Conceive a Girl

The most common reason potential parents want to conceive a girl rather than a boy is the danger of genetic disease, or “gender-linked” disorders that are inherited from the parents. Other people simply would prefer to raise a girl, either because they already have one or more boys, or in the case of a single mother, it might be easier to raise a daughter alone. There are only two techniques that can reliably predict gender: One is to run a test while doing In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) and the other, which is still in the experimental stage, is Microsoft. This article outlines other methods that have worked to better the odds for some couples, although many scientists believe that the following techniques are not guaranteed.

Steps

Shettles Method

1. Monitor the frequency and timing of intercourse. The Shettles Method is based on the fact that the Y chromosome (boy) sperm are smaller and less robust, but move faster than the larger X chromosome (girl) sperm. Therefore, having intercourse further away from ovulation will favor the slower moving X (girl) sperm.
2. Determine the time of your ovulation. One way to do this is to chart your cervical mucus daily. Just before ovulation, cervical mucus is watery and elastic, with the consistency of a raw egg white.
   • By charting your cervical mucus for one full month, you should be able to pinpoint exactly when you are ovulating. Shettles recommends sexual intercourse up to 3 days before ovulation in order to increase your odds of conceiving a girl.
3. Use a basal body thermometer (BBT) to chart your temperature every day. Shettles recommends taking your temperature before you get up each morning, and being extremely careful to lie as still as possible, as any activity can give you an inaccurate reading. The reason for the temperature charting is that at the time you begin to ovulate, your temperature will spike.
4. Use an ovulation predictor kit. These kits will detect when your body has released Luteinizing hormone (LH), which is a precursor to ovulation; which is most likely to start about 24 hours after you get a positive reading for LH.
5. Have gentle sex and avoid orgasm. Shallow penetration is more likely to deposit the sperm closer to the entrance of the vagina, which is more acidic than the area near the cervix. The theory is that the acidity will weaken the Y (boy) sperm while allowing more X (girl) sperm available for egg fertilization.
   • The female body produces a substance after orgasm that make the vagina more alkaline, which favors the Y (boy) sperm.
   • The contractions produced during an orgasm will help propel the sperm up and into the cervix, which gives the Y (boy) sperm the advantage.

Calcium and Magnesium Diet

1. Know that diet may play a vital role in selecting the sex of your baby. Some research suggests that diet can influence whether you have a girl or a boy, although the research is doubted by some. Specifically, researchers say that a diet of magnesium and calcium may be helpful in conceiving a girl.
2. Eat plenty of calcium and magnesium. Diets rich in calcium and magnesium may increase the alkalinity of the mother, which may not be as hospitable for male sperm.
   • Foods rich in calcium and magnesium include:
     • Nuts, such as almonds and cashews
     • Beans
     • Vegetables such as spinach and broccoli
     • Yogurt and tofu
     • Oatmeal
3. Avoid salt and potassium, which may create hospitable environments for male sperm. The following foods should be put on the no-no list if you're adhering to the calcium and magnesium diet:
   • Anchovies, smoked salmon, and shrimp
   • Bacon, salami, and processed meats
   • Breads and pastries
   • Olives
   • Potatoes

Ericsson Method

1. Understand the Ericsson method. Dr. Ronald Ericsson based his gender selection method on the idea that X-sperm (female sperm) swim slower than Y-sperm. Sperm are deposited into a column with albumin, a glue-like substance, and start swimming down the column. After a while, the idea is that the Y-sperm will have traveled further down the column than the X-sperm, and X-enriched sperm can be isolated. The X-enriched sperm are then used to inseminate the mother.
2. Find a doctor who practices the Ericsson method. Check with your local fertility doctor about the Ericsson method, and whether they know any practitioners. Although many fertility doctors don't support the Ericsson method because it isn't backed up by widespread scientific support, you should be able to find a practitioner.
3. Expect to pay anywhere from $500 to $1,000 for the Ericsson method. Although this isn't cheap, it's far cheaper than IVF and methods like Microsoft.

Chinese Birth Calendar

1. Use the Chinese Lunar Birth calendar. While not scientific, some parents and even some doctors, recommend following the Chinese Lunar Birth calendar. According to this ancient mystical calendar, the gender of a baby is determined by the mother’s age and the month in which she conceives. A simplified example would be if a woman is 25, she should try to conceive in the months of January, April, May or July.
2. Determine the days on which conception would produce a girl. The Chinese birth chart is determined by the mother's age and the month of conception, so figure out how old you are and which month on the lunar calendar would produce a girl. Read more about how to select the sex of your baby using the Chinese birth chart.

Tips

• In Vitro Fertilization is the most reliable gender predictor because only the embryos of the desired gender are transferred to the uterus. It is a very costly procedure.
• Basal body thermometers and ovulation predictor kits can be purchased at your pharmacy or online.
• Buy the book, “How to Choose the Sex of Your Baby,” by Landrum Shettles and David Rorvik, to get the full details. The authors claim that the Shettles method gives couples at least a 75 percent success rate when choosing the gender of their baby.

Warnings

• Microsoft™, developed by the Genetics and IVF Institute in Fairfax, Virginia, has shown a remarkably high accuracy rate, but has failed to obtain FDA approval for clinical use.
• The methods in this article suggest ways that a woman can make her body a more hospitable environment for the X –chromosome (girl) sperm, which will hopefully increase the chances of conceiving a daughter. It is not advisable to attempt any method of gender selection unless you consult a medical professional in the cases involving the possibility of adverse medical conditions in one gender or the other.
• Seek counseling before attempting any of these methods if you have any moral or ethical dilemmas concerning gender selection.

Things You’ll Need

• Basal body thermometer
• Ovulation testing kit
• Chinese lunar birth chart
• Foods rich in calcium and magnesium

Sources and Citations

See also

• Know if You are Pregnant
• Get Pregnant Quickly
• Know the Earliest Pregnancy Signs
• Have a Girl
• Recognize Implantation Bleeding
• Get Pregnant With PCOS
• Prepare Yourself for a Healthy Pregnancy at 35 Years Old
• Tell Implantation Symptoms from PMS Symptoms
• Raise the Chances of Having a Boy
• Increase Fertility in Men

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