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Q: Gender selection for baby ( Answered 5 out of 5 stars,   2 Comments )
Question  
Subject: Gender selection for baby
Category: Miscellaneous
Asked by: dogsbollocks-ga
List Price: $15.00
Posted: 30 Jul 2004 14:09 PDT
Expires: 29 Aug 2004 14:09 PDT
Question ID: 381462
Is there any good research on the internet how to influence the gender
of a baby (ie whether it is born a boy or a girl).
Answer  
Subject: Re: Gender selection for baby
Answered By: tlspiegel-ga on 30 Jul 2004 14:53 PDT
Rated:5 out of 5 stars
 
Hi dogsbollocks,

Thank you for your most interesting question.  :)
 

AmazingPregnancy.com - Gender Selection for Your Baby
http://www.amazingpregnancy.com/ttc/gender.html

The following methods are the current theories regarding gender
selection while trying to conceive.

The Shettles Method

The Shettles, by Dr. Landrum Shettles and David Rorvik, authors of How
To Choose the Sex of Your Baby, is the method most used and most
effective. According to this method Y-chromosomes (for boys) move
faster but don't last as long as X-chromosomes (for girls), Dr
Shettles says it makes sense to have sex as close as possible to
ovulation if a boy is what you want. If you try to conceive two to
four days before you ovulate, you'll most likely have a girl.

BabyHopes.com - How to Choose the Sex of Your Baby:
The Method Best Supported by Scientific Evidence The Shettles Method
Baby Gender Selection Book
http://www.babyhopes.com/choosesexofbaby.html

Over the last twenty-five years, thousands of couples have turned to
the Shettles method for choosing the sex of their babies. And
thousands have been blessed with the boy or girl they hoped for. In
fact, the properly applied Shettles method gives couples at least a 75
percent success rate. Some researchers have reported success rates up
to 90 percent!

Includes Information On:

- Determining when you ovulate should have sex in order to have a boy or a girl. 
- What sexual positions will increase the probability of having your
chosen gender.
- How to time intercourse so it favors conception of a boy or a girl.

The Shettles Method is based on the fact that the Y chromosome bearing
sperm ( boy sperm ) are smaller and less robust but move faster than
the larger X chromosome bearing sperm ( girl sperm ).

So based on this fact, the Shettle Method recommends the following to
help you conceive a girl.

How to Conceive a Girl 

Determining the Time of Ovulation:

Determining when you ovulate is vital when you are learning how to
conceive a girl. Shettles recommends that you have sex 2 1/2 to 3 days
BEFORE ovulation in order to increase your chances of conceiving a
girl. Having sex closer to ovulation will dramatically decrease your
chances of conceiving a girl. The timing of intercourse in relation to
ovulation is a vital factor in increasing your chances of having a
girl.

Shettles suggests three specific ways in which to do this.


1) Charting Cervical Mucus
Dr Shettes goes into full detail on how to chart your cervical mucus
in Part Three of his book, How to Choose the Sex of Your Baby. You can
download a blank CM chart in two different formats: PDF or Excel
Spreadsheet.
With this method of determining when you ovulate, you access your
cervical mucus on a daily basis. Right before you ovulate, your
cervical mucus should be very watery and very elastic. It's
consistency should be that of raw egg white. Charting for more than a
month before you attempt to conceive a girl is recommended so you can
be CERTAIN that you are ovulating on a specific day.

2) Basal Body Temperature (BBT) Charting
Shettles also suggests that you use BBT charting a long with charting
your cervical mucus in order to gain as much information in order to
pinpoint when exactly you are ovulating. He goes into full detail on
how to accurately chart your BBT in Part Three of his book.

You can also use a computer program to track your basal body
tempertures as well as your cervical mucus. The software provides much
valuable information that will help you pin point the time of
ovulation and lets you track your whole cycle in an easy to use and
understandable format. You can read about all the wonderful features
of this software on our product information page. Please note, you
will also need to have a basal thermometer to use this software.
  
[edit]

3) Using Ovulation Predictor Kits
The final way Shettles recommends for finding out the exact time you
are ovulating is by using ovulation predictor kits. These kits detect
when your body has released LH (Luteinizing Hormone), a precursor to
ovulation. Dr. Shettles suggests testing twice a day in to make sure
you catch the surge as early as possible. He recommends testing once
between 11am and 3 pm and then again between 5pm and 10pm. When all
factors are considered, ovulation will most likely occur about 24
hours after the time when you get a positive result for the lh surge
on your ovulation predictor kit. Dr. Shettles offers indepth
explanations on how to interpret the ovulation predictor kits in his
book so be sure to read all the information he provides.

Store bought ovulation predictor kits can cost quite a bit, but we
offer them here at BabyHopes.com for a very reasonable price.

[edit]

Frequency and Timing of Intercourse:

Shettles says in order to increase the chances of having a girl, you
should have sex everyday from the end of your period up to 2 1/2 to 3
days before ovulation. After this point, do not have unprotected sex
until several days past ovulation.

Intercourse further away from ovulation favors the larger slower
moving X (girl) sperm. The weaker Y (boy) sperm will die more quickly
in the more acidic preovulatory vaginal / cervical secretions and by
the time of ovulation there will be a much larger concentration of X
(girl) sperm available to fertilize the egg.

Sexual Position:

Shettles suggests that if you are trying to conceive a girl, shallow
penetration from your partner, preferably with the missionary
position, will deposit the sperm closer to the entrance to the vagina.
This area is more acidic than closer to the cervix and acidity will
work against the weaker "boy" sperm leaving more "girl" sperm
available to fertilize your egg.

Sex and Orgasms:

When trying to conceive a girl, Shettles recommends that you don't
orgasm during sex as the body produces substances after orgasm that
makes the vaginal environment more alkaline, which favors the "boy"
sperm.

The contractions which accompany an orgasm help move the sperm up and
into the cervix, giving the "boy" sperm an extra chance at being
available when your egg is available for fertilization.
 
----------

How to Conceive a Boy 

Determining the Time of Ovulation:

Determining when you ovulate is vital when you are learning how to
conceive a boy. Shettles recommends that you have sex as early as 24
hours before ovulation to no more than 12 hours past ovulation in
order to increase your chances of conceiving a boy. Having sex to far
in advance to ovulation will dramatically decrease your chances of
conceiving a boy. The timing of intercourse in relation to ovulation
is a vital factor in increasing your chances of having a boy.

Shettles suggests three specific ways in which to do this.

[edit]

Frequency and Timing of Intercourse:

Shettles says in order to increase the chances of having a boy, you
should have sex now earlier than 24 hours before ovulation to 12 hours
after ovulation.

Intercourse closer to ovulation the faster but less robust Y (boy)
sperm. The cervical mucus present at ovulation is less acidic and
"slippery" enough to help the Y (boy) sperm reach the egg more
quickly.

Sexual Position:

Shettles suggests that if you are trying to conceive a boy, deep
penetration from your partner, preferably with the "doggy style"
position, will deposit the sperm closer to the cervix giving the more
aggressive and quicker moving "boy" sperm a head start to
fertilizating the egg first.

Sex and Orgasms:

When trying to conceive a boy, Shettles suggests that orgasms during
sex are a good thing as the body produces substances after orgasm that
makes the vaginal environment more alkaline, which favors the "boy"
sperm.

The contractions which accompany an orgasm help move the sperm up and
into the cervix, giving the "boy" sperm an extra chance at being
available when your egg is available for fertilization.

Considerations for the Men:

Have your partner wear boxers. Wearing tight fitting underwear
increases the heat levels around the testes and can, in turn, lower
the sperm count. Wearing loose fitting underwear helps keep the testes
cooler.

Have your partner drink a caffeinated beverage right before sex. This
makes the Y-Sperm more active.

*****

The Whelan Method
Boy or Girl ?, by Elizabeth Whelan, Sc.D
Elizabeth Whelan, Sc.D., doesn't agree with the Shettles method and
suggests the opposite. Whelan says if you want a boy, have intercourse
four to six days before your basal body temperature goes up.
 
If you want a girl, don't make love until two to three days before ovulation. 

*****

The Ericsson Method 
In 1975, Ronald J. Ericsson, Ph.D. began clinical studies to determine
whether such enriched sperm samples would result in offspring of a
desired gender. Today the Ericsson method is used in approximately
half of the centers in the U.S.

Dr Ericsson devised methods by which X and Y sperm can be separated
through filtering processes. This sperm sample is used for
insemination when ovulation is anticipated. The enriched sperm sample
is then available to fertilize the egg.

*****

The Billings Method
A daily record of observations made at the vulva is essential for the
Billings Ovulation Method. The recording is made in the evening of the
most fertile characteristics noticed throughout the day. The first
record, which is begun immediately, is usually of 2 - 4 weeks duration
and is made without any genital contact so that the observations will
not be confused by any secretions due to intercourse or contact. Your
chart provides information for your husband as well, and it helps open
the door for communication and decisions during these times.

A helpful question to an anxious woman is to ask her how she knows
when menstruation begins. She will readily admit that she both feels
and sees the bleeding as it arrives at the vulva. The observations of
sensation and appearance will then be applied to all other
observations the woman makes at the vulva. As the days go by she will
recognize her patterns of fertility and infertility, according to the
mucus patterns.

=================================================

Will it Be a Boy or a Girl? Predicting and Influencing Gender 
http://www.ovulation-calculator.com/pregnancy/gender-prediction.htm

Can Timing of Intercourse Influence Gender Outcome? 

At conception, gender is determined by chromosome characteristics -
and it will be the male (or rather the male's sperm) that dictates
whether the baby will be a boy or a girl.

Prior to conception, the unfertilized egg carries an X chromosome
while the sperm can carry either an X or a Y chromosome. The gender of
the baby comes down to one simple event:

If the sperm carrying an X chromosome fertilizes the egg, a girl will be conceived.
 
If the sperm carrying a Y chromosome fertilizes the egg, a boy will be conceived.
 
Timing Intercourse

Studies indicate that the sperm with the X chromosome - or female
chromosome - have a longer life span than the male sperm (with the Y
chromosome).

Yet the male sperm appear to have a higher motility. Sperm motility is
measured in two ways: percentage of sperm exhibiting movement, and the
quality - or dynamics - of this movement, which is called the forward
progression. Poor motility means the sperm have a difficult time
swimming toward the egg.

Hence, "female sperm" exhibit less motility - yet have a longer life
span. The "male sperm" exhibit increased motility, but have a shorter
life span than the X chromosome sperm.

It is believed that if intercourse takes place closer to ovulation,
then the probability is greater that the child will be male, due to
the high motility (forward progression) and the decreased life span of
the sperm.

The sperm with the X chromosome - or female chromosome - have a longer
life span than the male sperm, but exhibit decreased motility.
Therefore, intercourse that takes place earlier may provide increased
probability of a girl.

=================================================

Tried, But Not Always True - Methods to Choose Baby?s Sex Range From
New Tech to Old Ideas
http://www.abcnews.go.com/sections/scitech/Living/gender_selection_methods_040419.html

For centuries, couples have tried influencing the gender of their
unborn children by a myriad of dubious tricks.
 
Some techniques involved men tying off their left testicles (since
they believed sperm to create girls came from the left), women
sleeping on the right side of their husband, and basing who initiates
intercourse by the gender of the child they would prefer to conceive
(sex initiated by women supposedly created girls while sex-initiating
men created boys).

Today, technologies are available to allow couples to choose the
children's gender a little more reliably. But some couples and gender
selection companies still stand by some natural methods that, they
say, can increase a couple's odds of conceiving a child of their
preferred gender. Below is a list of technologies and natural methods
used by people who want to choose their child's sex.

Technologies

  Preimplantation Genetic Testing: Using in vitro fertilization
techniques, doctors remove eggs from the woman and fertilize them with
sperm in the lab to create embryos. After three days, the embryos'
chromosomes are analyzed ? a Y chromosome signals it's a boy. Doctors
then implant an embryo of the desired sex into the mother. If the
pregnancy takes, this is a very reliable, though controversial method
of choosing gender.

  MicroSort: MicroSort was first used in clinical trials in 1993 and
became available to all couples in 1996. The Fairfax, Va.-based
company bases the technique on the fact that X-carrying sperm weigh
more than Y-carrying sperm. A sperm sample is stained with a
fluorescent dye that binds with the chromosomes. Since the X
chromosome is larger, it absorbs more dye and, therefore, glows
brighter under the illumination of a laser. An electrode then assigns
a positive charge to those X chromosomes that glow brighter and a
negative charge to those Y chromosomes that glow less brightly. The
charged sperm are tugged by their charges into separate containers and
couples can select one or the other for fertilizing the woman's egg.

  Ericsson Method: This technique is based on the idea that
Y-chromosome-carrying sperm, which create boys, are lighter and faster
swimmers than X-chromosome-carrying sperm, which create girls. Sperm
is poured over a viscous fluid. As the sperm swims downward,
scientists capture those sperm that reach the bottom first. Due to the
faster swimming rate of Y-carrying sperm, these are assumed to be
Y-bearing sperm. The X-carrying sperm (supposedly made up of slower
swimmers) is collected closer to the top of the sample. Companies
claim a success rate of 70-75 percent, but critics say these results
have not been repeated and aren't reliable.

  Spin Method: In another method based on the heavier weight of
X-chromosome-carrying sperm, semen is spun in a centrifuge. The
heavier, X-carrying, or girl-producing sperm collect at the bottom of
the test tube, while Y-carrying sperm collect in the middle. Some
companies claim an 80 percent success rate, but such results haven't
been repeated.

Natural Methods

Some of the most popular natural methods to choose a baby's gender
were developed by Landrum Shettles, a U.S. doctor who believed that
the slight differences in X and Y sperm could be taken advantage of by
choosing specific behaviors that may influence which sperm reaches the
egg first during conception. Many books and home gender selection kits
borrow from these ideas. Below are some basic explanations of some of
Shettles' principles, which remain largely unproven in the scientific
community.

  Diet: To conceive a boy, the mother should consume foods high in
sodium and potassium, and minimize her intake of calcium and
magnesium. To conceive a girl, the mother should consume foods high in
calcium and magnesium and avoid foods that are high in sodium and
potassium.

  Timing: To have a boy, the Shettles technique recommends having sex
no earlier than one day before and up to one-half day after ovulation.
To have a girl, he suggests having sex no later than two and one-half
to three days prior to ovulation.

  Acidity: Some methods, including the home kit, GenSelect, claim that
douching with an acidic or alkaline solution can tip the balance to
having a boy or girl. The idea is a girl is more likely to be
conceived in an acidic environment, while boys are more likely to be
created in an alkaline one. Therefore, douching with vinegar (or
specifically devised acidic solutions) is recommended for those
wanting a girl, while douching with baking soda (or specifically
devised alkaline solutions) is suggested for those wanting a boy.

=================================================

Influencing gender
http://health.ninemsn.com.au/asktheexperts/carolinewest.aspx?id=1240

Question:
I have two girls already and now my husband and I would like to try
for a boy. Is there any way to increase my chances for a boy?

Answer: 
Throughout history, couples have tried to naturally influence the sex
of their babies without much success. These days some couples try
timing sex with ovulation. The theory is that female sperm may last
longer and swim a little more slowly, so if you're after a girl you
time sex a couple of days before ovulation, whereas if you're after a
boy (the sperm may be faster and more short lived), you have sex
around ovulation. Sounds simple, but in reality with each ejaculation
there can be a couple of hundred million competing sperm, so the odds
of conceiving either sex start to even up. For some couples there are
clear medical and genetic reasons for trying for a particular sex, and
IVF can help determine the sex of an embryo before it's implanted.
Certain IVF clinics will also help couples have a child of a preferred
sex, even if it's for social reasons. This is presently very
controversial and before any decision is made, there are ethical
dilemmas to consider along with the potential risks and costs of IVF.
For more information, you might like to chat with your GP. At the end
of the day, no matter what we naturally do, Mother Nature is usually
the one who decides the sex of our babies.

=================================================

Choosing a Gender
http://www.hormonalforecaster.com/gender.html

=================================================

Low-Tech Ways to Choose Your Baby's Gender By Virginia Gilbert
http://preconception.com/resources/articles/choosep1.htm

=================================================

BabyCentre - Sexual positions for baby-making 
http://www.babycentre.co.uk/refcap/1812.html

Are there any sexual positions that can help us conceive a boy or girl? 
Not that science has confirmed but legends abound. According to one,
having sex with the woman on top will lead to a girl.

Also remember the importance of timing intercourse.

=================================================

Choosing your baby's sex: the folklore
http://www.babycentre.co.uk/refcap/549359.html#0

Can you really choose the sex of your baby? 
For as long as we've been having babies, women have been exchanging
ideas about how to have either a boy or a girl. Unfortunately there's
no medical evidence that any of them actually work!

Having said that, there'll always be a mum who tells you an old wives'
tale worked for her. So if you fancy defying the experts and trying to
tip the balance towards one sex yourself, why not try some of the
suggestions below.

You're more likely to conceive a boy if... 

[edit]

You're more likely to conceive a girl if...

[edit]

=================================================

keyword search:

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sexual positions influence gender of child
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more likely to conceive a boy if
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Best regards,
tlspiegel
dogsbollocks-ga rated this answer:5 out of 5 stars

Comments  
Subject: Re: Gender selection for baby
From: tlspiegel-ga on 31 Jul 2004 12:27 PDT
 
Hi dogsbollocks,

Thank you for the 5 star rating!  

Best regards,
tlspiegel
Subject: Re: Gender selection for baby
From: clear_intention-ga on 09 Mar 2005 13:45 PST
 
Great answer.

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