Before we get into any other details, let’s first look at exactly how to complete the baking soda gender test. All you’ll need to start is a small container of baking soda, as well as a separate small container—one you won’t mind holding urine for a short time. First things first—you’ll need to collect a urine sample from yourself. Be sure to wash your hands beforehand and after, and maybe consider wearing latex gloves if you want to be extra careful. 

They say that the best urine for this test is your first of the day, since drinking water over the course of the day can dilute your urine and make the result of the experiment harder to determine. 

The last step is to combine the urine and baking soda in equal amounts. You’ll want to pour the urine into the baking soda rather than the other way around. 

According to the tradition, fizzing or sizzling urine in the baking soda means that you’ll have a boy. If nothing happens and the baking soda stays un-fizzy and flat, it means that you’re having a girl. At least, that’s what believers in the test say. 

Proponents of the baking soda test believe that a fetus’ gender can have an impact on the mother’s hormone balances, resulting in a change in the chemical makeup of her urine. They believe, and this part at least is backed up by science, that a baby’s presence in the mother’s womb has all kinds of effects on the mother’s body and hormones.  

According to believers in this test, it’s believed that males cause an increase in the acidity levels, while females cause a decrease. That’s why it’s thought that a fizzy, bubbly result in the baking soda test points to a boy, while no reaction at all points to a girl. 

One problem is that ‘reading’ the test is a matter of opinion. What one mother might consider a “fizzy” reaction might be called “flat” by another. It all depends on your perspective. And unless you want to pee in a cup ten days in a row, you can’t be sure that your acidity levels in your urine are consistent. (More on that later.) Suffice it to say, there are more dependable and scientific ways of determining your baby’s gender.  

While the baking soda test is not a scientific way of determining your future child’s gender, it is somewhat scientific. There are chemical reactions taking place (or not taking place) that affect the outcome of the test, if not necessarily providing an accurate prediction of your baby’s gender. 

Baking soda is a very simple chemical compound known scientifically as sodium bicarbonate. That means its particles are made up of one sodium atom and two carbon atoms. One of the most significant properties of sodium bicarbonate is that it’s highly reactive when placed in contact with acidic substances. What does that reaction look like? Fizzing and bubbling. 

The result is that when you pour your urine into the baking soda, an actual chemical reaction is taking place. How acidic your urine happens to be that day will determine how much of a visible reaction, if any, occurs. Of the popular at-home gender tests, at least this one can help you learn a little bit more about science and chemistry! That means that despite it’s low rate of success, we can give it a partial recommendation simply because it gives you the chance to do a minor science experiment in the comfort of your own home. That said, it does require you to pee in a cup—something you’ll already have to do plenty of as a result of your pregnancy. 

Unfortunately, experts do not support the idea that the baking soda test could help assist with determining a baby’s gender. They say that any positive results specific mothers have had are purely a coincidence. 

Doctors and scientists say that urine is almost always somewhat acidic, which is a special tool designed to help protect us from infections inside our urinary tract on a regular basis. Doctors remind us that specific issues such as hydration, diet, and even medication have much more of an impact than the baby’s gender. 

Looking for some other options designed to determine the gender of your baby? If you want to try some of the more out-there options, you can always consider the Mayan gender calendar or its Chinese variant. There’s also always the Dr. Jonas lunar method, another option popular among mothers looking to find out their baby’s gender. 

Unfortunately, there’s only one tried and true method that can tell you your baby’s gender with 98% to 99% accuracy. That’s right, you guessed it—analyzing an ultrasound and finding out that way. It may not be something you can do yourself in the comfort of your home, but it’s still the most accurate and dependable way to find out the gender of your baby. 

From the moment your baby is conceived, their gender has been determined. It can be difficult to determine your baby’s gender for several weeks after this pivotal event. Some doctors won’t try to predict the baby’s gender for at least 20 weeks into the pregnancy. 

For expectant mothers, that may seem like an eternity. That’s why it’s worth turning to a trusted service that can give you baby gender results much, much earlier on in the process.