A matter of a gender

Your baby’s gender is the most important aspect of his or her character. But did you know little lads and ladies develop at different rates? Here’s how…

- Dr Su Laurent

0–6 MONTHS

• At birth, boys are usually slightly longer and heavier than girls. But she’s likely to be carrying more fat.

• Your newborn daughter will love hearing your voice almost more than being cuddled, whereas your newborn son would definitely prefer to be held in your arms. From just three days your little girl is more likely to respond to a human voice. By the time she’s six weeks, she’ll be able to form her first smile—and will give you almost double the number of grins a boy the same age will.

• Your little lady will also be much better at maintaining eye contact (an important part of holding a conversation) than her baby-bloke counterpart (no surprise – men still don’t listen when they hit their 20s!).

• Your little lad is more likely to have a growth spurt during the first six months of his life—so having a boy is a great excuse to make extra shopping visits for lots of gorgeous baby clothes to keep up with him!