Strange Pregnancy Tests Methods Used in History

It’s really easy for modern women to find out if they’re knocked up. be it at home or the doctor. But this wasn’t always the case, and cultures from all over the world, throughout history, developed ways to find out if their women were with child, and whether it was a boy, girl or multiple. Strange as they may be, some of these tests actually yielded results, while others left much to be desired. Here are the weirdest pregnancy test methods used in history.\r \r 1. The Dandelion Pregnancy Test\r \r For this test, you’ll need to gather some dandelion leaves, not the flowers, then urinate on them in the morning. If you’re pregnant, then the leaves will show red blisters, if not it’ll remain the same. But there’s no mention as to how much leaves or urine is needed. Some also suggest that the test would work better if the leaves are spread out on a baking sheet or placed in the bottom of a cup. This is a tricky method because the various chemicals on the leaves could throw off the results, so too could over washing them.\r \r 2. The Distaff Gospels Said to Get a Latch or Key\r \r In the distaff gospels, a collection of 15th century French medieval beliefs and ideas, is a pregnancy test that requires a latch or key. Like any other pregnancy test, you’d have to place the item of your choice in a small basin, then urinate into it until it was entirely covered. After several hours, a pregnancy would be confirmed if the latch or key’s outline was damaged. Now while it’s true that a pregnant woman’s urine has different properties, there’s no proof that it’d be enough to wear off metal.\r \r 3. I Only Need to Look Into Your Eyes\r \r Sixteenth century doctor Jacques Guillemeau believed that the idea of urinating to confirm a pregnancy was a totally bogus one. So he came up with the next best thing: discerning into a woman’s eyes. You see, Guillemeau claimed that in the second month of pregnancy, a woman’s eyes start to undergo physical changes including smaller pupils and swelling of the veins in the corners of her eyes. He also stated that the woman herself would know due to the change in her vision during pregnancy.\r \r 4. The “Urinate on a Cup of Granulated Sugar” Test\r \r This one, like the others, is pretty much straightforward. You get a cup, add a few teaspoons of sugar, then urinate into it in the morning. If the sugar clumps up instead of dissolving, then it means that you are with child, but the sugar does dissolve, then the chances of being pregnant is slim to none. Just like with the dandelion test, there’s no measurements as to how much sugar or urine is needed. It is presumed that too much or too little could mess up the results.\r \r 5. The Ancient Egyptians Barley and Wheat Test\r \r Out of all the pregnancy tests on this list, the Ancient Egyptians’ method is actually the most accurate. That’s because science has confirmed that a pregnant woman’s urine does increase the growth of wheat and barley. To begin, women were instructed to fill a bag with wheat and a bag with barley, then urinate into both everyday. If both sprouted, then it was clear that the woman was most likely pregnant. If neither grew, then she wasn’t. And if the wheat grew more, then it was a boy, but it was a girl if the barley was more plentiful.