Top 10 old wives tales about pregnancy

If you've ever dodged walking under a ladder, kept your house a peacock-feathers-free-zone or avoided stepping on cracks in the pavement - then it's probably best you don't read this. We've rounded up the ten best old wives tales about pregnancy to hopefully put a smile on your face. Who knows? It may even be worth giving one of them a try!

1. Heartburn

If you experience heartburn throughout the term of your pregnancy then it is believed to signify the birth of a boy with a full head of luxurious hair.

2. Cravings

If your partner requests a 3.00 am visit to Sainsburys for a jar of Picalilli and a packet of Chocolate Hob-Nobs, then you would do very well to comply. Deny your pregnant partner her wildest cravings and you could be on the receiving end of a sty in your eye.

3. One ring

Before the modern miracle of scans, mothers to be had to rely on tying a piece of string to their wedding ring and hanging it over their pregnant belly. If the ring swung back and forth then it meant you would be having a girl. If it was a boy then the ring would have swung in a circle.

4. Sweets or savoury

If you crave meats or cheese during your pregnancy then it's believed to signify a boy and if you crave sweet treats then it could mark the arrival of a girl.

5. Bedroom habits

It was believed that putting a wooden spoon under your bed and a pink bow under your pillow would help you give birth to a baby girl. Whereas, sleeping in a bed with the pillow pointing north would help you give birth a boy.

6. Losing your looks

If you have been avoiding looking in the mirror during your pregnancy then don't worry: it is said that a girl will 'steal' her mother's beauty. However, if your mirror on the wall reveals 'the fairest of them all' then it could mean that you are having a boy.

7. Hairy legs & crusts of bread

If the hair on your legs grew faster during pregnancy then people used to believe that you will give birth to a boy. While failing to eat the end piece of a loaf of bread meant you were having a girl.

8. Feet

Have you found yourself wearing extra socks during pregnancy? If your feet felt colder than before you were pregnant then it meant that you were expecting a boy. If your feet have stayed the same temperature then it was a girl.

9. Sympathy snacking

If your birth partner has been helping himself to your snacks and is piling on the pounds then you could be having a girl. If you really want a boy, then keep your snacks to yourself and encourage your birth partner to shed a few pounds.

10. What's in a name?

Are you finding it easier to come up with boy's names rather than girl's names or vice-versa? How easy you find it to choose a name for your bundle of joy is believed by some to be an indicator of its sex.

Remember that even if you're not superstitious, all of the following should be taken with a rather hefty pinch of salt - which, incidentally, originates from the idea that food is more palatable if eaten with a small amount of salt!