There is no more fabulous gift than a healthy baby. And for various reasons, some of us hope for a son or a girl. So, if there were ways to increase their chances of conceiving their preferred gender, it wouldn’t hurt to try.
For sure, you've heard a lot of anecdotal stories about what couples did to increase their chances of conceiving a baby girl. Still, you have to remember these have yet to be proven as 100% effective. You’ll always have a 50-50 chance of having a son or daughter.
How gender is determined when you conceive
A woman’s egg carries only the X-chromosome, so a baby’s sex is determined by the X chromosome (girl) or Y chromosome (boy) carried by the sperm. Two X chromosomes in a fertilized egg result in a baby girl, while an X and Y chromosome means you’re having a boy.
The only sure way to conceive a girl or a boy is through in vitro fertilization (IVF). The sex of the baby can be chosen through genetic testing or sperm selection. Outside the lab, there is no predicting if the sperm that fertilizes the egg carries an X or Y chromosome.
In the book How To Choose The Sex Of Your Baby, author Dr. Landrum B. Shettles, a biologist, theorizes about specific characteristics of sperm carrying Y or X chromosome. His method works with the idea that X-chromosome sperm are lazy swimmers. They take their time reaching the egg, perhaps because they can live longer inside the vagina. An acidic vagina is also more conducive to X-chromosome sperm. A vagina that has a more alkaline pH level is deadly to Y-chromosome sperm.
How to increase your chances of conceiving a girl
Considering the Shettles' method, which boasts of high effectivity rate, aiming for a baby girl involves adjusting a vagaina's pH levels. You can also use the Chinese calendar method. Again, none of these have been scientifically proven to be 100% effective. Still, many couples will take their chances in the hope that they get pregnant with the baby gender of their choice.
Here are ways to help increase your chances of conceiving a girl:
1. Go for not-so-deep penetration sex.
Many couples attest that deep penetration is crucial whether you want to get pregnant with a boy or a girl. But if you’re planning to get pregnant with a girl, the classic missionary may be your best bet. Girl-on-top positions may also work as it allows you to control the depth of penetration.
Shallow penetration provides more distance for the sperm to swim towards the egg and may give Y-chromosome sperm better chances at reaching the egg first.
2. Don’t aim for the female orgasm.
They say when a woman climaxes during sex, the contractions in the uterus gives the Y-chromosome a boost past the cervix and start its swim towards the egg quickly. You don’t want to give that advantage if you’re trying to conceive for a baby girl.
If a woman climaxes during sex, the vagina also becomes less acidic and more alkaline, which is more conducive to Y-chromosome sperm. Go for minimal foreplay, too, since that may make you reach the Big-O faster.
3. Time your sexual intercourse right.
You and your partner can conceive is when you have sex on the woman’s fertile days or ovulation period. If you consider the Shettles Method, which says girl-producing sperm carrying the X-chromosome are lazy swimmers, then you and your partner need to have sex two to four days before ovulation. Supposedly, when woman’s ovary releases the egg, only the X-chromosome sperm will be left in the woman’s reproductive system to fertilize it.
4. Have more frequent sex.
Some theories on conceiving advise frequent intercourse during the woman’s ovulation days to give the man’s sperm time to build up. When a man’s sperm count is up, most of them are more likely to be Y-chromosome sperm.
5. Modify you and your partner's diet.
Another theory suggests a man needs to eat more fruits and veggies than protein-packed food to produce more X-chromosome sperm. He may have to to lay off the caffeine before having sex to prevent his Y-chromosome sperm from swimming fast towards the egg.
They say women who have a low-calorie diet have higher chances of conceiving a girl. Another research suggests women to eat more eggs, milk, yogurt, and chocolate to increase her chances of having a baby girl. Stay away from salty dishes, because a diet high in sodium and potassium favors Y-chromosome sperm.
6. Embrace the warmth.
Some say the heat is lethal to male chromosome-carrying sperm. Encourage your partner to have warm showers (you can join him!) before having sex to help achieve your goal of having a girl.
You can also ask him to switch to briefs if he’s a boxers kind of guy, as tight spaces also mean a warmer environment for his sperm factory.
7. Choose the month to conceive.
Some of the elderly say that trying for a baby during the colder months of the year usually produces a baby girl. If you decide to try to conceive during the hotter months, you’ll have a boy.
The only things you should really be concerned about when trying to conceive, whether you want a girl or boy, is to enjoy and savor the intimate connection between you and your partner. That’s why they call it making love. You will love your baby no matter what.
Already pregnant and wanting to predict your baby's sex? Don't be fooled by these myths. Click here to check.
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