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Despite the controversy, millions of us are secretly trying to influence the sex of our babies, through methods such as the gender selection diet.

When it comes to choosing the sex of your baby, there are dozens of ideas, theories and plans out there. Most claiming to be anywhere from 70 - 90% accurate.  Some are fun, some are crazy, and some have a little science behind them.  

On this page, we will look at some of the popular gender selection methods such as Shettles, Billings, PH Method, the Gender Selection Diet and the more fun ones including the Chinese Gender Chart as well as some Old Wives Tales......

How nature chooses the sex of your baby

There are a few different methods that you can look at, the most popular being

· The Shettle’s Method of Gender Selection;

· The Gender Selection Diet;

· The Billings Method of Gender Selection; and the

· The PH Method of Gender Selection

I have given you a little information on each gender selection method below, but if you want more information on any of these methods there are lots of books and websites that will give you what you need.  So let’s get started.

The Shettle’s Method for choosing the sex of your baby

The basis of the Shettle’s Method is timing.  This is why knowing your cycle and your ovulation day is so important.

Basically Shettle’s theory is that all sperm have a certain personality and a certain lifespan.  Boy sperm (Y) have the ‘swim fast - die young’ kind of attitude, whilst the Girl sperm (X) are more of the ‘slow and steady wins the race’ kind of gals. And their lifespans? Well about 24 hours for the boys and around 3 – 5 days for the girls.

So now that you know everything you need to know about sperm, how do you use this information to your advantage?  Well, what you need to do is decide which gender you are after and then time intercourse to suit the lifespan of the required sperm.  

Put simply, if you are after a boy you need to try and time intercourse as close to ovulation as possible.  Preferably on the day or within 24 hours either side of the egg being released.  

And if you are after a baby of the fairer sex, you should time intercourse 3 to 5 days before ovulation.  The idea here being that by the time the egg arrives there will only be X sperm still alive to fertilise the egg.  

Whilst following this method you need to decide how much time you want to invest in trying for your little princess as it can take a little longer to conceive this way.  You should also note that by timing intercourse 3 – 5 days out from ovulation you may miss a chance at getting pregnant, so if you are having trouble conceiving, or in a hurry, then this may not be the best method for you.

Apart from timing intercourse Shettle’s also suggests:

Gender Selection methods  - For a girl

Choose sexual positions that keep the sperm closer to the entrance of your vagina i.e. try the old fashioned missionary position;

Having intercourse from the day after your period ends up until 3 days before ovulation;

Having intercourse on at least the 3rd, 4th and 5th day before ovulation; and

Avoiding female orgasm as this creates an alkaline environment which does not favour girls.

Gender Selection methods - For a boy

Choose sexual positions that position sperm closer to the entrance of your cervix – Try rear entry position such as the affectionately known doggie style;

Men should avoid ejaculation for up to 4 – 5 days before intercourse;

Have intercourse 12 – 24 hours before ovulation; and

This time it is important for the woman to orgasm as it will create that nice alkaline environment that boy sperm so love.

The Gender Selection Diet

The idea here is that certain vitamins and minerals and various substances obtained from food can affect your reproductive systems, which in turn will favour one sex or the other. So basically you change your diet in order to influence the sex of your baby.

Other research relating to diet and gender, suggests that women on a low calorie diet are more likely to have a girl.  But… don’t overdo it! Never forget that proper nutrition is important for a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby.  Whatever gender that baby will be!

So what foods should you be looking at.

For a girl

A lower calorie diet high in calcium and magnesium and low in sodium and potassium

· Chocolate and sweet foods

· Fresh vegetables

· Fish

· Dairy and other high calcium foods

· Cranberries or Cranberry juice

Avoid salty foods, lots of red meat and bananas

For a boy

A high calorie diet high in sodium and potassium and low in magnesium and calcium

· Meat, particularly red meat like steak

· Salty snacks, like chips and salty peanuts

· Potatoes

· Bananas

· Coffee

· Cereal

Avoid sweet foods and limit dairy

The Billings Method of Conception

The Billings Ovulation Method (BOM) is more about women learning to read their fertility signs and charting their cycle, then a fertility treatment that requires taking drugs or using any devices.

Some women use the BOM to prevent pregnancy, but here we will be looking at how to use this method to increase your chances of conception.

One thing that people need to understand is that you are only fertile for around 5 days each month, and that you really only have a 12 – 24 hours window during this period to actually get pregnant.  So if you are not timing intercourse than you could literally be ‘missing the boat’ each month.

The BOM is based on women learning to read their fertility signs which include following their body to understand when they are due to ovulate.  There are a few ways to monitor your fertility including taking your temperature, monitoring your vaginal discharge and using a small microscope such as ‘Maybe Baby’ to monitor your saliva.

The BOM is based on monitoring, observing and recording your vaginal discharge. Basically you need to wipe yourself when you go to the toilet and check the paper for any discharge. (Before you pee).  It seems a bit gross at first, but you get used to it, and it will become second nature.

In the week after your period ends, you will find that you will be quite dry, but as you move closer to ovulation, you will begin to notice a clear discharge when you wipe yourself.  This is the beginning of your fertility period, and the time for you to begin having intercourse.  

As the discharge becomes thicker, creamer, and stickier you can be pretty confident that you are about to ovulate, and should definitely have daily intercourse.  The perfect time to undertake the ‘Baby Dance’ is when you notice a discharge similar to ‘egg white’.  You may also notice at this time, that your vulva feels a little different, and may feel a little tingly.

As your fertility window closes, you will notice that your discharge starts to become sticky and then dries up or disappears, before being followed by your period, and another week or so of dryness before your next ovulation period.

There is quite a lot to know about monitoring your mucous discharge, as well as other forms of monitoring your monthly cycles; as such I have a page dedicated to charting, so please check it out.  It worked for me. And very quickly!

The PH Method of Conception

We know that sperm have preferences towards certain environmental conditions. Boys prefer a more alkaline environment whilst girls prefer acidity.   So, the idea behind this method is to create an environment where your preferred sperm type will thrive, whilst the other type will flounder, thus increasing the chances of the ‘right’ sperm meeting the egg.  

To try this method all you need to do is change the PH levels of your vagina and uterus through diet and vitamin supplementation.  So how do you get started?

PH Method for a girl

Calcium and Magnesium Tablets

It takes time to build up the levels of these vitamins in your body, so you need to start taking these tablets at least 6 – 8 weeks before your first attempt at conceiving.  You will then need to continue taking them every day until you fall pregnant.  You should also try to increase the amount of dairy and other calcium rich foods in your diet to help you along the way.

Calcium and Magnesium are both very good for you at any time particularly when you are trying to conceive, so you will benefit from taking these vitamins anyway.

Cranberry Tablets or Cranberry Juice

Cranberry Tablets or Cranberry Juice need to be taken every day during the ovulation week.  So start consuming your cranberry about 7 days before you are due to ovulate.  Once ovulation is out of the way, you can skip taking these tablets again until your next ovulation week.

PH Method for a boy

Potassium

You can either take a vitamin supplement here, or look for potassium rich foods such as bananas.

Vitamin C

Take tablets or get loads of OJ into your system.

Vitamin D, E and B12

Again you can take a supplement or choose foods like red meat, eggs, sunflower seeds, almonds, olives, spinach, and fatty fish.


Now for a bit of fun

Chinese Gender Chart for Conception (Chinese Fertility Chart)

Legend has it that this gender chart was found in an ancient Royal tomb near Beijing in China.  By using the Chinese lunar calendar injunction with details of the baby’s conception such as the mother's age at conception and the month of conception, you can determine with 90% accuracy if your baby will be a boy or a girl.

For an accurate reading then you need to use your Chinese Age and the Chinese Lunar Month.

For example I was born on 30 May 1972 and my baby was conceived on 1 May 2008

Whilst I was 36 yo at the time of conception, my Chinese age was 37, and the Chinese lunar month I conceived was month 11, being November.   Which according to the chart, I would have a girl.  Which funnily enough, I did.

If you want to have a try just for fun, check out this site.

http://www.babygenderprediction.com/chinese-gender-chart.html

Old Wives Tales and Baby Gender

There are loads of old wives tales around the place, here are a few I have come across

Old wives tales to conceive a girl

· Have sex in the afternoon, rather than at night;

· Make sure the woman has an orgasm first;

· Only have intercourse on the even days of the month;

· If the woman initiates sex you will have a girl;

· Allow the woman to get on top or in another dominate position; and

· Have sex during the full moon.

Old wives tales to conceive a boy

· Men should wear boxer shorts to cool the temperature of the scrotum;

· Make sure the man orgasms first;

· Only have sex on the odd days of the month;

· Let the man initiate sex;

· Allow the man to take an on top or dominate position;

· Have sex standing up;

· Have sex at night; and

· Avoid sex during a full or new moon, aim for a quarter moons instead.

Medical Intervention to Choose Baby ‘s Gender

You should also know that in some cases gender selection can be sort through medical intervention. Particularly when considering IVF.  If this is something you think you might be interested in then you should research and consider this option yourself.  To get you started try researching something like MicroSort.