Boy or girl?

Does bad morning sickness mean you’re having a girl?

Checked against the sources listed on this page. Not reviewed by a clinician. Last updated 5 November 2026. How we check.

Partly true

There’s a small statistical link between severe sickness and girls, but it can’t predict the sex of any one baby.

Large studies found that people hospitalised with severe vomiting (hyperemesis gravidarum) were slightly more likely to be carrying a girl, possibly because of higher hCG levels.

The effect is modest. Plenty of people with severe sickness have boys, and plenty with no sickness have girls. For ordinary nausea, there is no useful link.

References

  1. Askling J et al. Sickness in pregnancy and sex of child. The Lancet, 1999
  2. NHS: Severe vomiting in pregnancy

Related weeks

Week 6Week 8Week 10

More boy or girl? myths

Myth

Does carrying high mean a girl and carrying low mean a boy?

No. The shape and height of a bump depend on your muscles, body shape, how many pregnancies you’ve had and the baby’s position, not the baby’s sex.

 Myth

Does a heart rate over 140 mean it’s a girl?

No. Studies comparing early heart rates in boys and girls found no meaningful difference. Heart rate depends mostly on gestational age.

 Myth

Do sweet cravings mean a girl and salty cravings a boy?

No. There’s no evidence cravings relate to the baby’s sex. They are shaped by hormones, culture, habit and changes in taste and smell.