Carrying High vs. LowSouthern Pregnancy Folklore
This 'carryin' high/low prediction' is still something' you hear down here. This 'carryin' high/low prediction' is still something' you hear down here. Origin
This superstition has been passed down in the South and Appalachia for generations. Women compared how a mother "carried" her baby long before medical scans existed. Versions of this belief appear in many cultures, but Southerners made it part of their rich body of pregnancy folklore, alongside other gender predictions like the wedding ring test or cravings for sweet versus salty foods.
Notes
Kin Topics
Related Pages
- Granny Woman
- Folklore: Don’t Step Over a Baby - Southern Child-Rearing Folklore
- Folklore: Heartburn in Pregnancy - Southern Folklore About Hairy Babies
- Folklore: Linea Nigra - Southern Pregnancy Folklore About Baby Gender
- Folklore: Pregnancy Cravings - Southern Folklore About Baby Gender
- Folklore: Reaching Overhead in Pregnancy - Southern Folklore About the Umbilical Cord
- Folklore: Wedding Ring Over a Pregnant Belly
- Southern Accent: Milk
How to Cite This Page
- APA (7th edition)The Hillbilly Dude. (2025, October 7). Carrying High vs. Low
Southern Pregnancy Folklore . HillbillySlang.com. https://www.hillbillyslang.com/folklore/carrying-high-vs-low-pregnancy-gender - MLA (9th edition)"The Hillbilly Dude." "Carrying High vs. Low
Southern Pregnancy Folklore ." HillbillySlang.com, 7 Oct. 2025, https://www.hillbillyslang.com/folklore/carrying-high-vs-low-pregnancy-gender. - Chicago (17th edition)The Hillbilly Dude. "Carrying High vs. Low
Southern Pregnancy Folklore ." HillbillySlang.com. October 7, 2025. https://www.hillbillyslang.com/folklore/carrying-high-vs-low-pregnancy-gender.
Dislaimer
What you're reading here is old Southern folklore and storytelling - not medical advice, and not meant to guide health, or pregnancy decisions (especially pregnancy decisions!). These tales are part of how folks once made sense of the world, passed down from grandparents and midwives.
If you have any medical questions or concerns, talk with a qualified healthcare professional.
Learn more on the Folklore hub page.