Choosing the sex of your new baby ...
Boy or girl?
Some claim that by doing certain things you can choose whether you have a boy or girl. Is it true, and what are these methods?
In reality, the chances of either gender are roughly 50/50. But there are claims that you can influence the outcome - here’s a look at some of the theories. We can’t definitively state that any of these work, but there’s no proof they don’t!
Method one: Diet
If you’re desperate for a boy it’s suggested that you tuck in to several large servings of meat per week. You’ll also want to snack on salty foods, such as olives, pickles, pretzels or chips (the last two aren’t particularly good for you, so opt for baked, rather than fried, and don’t go overboard).
Try to keep your diet as anti-acidic as you can - the idea is that lower acidity levels will lead to blue-coloured nurseries. See if you can persuade your partner to sip on cola drinks or gulp down a strong cup of coffee before sex, as it can help improve your chances of stimulating the male sperm.
Those yearning for a girl are advised to eat foods that are sweet, in particular chocolate. For most of us, this is pretty welcome news. But if you’re not so keen on the desserts, don’t worry - women wanting to conceive girls should also eat plenty of calcium-rich milk, cheese, fish and vegetables.
Method two: Dr Shettles
Dr Landrum Shettles helped pioneer IVF treatment in the 1950s, but he’s now better known for his beliefs surrounding baby gender selection.
His method is reasonably simple as long as you’ve worked out the days you ovulate. If you’re planning on a boy, mark your calendar and have sex as close to ovulation as possible, while those who want girls should try to have sex four days before ovulation. The idea is that Y chromosome sperm - which make baby boys - move faster, but don’t live as long as sperm that carry the X (girl-making) chromosome.
Dr George Quittner agrees that girl sperm allegedly live longer: “If you have sex a day or two before your ovulation, a girl is more likely because the surviving sperm will be X chromosome. Conversely, intercourse on the day of ovulation is more likely to produce a boy.”
Dr Shettles claims a success rate of 70-75% for girls and 75-80% for boys if you follow all his instructions to the letter. But Dr Quittner is sceptical. “I believe the ratios can be pushed to 60/40 at best,” he says.
Still, given that the regular odds are roughly 50/50, that’s a step in the right direction.
Method three: High-tech
If you absolutely must have a son or you desperately want a daughter, there are a couple of high-tech options that can help you manipulate nature.
The first is pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD). PGD is an IVF technique that was originally designed to screen embryos for potentially serious genetic disorders - in this procedure, embryos are created outside the womb and are tested for genetic diseases, and also gender. In Australia this technique is generally used only when there’s a possibility of disease.
There’s also microsorting (sperm sorting). This involves the X and Y chromosomes being separated via a dye technique; the sperm of your choice is then artificially inseminated in the uterus.
A word of caution: both PGD and microsorting are expensive, and neither is 100% guaranteed. To learn more, talk to your GP or fertility specialist about the idea.
Some interesting research
* Studies from the University of Auckland show that women who are dominant and confident are more likely to have boys than girls. The reason? Apparently the egg is exposed to higher female testosterone levels.
* A study published in the Journal of Theoretical Biology found that parents in more traditional male professions - such as engineering and science - are more likely to have sons than those who work in more “female fields”, such as nursing and teaching, as those men are more likely to have girls.
* Chance, a US magazine by the American Statistical Association, looked closely at the offspring of more than 6000 families to establish whether boys or girls run in families. They could find no link and stated that whether you have a son or a daughter appears to be nothing more than “an accident of chance”.
More stories
Real-life: Boy or girl?
Trying for a baby
This story features in Making Babies, the guide for those who are thinking about getting pregnant, already trying or struggling to conceive. Buy it online here.
Some claim that by doing certain things you can choose whether you have a boy or girl. Is it true, and what are these methods?
In reality, the chances of either gender are roughly 50/50. But there are claims that you can influence the outcome - here’s a look at some of the theories. We can’t definitively state that any of these work, but there’s no proof they don’t!
Method one: Diet
If you’re desperate for a boy it’s suggested that you tuck in to several large servings of meat per week. You’ll also want to snack on salty foods, such as olives, pickles, pretzels or chips (the last two aren’t particularly good for you, so opt for baked, rather than fried, and don’t go overboard).
Try to keep your diet as anti-acidic as you can - the idea is that lower acidity levels will lead to blue-coloured nurseries. See if you can persuade your partner to sip on cola drinks or gulp down a strong cup of coffee before sex, as it can help improve your chances of stimulating the male sperm.
Those yearning for a girl are advised to eat foods that are sweet, in particular chocolate. For most of us, this is pretty welcome news. But if you’re not so keen on the desserts, don’t worry - women wanting to conceive girls should also eat plenty of calcium-rich milk, cheese, fish and vegetables.
Method two: Dr Shettles
Dr Landrum Shettles helped pioneer IVF treatment in the 1950s, but he’s now better known for his beliefs surrounding baby gender selection.
His method is reasonably simple as long as you’ve worked out the days you ovulate. If you’re planning on a boy, mark your calendar and have sex as close to ovulation as possible, while those who want girls should try to have sex four days before ovulation. The idea is that Y chromosome sperm - which make baby boys - move faster, but don’t live as long as sperm that carry the X (girl-making) chromosome.
Dr George Quittner agrees that girl sperm allegedly live longer: “If you have sex a day or two before your ovulation, a girl is more likely because the surviving sperm will be X chromosome. Conversely, intercourse on the day of ovulation is more likely to produce a boy.”
Dr Shettles claims a success rate of 70-75% for girls and 75-80% for boys if you follow all his instructions to the letter. But Dr Quittner is sceptical. “I believe the ratios can be pushed to 60/40 at best,” he says.
Still, given that the regular odds are roughly 50/50, that’s a step in the right direction.
Method three: High-tech
If you absolutely must have a son or you desperately want a daughter, there are a couple of high-tech options that can help you manipulate nature.
The first is pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD). PGD is an IVF technique that was originally designed to screen embryos for potentially serious genetic disorders - in this procedure, embryos are created outside the womb and are tested for genetic diseases, and also gender. In Australia this technique is generally used only when there’s a possibility of disease.
There’s also microsorting (sperm sorting). This involves the X and Y chromosomes being separated via a dye technique; the sperm of your choice is then artificially inseminated in the uterus.
A word of caution: both PGD and microsorting are expensive, and neither is 100% guaranteed. To learn more, talk to your GP or fertility specialist about the idea.
Some interesting research
* Studies from the University of Auckland show that women who are dominant and confident are more likely to have boys than girls. The reason? Apparently the egg is exposed to higher female testosterone levels.
* A study published in the Journal of Theoretical Biology found that parents in more traditional male professions - such as engineering and science - are more likely to have sons than those who work in more “female fields”, such as nursing and teaching, as those men are more likely to have girls.
* Chance, a US magazine by the American Statistical Association, looked closely at the offspring of more than 6000 families to establish whether boys or girls run in families. They could find no link and stated that whether you have a son or a daughter appears to be nothing more than “an accident of chance”.
More stories
Real-life: Boy or girl?
Trying for a baby
This story features in Making Babies, the guide for those who are thinking about getting pregnant, already trying or struggling to conceive. Buy it online here.