Discover The Chinese Baby Calendar: An Insight Into Ancient Predictive Techniques

If you are an expectant parent, you become excited once you see double lines in a pregnancy test. What makes it more exciting is knowing the gender of the baby. You get to prepare your baby’s things in blue or pink. However, some parents would like to see the gender of their babies in a fun way aside from the regular ultrasound.

Another way to predict the baby’s gender is using a Chinese baby calendar. It uses a conversion chart with the mother’s lunar age and the month of pregnancy. Though it has an unproven accuracy, many parents still like to use it, especially parents that follow Chinese traditions seriously.

History and Origin​

There were different stories about how the Chinese baby calendar started. Since it is an ancient technique, many people say that someone found it for more than 700 years in an ancient tomb of Chinese royalty. But there are also stories that it came from underground storage during the Ching Dynasty.

However, the most famous story about the Chinese baby calendar is it originated during the Qing Dynasty. In ancient China, an imperial family used the calendar for mothers to get pregnant with sons. They do this to have a child that will work and earn money for the family. Having sons were preferred as part of ancient Chinese traditions since men carried the family line.

Chinese people believe the gender predictor came from the Book of Changes. Among all these stories, no hard evidence proves where it came from.

Understanding The Chinese Baby Calendar​

In Chinese traditions, people used the lunar calendar as the basis of their age instead of the age based on a regular calendar. You may compute your lunar age from your current age plus an additional year. According to the lunar calendar, Chinese people consider the time you spend in the mother’s womb as another year of living.

According to Chinese traditions, you may need a Lunar calendar to determine the exact conception month. The conception month from a regular calendar may differ from the Lunar calendar, so you must ensure the accurate month. The Lunar calendar base the days according to the moon cycle and only has 354 days.

The Chinese baby calendar presents a chart with cells that specify the gender of the baby. The lunar age and the conception month meet on a cell, which either has M or F in it. The letter M represents a male baby, while the letter F represents a female one.

The Science of Gender Prediction​

Chinese baby calendars are purely traditional and possess no scientific evidence. Science hasn’t proved its accuracy, and people choose more accurate processes like ultrasound. But for someone who strictly follows Chinese traditions, Chinese baby calendars are as crucial as scientific tests.

According to an epidemiologist at the University of Michigan, using the Chinese baby calendar for gender prediction is inaccurate. The doctor stated that the results on the chart have no biological basis and can only provide a 50% chance of accuracy as opposed to 93%, as most websites say.

Some people suggest not to base your gender prediction on the Chinese baby calendar only. The chances of gender prediction will only be like tossing a coin.

The Chinese Baby Calendar in Modern Day​

Even if it came from an ancient Chinese tradition, modern applications of the Chinese baby calendar are primarily for fun. It is accessible even to non-Chinese families since the chart is available online. Many websites now have a calculator for gender prediction, so you wouldn’t have to compute whether the lunar age is correct or wrong.

Many pregnant women use this as part of their baby shower celebrations to excite the party. You can use it to start discussions and amusement. However, modern methods like genetic testing and ultrasound are more accurate since they are scientifically based.

How to Use The Chinese Baby Calendar​

The Chinese baby calendar is easy to use. Unlike in a regular calendar where you count the days or weeks, you only need to know the month when the pregnancy started. Here are the things that you will use to see the gender of the baby using a Chinese baby calendar:

• Mother’s Lunar age
• Conception month
• Chart of Chinese baby calendar

According to the lunar calendar, Chinese people consider the time you spend in the mother’s womb as another year of living. Look for the cell where the lunar age and conception month meet, and that will be the gender of your baby according to the Chinese baby calendar.

Conclusion​

Chinese traditions had a significant influence on our daily lives. Their culture has rich traditions and beliefs that you can even predict a baby’s gender using a Chinese baby calendar. Even for fun, a Chinese baby calendar is a good conversation starter at gatherings, especially during baby showers. However, you should consider getting a scientifically-based test to know the baby’s gender. These are more accurate that going with a traditional Chinese baby calendar.

Frequently Asked Questions​

Are Chinese baby calendars accurate?​

Chinese baby calendars are purely traditional. It has a 50/50 accuracy since these are only predictions. If you want an accurate result, opt to use an ultrasound.

Where can I find charts to predict my baby’s gender?​

Gender prediction charts are available on many websites. They also include instructions on using these charts and provide a modern prediction tool. However, since these are predictions, you should only partially rely on the results.

Does this also work if I have twins?​

Chinese baby calendars may not work on twins since the conception month is for a single baby. Additionally, it may not be applicable since twins may come from different genders.

Does the Chinese baby calendar change?​

No. Only the lunar age and conception month may change. Since it became available on the internet, it only had one version.

What months should I be pregnant if my lunar age is 32 and I want a baby girl?​

If you base your pregnancy on the Chinese baby calendar, your conception month should be February or April to November.