When you’re pregnant you sure hear some weird superstitions that supposedly reveal whether you’re having a boy or girl. Most of the time, the baby gender old wives tales are totally bananas—but apparently one about bananas is accurate: A recent article from CNN notes that mamas-to-be who consume excess number of bananas before conceiving are more likely to have boys.


According to the 2008 study published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society Basked, newly pregnant moms who consumed relatively more calories in the year leading up to conception were slightly more likely to have boys. The truly bizarre factor was that moms who ate more bananas were more likely to have boys,with the hypothesis being that the high levels of potassium in the fruit somehow contributed to the baby’s sex. Although the boy boost was fairly marginal, it’s a pretty welcome excuse to get a few more banana splits! ?

Another interesting old wives’ tale analyzed in the recent article is the oft-suggested link between mama’s heartburn and baby’s full head of hair. As it turns out, it’s not really the hair that makes a mom have heartburn while pregnant—rather, heartburn is linked to pregnancy hormones. To be specific, the same hormone that creates hair growth in the womb that can actually relax stomach muscles that hold acid. So it isn’t the hair giving you heartburn, but there’s a good chance your newborn will have some impressive locks, nonetheless.

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So while the jury is still out on the “hold a ring above your belly” or Chinese Gender Calendars tricks that supposedly reveals baby’s sex, it is pretty cool to know there is some science-backed insight into who you’re preparing to meet! ?