• The Chinese gender predictor chart predicts your baby's sex by using the mother's birth date and the estimated date of conception (or the baby's due date).

• The chart dates back over700 years ago and was discovered in a royal Chinese tomb near Beijing. It was created for the imperial family to help themconceive a baby boy.

• The prediction method is based on the chart, which uses the Lunar age of the mother and the month of conception. The chart is also said to be able to predict how feminine or masculine your child will be too.

• Although many (up to 93 per cent) find it accurate, there is no proof or scientific evidence of this in predicting your baby's gender. Either way it definitely has a 50/50 chance of being right!

What is a Chinese gender predictor chart?

The Chinese gender predictor chart guesses your baby's sex by using the mother's birth date and the estimated date of conception (or the baby's due date) before converting these numbers into the mother's lunar age when she got pregnant and the lunar date of conception. The result is a prediction of whether or not you're having a girl or a boy.

The chart dates back 700 years ago when it was discovered in a royal Chinese tomb near Beijing and is based on Chinese beliefs including Yin-Yang, Five elements and time. There is however very little evidence to back up how reliable this predictor tool is, and it may just be another old wives' tale for guessing your baby's sex.

History of the Chinese gender predictor chart

The Chinese gender predictor has ancient beginnings and while there are many myths surrounding the origins of the Chinese gender predictor chart, it is said that the chart dates back over 700 years ago. Back then, it was protected by dedicated eunuchs in the Qing palace and was not showcased to others and so even if you think it is just for fun, it does have some serious history behind it.

Apparently, this chart is derived from I Ching and time projections and created for the imperial family to help them conceive a baby boy. During the Boxers Rebellion towards the end of Qing Dynasty, most of the empire’s treasures were stolen and this chart was brought to England. Later, the chart made its way to Austria before a Chinese scholar studied the chart in detail, and finally returned it to its homeland of China.

How accurate is the Chinese gender predictor and does it work?

With some claims of up to 93 per cent accuracy (although there is no proof of this) in predicting your baby's gender, many parents have actually found it to be correct for them. Either way it definitely has a 50/50 chance of being right!

It is important to remember that there is no real scientific evidence that the Chinese gender predictor works. This tool is just for fun, and cannot confirm for definite whether you are expecting a baby boy or a baby girl, so don't start picking out your gender reveal ideas just yet! With only two outcomes - boy or girl - the majority of methods will always end up right about 50 per cent of the time.

Of course we know there are lots of myths about how to tell whether you are havinga baby boy or girl and perhaps this is just another one to try. Old wives' tales say you can tell whether you'resupposedly having a baby girl or a baby boy from your pregnancy cravings, with sweet tastes indicating a girl and salty or sour tastes indicating a boy. Another option is to examine your baby bump, if it is high, you might be having a girl, or low and you could expect a boy. Finally, try swinging a ring on a string above your belly and if it moves back and forth then old wives' tales say you are having a girl, whereas if it goes back and forth it suggests a boy. Whether they work or not, they provide a bit of entertainment and will distract you during that twenty (or forty) week wait.

For a much more accurate confirmation of your baby's gender, during your second trimester, you can ask your sonographer at your anomaly scan to have a look for you. And really, it's not too long to wait. Or perhaps you prefer to be surprised, and want to wait until baby is born, and you can calculate your due date with a due date calculator.

How does the Chinese gender predictor work?

The chart that this gender prediction method is based on was found in an ancient tomb near Beijing more than 700 years ago. The prediction method is based on the chart, which uses the Lunar age of the mother and the month of conception.

The chart is also said to be able to predict how feminine or masculine your child will be based on the 1st, 5th and 9th columns of the mother's age. If the chart shows more boys than girls in these spaces, your baby is more likely to be masculine - more girls, and they are likely to be more feminine. Use the chart below to see if the appearance predictor is accurate for you and your child!

Should I use a Chinese gender calendar?

There's certainly no harm in trying it. Provided you don't take it too seriously, the Chinese gender predictor can be a lot of fun and can make you feel even more excited about meeting your baby. Just don't use it to make any big decisions such as what colour to paint the nursery...

What real mums thought when using the tool

If you still can't decide whether or not to give it a go, then read on to find out what real mums thought and how accurate (or not!) it was for them.

Mum Julianne said: "I didn't use it (and didn't find out gender before birth), but when I checked it after birth, it was right. I know it's a 50/50 chance but I was still impressed"

Emily Gilbert, Mother&Baby's Reviews and Features Editor: “Like most women, I loved trying out all the old wives tales during my pregnancy and found it really added to the excitement as we waited to meet our baby. While some ended up being correct, others did not, as you’d expect. For me, the Chinese Gender Predictor said I’d be having a girl but I actually found out at my 20 week scan that we were having a boy. As fun as these types of things are, I think they always need to be taken with a pinch of salt as being pragmatic, something like a baby’s gender simply can only be confirmed with a scan or a prenatal test.”

Mum Jennie said: "Did not work for me. Every single prediction said we were going to have a boy for our third child, but we were blessed with another girl."

First time mum Laura said: "I’m not someone who typically believes in this kind of thing but as a first time expectant mum, I looked up all the old wives tales and tools to try and uncover my baby’s gender in the early stages of my pregnancy. In comparison to other tools the Chinese gender predictor seems extremely basic and in my case, it wasn’t correct. It’s still a bit of fun for expectant parents but I wouldn’t decorate a nursery based on the results!"

Real mums are divided on whether or not the Chinese predictor tool actually works, but it doesn't hurt to try, as long as you don't take it too seriously.

How can I determine my baby's sex for sure?

While your 12-week scan is the first time you will get to see your baby inside you, their sex won't yet be able to be seen at this point.

At around 18-21 weeks you'll be invited for an anomaly 20-week scan. This is to check for any abnormalities with baby. At the end of this scan, the sonographer will ask you if you want to know the sex of the baby (if they can see it!) and this is the only accurate way to find out your baby's sex.

But if you're too keen to wait until then, why not give the Chinese gender predictor tool a go? Of course, the tool is just a bit of fun, but who knows, maybe the chart prediction will be right for you! There are also other methods you can try such as the Ramzi Theory which predicts the gender of your little one based on the location of the placenta at an 8 week scan. Or, perhaps try the skull theory which uses the photo from the 12-week scan to look at the baby's skull because, according to the theory, girls and boys have different shaped skulls. Finally, there is the nub theory which claims that when you look at an early scan of the baby’s genital area, although both girls and boys have identical-looking little ‘nubs’, the male ‘nub’ sticks up at a different angle from the female ‘nub.’ Of course, none of these are guaranteed to be accurate, but there is no harm in giving them a go.

Laura Healy is a Commercial Content Writer for Mother&Baby. She is a mum-of-two girls and loves writing about all things parenting, she is particularly interested in the toddler years and eco-friendly baby products, as well as children’s literature. She has a PhD in Creative Writing and has published short stories in the UK and Ireland, as well as previously writing freelance for her local paper.