly discovered in a royal tomb. Some reports say it’s 700 years old, while others say 300 years old. The predictor may have been developed because in ancient times it was more desirable to have male heirs than female ones, so the ancient Chinese wanted to be able to predict when they’d have a boy rather than a girl.

The Chinese Birth Chart relies on two important principles:

1. The age of the mother when she conceived.
2. The month in which the mother conceived.

To see how the Huggies Chinese Gender Predictor tool works – you can check out the Chinese Gender Chart below. First locate the mother's age at conception in the Y axis (the column on the left) and then look across on the X axis (the column which goes horizontally across the page). Where the two intersect there is either the letter M for male or F for female.

Some Chinese Birth Charts actually have two charts; the first relates to mothers who are aged between 18-32 and the second for mothers aged from 33-45.

It's possible to use the Chinese Birth Chart both retrospectively and for planning a baby of a particular sex in the future. But just be aware that you'll need to calculate the mother's age when she is likely to conceive. For obvious reasons, this isn't always possible.

Where's the proof?

Not all charts are the same and they may provide different gender predictions. So at the risk of stating the obvious, if the charts are inconsistent, then how accurate can they be?

In the 700 years since the chart was reputed to have been found, there have just been too many evolutions and versions. These have now reached the point where any accuracy, if indeed it ever existed, has diluted.

When you will know your baby’s sex more accurately?

The only true way to know your baby’s sex is at the 18-20-week ultrasound, or through NIPT (non-invasive prenatal testing), which is a screening test done somewhere between 10 weeks and 15 weeks. It is usually recommended for any mother who is over 35 (often called an advanced maternal age pregnancy) or anyone with a history of chromosomal abnormalities in their family. The NIPT is not a required test, however all pregnant women, regardless of their age, ethnicity or family history should be provided with information about prenatal screening and testing.

A NIPT is a blood test meant as a screening to look for conditions caused by genetic abnormalities and chromosomal disorders, such as Down’s Syndrome. One additional benefit of the test is knowing the sex of the baby early in pregnancy.

Planning a pregnancy

Most expectant parents report that pregnancy is an unpredictable period in life, from conception through pregnancy and then birth. So, whilst it’s fairly difficult to have any sort of control over the pregnancy experience, the Chinese Gender Predictor may possibly help when planning to conceive in order to boost the chances of conceiving a baby of the preferred gender. Just remember, try not to get your heart set on any one sex. It’s impossible to truly predict the sex of your baby with 100% certainty. Human nature is very supportive in helping parents fall in love with their baby, no matter what their gender.