There are two ways to go about gender selection: at-home, non-invasive techniques and in-office procedures, which involve medical intervention. The at-home methods can range from conceiving in the north wind to timing conception around ovulation, while the medical procedures are more accurate but time-consuming and financially exhaustive.
First, let’s run through the two-minute junior high school biology class:
A baby’s gender is established when it receives the two sex chromosomes from its parents. Its mother has two x chromosomes (from which the egg already has one) and the father has an x and a y chromosome (so they can receive either one). Just like its parents, if the combination is xx, the baby is a girl; if it is xy, the baby is a boy. Studies state that men’s sperm are divided 50/50 between the x carriers and y carriers, although in some rare cases, the ratio is skewed.
So we come to the question: how can you affect which sperm will fertilize the egg? Listed below are a number of at-home techniques, followed by medical procedures, that all claim to have an impact on your resulting bundle of joy.
At Home – Non-Invasive Techniques
Shettles Method
This decades-old method is the most popular of at-home techniques since it is based on the scientific premise that sperm carrying the male y chromosome and sperm carrying the female x chromosome have different properties. The theory behind the method is that couples can take advantage of these differences and influence which sperm will make it to the lucky egg.
Further, the late Dr. Landrum Shettles claimed “authoritative scientific studies” and “compelling anecdotal evidence” that endorse the method’s success.
Here’s the gist of the method: The “male” sperm are apparently faster and smaller, but they die more quickly than their counterparts. The “female” sperm are slower but stronger, with the ability to endure the acidic cervical environment before fertile cervical fluid is produced.
Based on these traits, it is recommended that couples who are hoping for a girl have intercourse two to three days prior to anticipated ovulation and not have intercourse again until two days after ovulation. The presumption is that the x-carrying sperm might be slower than their counterparts, but they will still be around when the egg makes its appearance. By that time, the y-carrying sperm will have died.
In hopes of a boy, the recommendation is to schedule intercourse right around ovulation. That way, those fast x-carrying sperm will beat out their female counterparts and speed their way to the awaiting egg.
There are other recommendations for the Shettles Method as well:
Position: Deeper penetration for a boy (to deposit those quick sperm closer to their goal); more shallow for a girl (so the strong female-laden sperm will outlive the male swimmers on their longer journey to the egg).
Female Orgasm: Go for it if you’re hoping for a boy (since the alkaline secretions increased by a female orgasm create a more favorable environment for those princes-to-be); hold off for a girl (since these sperm prefer the acidic setting).
Unfortunately, if you’ve been having trouble conceiving, you may find that trying to time your conception may only extend your fertility efforts.
The following methods are based less on scientific merit and more on folklore and cultural practices:
Diet
You may have heard that if you want a girl, you should stick with sweets and calcium-rich foods, and if you’re hoping for a boy, you should consume salty foods and red meat. Aside from studies that show that diet has no relationship to the potential gender of your baby, severely limiting your diet (or overindulging in salt if you’re on a salt-restricted diet) could have adverse effects on someone who should be in optimal health to conceive a child. Verdict: Not worth the trouble.
Chinese Calendar
Another belief is based on the Chinese calendar. There is a predetermined chart, with ages running across one axis, and the months of the year on another. The chart is then filled with female/male squares, and matching up your age at conception with the month of conception will apparently tell you the gender of your child. (For example, a thirty-year-old conceiving in March will deliver a girl.) Unfortunately, two different sites showed two different results for a thirty-year-old conceiving in February, so even if the theory has any merit, the chart you are referring to might be inaccurate. Verdict: Try for fun, not for results.
