WomensHealth
  • News
  • Health
  • Fitness
  • Sex & Love
  • Food
  • Lifestyle
  • Weight Loss
  • Women In Sport
  • Podcasts
  • Video
WomensHealth
  • News
  • Health
  • Fitness
  • Sex & Love
  • Food
  • Lifestyle
  • Weight Loss
  • Women In Sport
  • Podcasts
  • Video
This Simple, Effective Ab Workout Will Shred Your Six-Pack
Watch 0:23

This Simple, Effective Ab Workout Will Shred Your Six-Pack

{headline}

{headline}

Mum’s Little-Known Trick To Produce More Breast Milk Is Going Viral

Mum’s Little-Known Trick To Produce More Breast Milk Is Going Viral

Turns Out Pregnancy Might Actually Be Contagious

Turns Out Pregnancy Might Actually Be Contagious

Everything You Need To Know About Gestational Diabetes

Everything You Need To Know About Gestational Diabetes

A New Test Could Predict If Your Baby Will Be Born Premature

A New Test Could Predict If Your Baby Will Be Born Premature

{headline}

{headline}

Woman Calls Out Colleague For Faking Hyperemesis Gravidarum

Woman Calls Out Colleague For Faking Hyperemesis Gravidarum

Caffeine During Pregnancy Linked To Childhood Weight Gain

Caffeine During Pregnancy Linked To Childhood Weight Gain

The Health Reason That Led To Kylie Jenner Keeping Her Pregnancy Secret

The Health Reason That Led To Kylie Jenner Keeping Her Pregnancy Secret

{headline}

{headline}

Study Confirms Stress Is Making You Go Grey

Study Confirms Stress Is Making You Go Grey

Is Third Trimester Morning Sickness Normal?

Is Third Trimester Morning Sickness Normal?

Having Regular Sex May Help Delay Menopause

Having Regular Sex May Help Delay Menopause

New Study Finds Burnout Majorly Messes With Your Heart Health

New Study Finds Burnout Majorly Messes With Your Heart Health

Amy Schumer Asks Fans For How To Cope With "Emotional" IVF Process

Amy Schumer Asks Fans For How To Cope With "Emotional" IVF Process

Amy Schumer Says Her Endometriosis Caused Her C-Section

Amy Schumer Says Her Endometriosis Caused Her C-Section

Fitness Star Emily Skye Is Pregnant With Her Second Child

Fitness Star Emily Skye Is Pregnant With Her Second Child

  1. Home
  2. Health

Stressing Out During Pregnancy Could Influence Your Baby's Gender

Another thing to stress about... - by Sophie Newton
  • 17 Oct 2019
Stressing Out During Pregnancy Could Influence Your Baby's Gender
Getty Images

Ahhhh stress. Aside from the fairly standard psychological impact it can have, it also comes with a whole lot of weird and not-so-wonderful physical manifestations ranging from chronic pain to strange rashes.

And if you thought the side-effects of stress couldn’t get any stranger, research has suggested that stress may have an impact on the sex of your baby.  

Research published in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences analysed the ways in which maternal pre-natal stress can influence birth outcomes. It found that those who were reported to feel stressed, were more likely to have girls than boys.

The study examined indicators of physical, psychological and lifestyle stress collected from diaries, questionnaires and daily physical assessments of 187 healthy pregnant women.

RELATED: 10 Signs Of Burnout And How To Treat It

Pregnant girl on bed

Their finding showed a third of the women were stressed – with 17 percent being psychologically stressed (with high levels of depression and anxiety) and 16 percent being physically stressed (with large calorie intakes and higher blood pressure).

Despite there being 105 males born for every female birth on average, the sex ratio of births in the physically and mentally stressed group in the study indicated larger amounts of female births. The psychologically stressed had a 2:3 male-to-female ratio and the physically stressed had a 4:9 male-to-female ratio.  

So, why are we seeing more female births in individuals of those who are reported to feel stressed? The researchers have suggested that it could be down to the fact that male foetuses are more susceptible to adverse conditions in the womb.  

The outcomes of this research mirror other studies that reveal the way trauma and stress can up the chances of giving birth to women.

RELATED: 8 Signs You're Struggling With High-Functioning Anxiety

  • News
  • Health
  • Pregnancy
Sophie Newton
Sophie Newton
Sophie Newton is a digital writer and social media lover. She loves going for walks with her dog in the park, travelling and watching the latest movies as they just hit the cinema!

Subscribe Now-

Subscribe Now
Subscribe Now

Subscribe Now-

Subscribe Now
Subscribe Now

Recommended to you

This Simple, Effective Ab Workout Will Shred Your Six-Pack
Watch 0:23

This Simple, Effective Ab Workout Will Shred Your Six-Pack

{headline}

{headline}

Mum’s Little-Known Trick To Produce More Breast Milk Is Going Viral

Mum’s Little-Known Trick To Produce More Breast Milk Is Going Viral

Turns Out Pregnancy Might Actually Be Contagious

Turns Out Pregnancy Might Actually Be Contagious

Everything You Need To Know About Gestational Diabetes

Everything You Need To Know About Gestational Diabetes

A New Test Could Predict If Your Baby Will Be Born Premature

A New Test Could Predict If Your Baby Will Be Born Premature

{headline}

{headline}

Woman Calls Out Colleague For Faking Hyperemesis Gravidarum

Woman Calls Out Colleague For Faking Hyperemesis Gravidarum

Caffeine During Pregnancy Linked To Childhood Weight Gain

Caffeine During Pregnancy Linked To Childhood Weight Gain

The Health Reason That Led To Kylie Jenner Keeping Her Pregnancy Secret

The Health Reason That Led To Kylie Jenner Keeping Her Pregnancy Secret

{headline}

{headline}

Study Confirms Stress Is Making You Go Grey

Study Confirms Stress Is Making You Go Grey

Is Third Trimester Morning Sickness Normal?

Is Third Trimester Morning Sickness Normal?

Having Regular Sex May Help Delay Menopause

Having Regular Sex May Help Delay Menopause

New Study Finds Burnout Majorly Messes With Your Heart Health

New Study Finds Burnout Majorly Messes With Your Heart Health

Amy Schumer Asks Fans For How To Cope With "Emotional" IVF Process

Amy Schumer Asks Fans For How To Cope With "Emotional" IVF Process

Amy Schumer Says Her Endometriosis Caused Her C-Section

Amy Schumer Says Her Endometriosis Caused Her C-Section

Fitness Star Emily Skye Is Pregnant With Her Second Child

Fitness Star Emily Skye Is Pregnant With Her Second Child

WomensHealth
  • About Paragon Media
  • Contact Paragon Media
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Statement
  • About Paragon Media
  • Contact Paragon Media
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Statement

Brands

Our Network

  • Paragon Media Pty Ltd
  • Men’s Health
© 2021 Are Media PTY LTD
Get more from

Magazine Subscription Offer

Subscribe Now-

Shop This Offer
Subscribe Now