Just predicting

Chinese Conception Chart

According to legend (and an awful lot of Web sites), the ancient Chinese came up with an almost foolproof way to predict the sex of your baby based on how old you are and what month it is when you conceive. Try it here.

The Needle Trick

More often used to predict what a baby's sex will be after conception, this technique is also one you can try before you conceive. Suspend a needle from some thread and have someone else hold it about an inch above your hand. If the needle swings back and forth, a girl is in your future; if it moves in a circle, count on a boy.

For a variation of this, hang your wedding ring from a strand of your hair (or use your spouse's ring and hair). Rub the ring up and down your index finger a couple of times and then hold it above the top of your outstretched right hand. The number of times the ring swings around in a circle before stopping will tell you how many children you'll have.

The Drano Test

Some people believe that you can predict your baby's sex by mixing your urine with a little Drano. (The resulting color is supposed to be the key, but no one seems to be able to agree on which color means which sex.) Please don't try this. Not only is there nothing in Drano that would indicate a baby's gender, but mixing the chemicals in these two substances can produce dangerous fumes or even an explosion.