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If you’re planning a pregnancy, it’s totally natural to have a preference about the sex of your baby. You might be wondering how to have a girl and if there are any secrets to influencing the outcome.
Generally, there’s a 50/50 chance of having a boy or a girl. You may be familiar with some of the popular theories on how to conceive a girl. They include timing intercourse a certain way and even following a specific diet.
But the truth? There’s no guaranteed way to influence your chances. The only highly reliable method is genetic testing, which can be costly and controversial.
But understanding the science behind sex determination can help you focus on what really matters: having a healthy pregnancy!
We’re here to give you the low-down on how to increase the chances of having a girl and whether those methods actually work.
Key Takeaways
- Curious how to have a girl? The biological sex of your baby is decided by the male sperm at the moment of fertilization.
- The odds of having a boy or a girl are generally 50/50. Most natural sex selection methods have no scientific evidence to back them up.
- The Shettles method and Whelan method involve timing sex and ovulation to favor the girl sperm (X). But studies have failed to prove these work.
- In vitro fertilization (IVF) combined with preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) is the only reliable method for sex selection. But it is legally restricted in many countries.
- The most important goal is always to focus on a healthy pregnancy, not the preferred sex of the baby.
How Is the Sex of the Baby Decided?
Your baby’s sex determination happens the moment the egg is fertilized. It is entirely determined by the sperm from the male sexual partner.
Females produce eggs that contain a single X chromosome.
Males produce sperm that carry either the female sperm (X) or male sperm (Y).
This means the father determines the sex of the baby girl or baby boy.
Sperm type | Fertilizes egg (X) | Result |
X chromosome | X + X | Baby girl |
Y chromosome | X + Y | Baby boy |
Note on intersex: XX and XY chromosomes typically determine male or female sex. But different combinations of chromosomes can result in the baby being intersex. This happens with chromosomal abnormalities.
Note on sex vs. gender: It’s important to remember the difference between sex and gender. Your sex (male or female) relates to your biologically defined characteristics. Gender is your personal perception of yourself (woman, man, fluid, or somewhere in between).
Is There a Way To Have a Baby Girl?
It’s true that the Y chromosome sperm (for boys) and X chromosome sperm (for girls) have slightly different characteristics. This has created popular theories that claim you can alter the vaginal pH or time of intercourse to give the girl sperm an advantage.
However, it’s key to understand that scientific evidence has largely failed to support these methods.
But they’re still worth exploring further, so let’s dive in.
1. Timing of intercourse:
Shettles method
One of the oldest and most famous theories on how to conceive a girl is the Shettles method. This was developed by Dr. Landrum B. Shettles around 1960.
Dr. Shettles studied sperm behavior and hypothesized that male and female sperm have different traits:
Sperm type | Shettles hypothesis |
Girl sperm (X sperm) |
|
Boy sperm (Y sperm) |
|
To increase the chances of having a girl, the method suggests having sexual intercourse about two to four days before ovulation.
Here’s the thought behind that. By the time ovulation occurs, the faster boy sperm will have died off, leaving only the stronger, slower female sperm to fertilize the egg.
Dr. Shettles initially claimed a high success rate for this method. But further studies have failed to replicate these findings.
The differences in speed and survival between X sperm and Y sperm are too small to rely on timing sex alone.
Whelan method
Another theory is the Whelan method, developed by Elizabeth Whelan, a public health researcher.
The Whelan method believes male and female sperm behave differently at different points in a woman’s cycle. To increase their chances of conceiving a female child, couples should have intercourse two or three days prior to ovulation.
But, like the Shettles method, scientific evidence does not support this claim.
2. Sex position
Shettles hypothesized that girl sperm thrive in more acidic environments, while boy sperm last longer in alkaline conditions.
The vagina has a more acidic pH. So, by depositing sperm around the vagina (through shallow penetration such as the missionary position), he believed that the chances of conceiving a girl increased.
Again, later studies have refuted these findings.
There is no reliable scientific evidence that sexual positions have any effect on whether you conceive a girl or a boy.
3. Maternal diet
Can your diet really influence the sex of your baby?
One study found that mothers with a higher nutrient intake before conception had a greater chance of having male offspring.
Another study found that a diet high in magnesium-rich foods and calcium can lead to greater chances of conceiving a girl. This is when combined with timing sex.
However, other studies have refuted these findings. They show no clear link between specific maternal nutrition and the sex of the baby.
4. Medical methods
In vitro fertilization (IVF) with preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) is the only reliable method for choosing a baby’s sex.
But it is costly and controversial.
It is technically possible to identify the sex of an embryo before implantation. However, the practice of doing so for non-medical reasons is banned or strictly regulated in many countries due to ethical concerns.
The Bottom Line
When it comes to how to have a girl baby or boy baby, the process of determining the sex is mainly decided by the male sperm at conception.
It’s natural to have preferences! However, it’s best to prioritize the health of both you and your child first rather than focusing on gender selection.
FAQs
To increase chances of having a girl using natural methods, the most popular approach is the Shettles method. Though unproven, this method involves timing sex to happen 2 to 4 days before ovulation.
The theory is that the female sperm (X sperm) survive longer than the faster male sperm (Y sperm) in the acidic vaginal environment.
There is no natural sex selection method that can guarantee you will have a girl
The only method that can ensure you have a girl is through a medical procedure called preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) combined with IVF.
During this process, the fertilized egg is tested in the lab to confirm the presence of the X chromosome before being transferred.
This practice is controversial and often regulated, though.
There is no scientific evidence to suggest that there is a best month to conceive a girl.
The sex of the baby is a random event based on the X sperm or Y sperm at the time of fertilization.
The odds of having a boy or girl are generally considered to be 50/50.
This is based on the unproven theories of the Shettles method or the Whelan method. These rely on timing sex a few days before ovulation.
These calculators can help you pinpoint your fertile window. But they aren’t reliable for determining the sex and should not be treated as scientific signs that you’re having a girl.
Babies are made when a sperm cell meets and fertilizes the egg cell in the fallopian tube. The fertilized egg travels to the womb to implant and begin pregnancy.
The specific sperm (X or Y chromosome) determines the sex.
Some studies suggests magnesium and calcium-rich foods can boost your chances of having a girl.
But there is no scientific evidence that your maternal diet can change the sex of your baby.
It’s best to focus on a balanced diet to ensure a healthy pregnancy for both you and your developing baby.
