Are you the mom of three boys and you are just dying to get that baby girl you’ve always dreamed of? Or, maybe you have always wanted your first born to be a boy. Well, according to modern science, some popular research and many people who swear by these methods, there are several things you can try to increase your chances of conceiving the gender you desire.
HOW A BABY’S GENDER IS DETERMINED
Before getting into the different methods of gender selection, let’s talk a little bit about how a baby’s gender is determined. If you are a female you carry two X chromosomes (XX). If you are a male, you carry an X chromosome and a Y chromosome (XY). When a man and a woman conceive a child, they each pass on one of their chromosomes. The woman passes on an X chromosome (which is all she has to offer) and the man can pass on an X chromosome or a Y chromosome. If he passes on an X chromosome, the baby will be a girl. If the man passes on a Y chromosome, the baby will be a boy. So, basically it is the dad’s DNA that determines what sex the baby will be.
GENDER CHROMOSOMES
Girl = XX – Boy = XY
The mom passes on an X chromosome and the dad can pass on either an X chromosome or a Y chromosome, determining the baby’s gender.
Now that you understand the basics of gender DNA, let’s talk about some ways that can increase your chances of conceiving one gender over another.
THE SHETTLES METHOD
The basis for this method is the premise that sperm carrying the female (X) chromosome and male (Y) chromosome have different characteristics and you can encourage one or the other to reach the egg and fertilize it first through the timing of intercourse and how you do it.
CHARACTERISTICS OF FEMALE VERSUS MALE SPERM
• Female sperm (containing X chromosome) are more resilient (live longer), but are slower. They thrive in an acidic environment where Y sperm struggle.
• Male sperm (containing the Y chromosome) are faster, but die sooner. They thrive in an alkaline environment.
TO CONCEIVE A GIRL USING THE SHETTLES METHOD:
• Have sex 2-3 days before ovulation, so that the long-living female sperm will remain inside the woman waiting for the egg while the male sperm die off.
• Refrain from having sex in the couple of days leading up to ovulation and for two days after to avoid the speedy male sperm beating the female sperm to the egg.
• Have intercourse in a shallow position that will deposit the sperm furthest from the cervix, like the “missionary position.” This gives the advantage to the female sperm because they live longer and can travel longer distances and the cervical fluid closer to the entrance is more acidic, thus favoring the female sperm.
• The female should avoid having an orgasm as it can make the internal environment more alkaline, thus favoring male sperm (fun times, huh?).
TO CONCEIVE A BOY USING THE SHETTLES METHOD:
• Have sex at the time of ovulation and just before so that the speedier male sperm have a chance to reach the egg first.
• Have intercourse in a deep position that will deposit sperm closest to the cervix, like with the man entering from behind. The cervical fluid closest to the cervix is more alkaline, favoring male sperm, and the short-lived male sperm have less distance to travel.
• The female should have an orgasm as this decreases the acidity of the woman’s internal environment, giving the male sperm a better chance of living.
Obviously, following the Shettles Method isn’t easy – it takes careful planning and can extend the time it takes you to conceive a child because you are limiting having sex on certain days.
CHARACTERISTICS OF FEMALE VERSUS MALE SPERM
• Female sperm (containing X chromosome) are more resilient (live longer), but are slower. They thrive in an acidic environment where Y sperm struggle.
• Male sperm (containing the Y chromosome) are faster, but die sooner. They thrive in an alkaline environment.
TO CONCEIVE A GIRL USING THE SHETTLES METHOD:
• Have sex 2-3 days before ovulation, so that the long-living female sperm will remain inside the woman waiting for the egg while the male sperm die off.
• Refrain from having sex in the couple of days leading up to ovulation and for two days after to avoid the speedy male sperm beating the female sperm to the egg.
• Have intercourse in a shallow position that will deposit the sperm furthest from the cervix, like the “missionary position.” This gives the advantage to the female sperm because they live longer and can travel longer distances and the cervical fluid closer to the entrance is more acidic, thus favoring the female sperm.
• The female should avoid having an orgasm as it can make the internal environment more alkaline, thus favoring male sperm (fun times, huh?).
TO CONCEIVE A BOY USING THE SHETTLES METHOD:
• Have sex at the time of ovulation and just before so that the speedier male sperm have a chance to reach the egg first.
• Have intercourse in a deep position that will deposit sperm closest to the cervix, like with the man entering from behind. The cervical fluid closest to the cervix is more alkaline, favoring male sperm, and the short-lived male sperm have less distance to travel.
• The female should have an orgasm as this decreases the acidity of the woman’s internal environment, giving the male sperm a better chance of living.
Obviously, following the Shettles Method isn’t easy – it takes careful planning and can extend the time it takes you to conceive a child because you are limiting having sex on certain days.
EXPENSIVE SCIENTIFIC TECHNIQUES
If home experiments aren’t for you and you are determined to have the boy/girl baby you’ve always dreamed of (and money isn’t an issue), you may just want to seek outside help. With the help of specialized fertility centers and modern science, here are a couple of methods for greatly increasing your chances of conceiving the gender of your choice.
MICROSORT
MicroSort is a sperm sorting technique that uses die to separate the X chromosome sperm from the Y chromosome sperm. After the sperm is separated, the appropriate gender is placed in the mom’s uterus using artificial insemination or in some cases in vitro fertilization. If artificial insemination is used, MicroSort can cost around $3,000 per cycle (upwards of $15k+ for IVF). MicroSort has been 93% successful in conceiving girls and 82% successful for boys.
ERICSSON METHOD
Developed in the 1970’s by Dr. Ronald Ericsson, this is another sperm separating technique that is based on the principle that boy producing sperm (Y) are faster than girl producing sperm (X) and will reach the bottom of a test tube filled with a sticky substance first. This way the sperm can be separated once the boy sperm reach the bottom. The chosen gender sperm is then inserted into the mom through artificial insemination. Ericsson claims that his technique is 75-85% successful in conceiving boys and 73-75% successful in conceiving girls. The cost for this method is around $600 per treatment cycle.
OLD WIVES’ TALES
If you aren’t taking your baby’s gender selection too seriously and just want to have a little bit of fun with it, here are a few old wives’ tales that we came across. Hey, even if they aren’t true there’s still a 50% chance that you’ll end up with the gender you want!
OLD WIVES’ TALES TO CONCEIVE A GIRL:
• Have sex during the “new moon” phase of the monthly moon cycle
• Have sex on the even days of the month
• Have sex in the afternoon
• The woman should initiate the love-making
OLD WIVES’ TALES TO CONCEIVE A BOY:
• Have sex during the “full moon” phase of the monthly moon cycle
• Have sex on the odd days of the month
• Have sex only at night
• The man should initiate the love-making
