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At the Beijing Institute of Science a chart can be found that many consider a bit of fun and not very scientific. The Chinese Pregnancy Calendar projects the sex of a baby based on the mother’s age and month of conception. Whether this is science or entertainment, is up to you. However, the Chinese considered it valid enough to employ the chart in their family planning.

For most Americans the chart is used after conception to determine the sex of their baby. Expectant parents enjoy preparations for the upcoming baby and often spend hours pouring over possible baby names, nursery preparations and other plans that can be more specific if the sex of the baby is known.

For the original users of the Chinese Pregnancy Calendar, the chart offered an opportunity to determine the sex of the baby prior to conception. In different periods of Chinese history, male children prevailed over females, encouraging the use of methods such as the Chinese Pregnancy Calendar.

In current times, we might consider the calendar akin to old wives tales determining the sex of a child to help with choosing baby names and other post-conception factors. For the Chinese, though, its accuracy is sufficient to ensure its place in the Institute of Science.