4 minute read
On the A-Gender
Dreaming of a son or daughter? Becky Dickinson asks, can you really influence the gender of your unborn child?
Shortly after I discovered I was expecting my first child, I drove past a hedgerow of oxeye daisies nodding in the breeze. I knew instantly I was carrying a girl and decided to call her Daisy. Except she turned out to be a he. I wouldn’t have changed a thing – although for obvious reasons, I did change the name. But the second time round, I decided I’d quite like a girl. So I embarked upon a mission to conceive one.
From having sex during a full moon (boy) to abstaining from orgasm (girl) there are as many methods (or should that be myths?) for swaying the gender of your future offspring, as there are sexual positions. First things first: it’s actually the father that determines the baby’s gender. Men produce two types of sperm – female sperm whichcontain an X chromosome, and male sperm which contain a Y chromosome. As eggs all contain a single X chromosome, the baby’s sex is wholly dependent upon which sperm gets there first – X for a girl, Y for a boy.
Yet theories dictate that it’s possible to give either the X or Y sperm an advantage, to swing the odds in favour of your preferred gender. Disclaimer: the writer takes no responsibility for the outcome of any pregnancies arising from this article. (Although as long as you don’t get your hopes up there’s no harm in trying).
The primary method of manipulating reproduction involves planning when you jump into bed. In the 1960s, pioneering IVF scientist, Dr. Landrum Shettles, came up with the eponymous Shettles Theory. He discovered that male sperm is smaller and faster than female sperm, and has a shorter life span. This led to the conclusion that having sex closer to ovulation increases the likelihood of conceiving a boy, as the male sperm is likely to reach the egg first. On the other hand, having sex two to three days before ovulation means that by the time the egg is released, many male sperm will have died off leaving more female sperm – which have a longer life span – to penetrate the egg.
Dr Shettles claimed a 75 per cent success rate and his techniques are still widely practiced. However, most experts are sceptical. “There’s no scientific evidence to prove that you can influence the sex of your child when trying to conceive,” says consultant gynaecologist Mrs Pradnya Pisal, from London Gynaecology. “They’re simply old wives’ tales.”
Yet that doesn’t deter countless couples from trying – and experimenting with sexual positions. For a boy, deeper penetration is recommended to give the faster male sperm a head start. For a girl, shallower penetration is said to give the long distance female sperm an advantage – so stick to missionary! Oh, and refrain from having an orgasm as this draws the sperm towards the cervix, again favouring the males. So much for spontaneity!
When it comes to diet, female sperm are thought to prefer more acidic conditions than male sperm, so it’s claimed that following an acidic diet can influence your chances of having a girl. Apparently, this doesn’t mean dowsing every meal in vinegar, but eating foods that are high in magnesium and calcium, including dairy products, strawberries, raspberries, fish, plums and coffee (presumably not all at once). Recommendations also include avoiding alkaline foods such as bananas, orange, potatoes and watermelon. To conceive a boy, it’s said you should steer clear of yoghurt, cheese, shellfish and nuts in favour of fresh fruit and veg, plus potassium rich foods like bananas and chocolate (hooray!) One study also found that women who ate breakfast every morning and who consumed more calories around the time of conception were more likely to have a boy.
However Dr Geetha Venkat,Director of Harley Street Fertility Clinic, says: “You can’t influence what sex your child will be, so we’d say eat a balanced diet, enjoy trying to get pregnant, relax and if you want to be adventurous in the bedroom, go for it, but that won’t impact the gender.”
And for parents with their heart set on having either a son or daughter, Dr Venkat says: “many of our patients have struggled to conceive and simply want to be a parent, whatever the sex. We’d say that it’s so much more important to have a healthy baby. Enjoy this time, rather than focusing on what you can’t control. You’ll love your baby whether they’re Olivia or Oliver.”
In case you’re wondering, I did get Daisy next. Although, like most parents, I wouldn’t have minded either way. So whether you’re expecting a boy or a girl, congratulations!
