When asked what gender they wanted for their children in the past, most Americans replied they wanted a boy. However, this has recently begun to change. Many women now say that if they had a choice, they would prefer a girl. Perhaps you’ve always wanted to raise a strong and confident girl, or perhaps you already have a house full of boys and don’t think your furnishings can handle another bundle of boy energy.
Whatever your reason for desiring a daughter, you may be wondering if there are any strategies to improve your chances of getting pregnant with a girl. Are there any old wives’ tales about how to get pregnant that truly work? Let’s take a closer look at all of the choices for conceiving a girl, from high-tech to supermarket solutions.
What helps to conceive a girl? High-tech and low-tech methods
Here are some more high-tech – as well as low-tech – ways to get a baby girl:
Gender selection
Through a method known as pre-implantation genetic diagnosis, couples undergoing in vitro fertilisation (IVF) may be able to pick the gender of their child prior to implantation. The advantage of the method, which takes place in a lab, is that it is around 95% correct in terms of producing a baby with the gender you choose. The disadvantages include the high cost (up to $15,000) and the fact that it is only available to people who are undergoing IVF.
Sperm sorting
Sperm sorting is another science-based method for getting a male (also known as MicroSort). The future father contributes sperm, which is then split into X and Y chromosomes. After being separated, the sperm with the desired chromosomes is used for IVF or IUI. According to some research, this process is up to 75% accurate for female selection, although finding clinics that offer it in the United States may be challenging.
Diet
If you can’t afford expensive fertility procedures, go to the grocery store! Although there is no firm scientific evidence that eating certain foods increases your chances of conceiving a girl, some data suggests that eating foods high in magnesium and calcium, as well as dark leafy greens, legumes, and seafood, particularly sardines and canned salmon, can help. (Whether you’re expecting a girl or a boy, these are nutritious items to include in your diet!)
Carla Wiking revealed some eating advice she received from an odd source in her search for a girl. Wiking previously told Mom.com, “The elderly gentleman who owns our neighbourhood bagel shop advises me that the reason I had males is because my husband consumes too much pork.” “He swears that a vegetarian diet for two weeks will get us the girl we want.”
How to calculate when to conceive a girl
As you might expect, the optimal time to conceive a girl might be difficult to determine.
Those who follow the Shettles technique believe that having sex two to four days before ovulation increases your chances of getting a female. According to the notion, “female sperm” are stronger and swim slower than “boy sperm,” making them more likely to survive the egg’s arrival.
Take the Shettles approach with a grain of salt, as with any method that purports to help in conceiving a specific gender. Although the evidence is unclear, the popular method continues to be used.
Best positions to conceive a baby girl
Sexual position
Some people, particularly supporters of the Shettles technique, believe that your sexual position influences your chances of getting a girl. Avoid postures with deep penetration and instead opt for a shallow missionary style, as advised by those approaches.
Orgasm no-go?
There’s also a belief that skipping orgasms will assist you conceive a girl since female orgasm causes a substance that aids boy sperm live longer in the reproductive system. However, science has yet to verify this, so trust your body!
Sperm and Stress
The sperm that produces sons is considered to be more frail, thus stress in the father-to-be can make place for “stronger” girl sperm. Before you encourage your boyfriend to embrace his stress, keep in mind that high stress levels can impede pregnancy. Instead, try some foreplay in a hot tub, because no one wants to be stressed out during a night of nooky.
The bottom line
Finally, regardless of the gender, your goal should be to have a healthy baby, so get medical advice before attempting any procedure. “While most treatments are risk-free, not all of them are,” Rachel Gurevich, RN, a fertility advocate, told Very Well Family. “Seek advice from your doctor if you plan to pursue any of these choices.”
Because there isn’t much evidence to support low-tech techniques of conceiving a girl, using laboratory methods will probably be your best hope — but even then, with a 50/50 probability, may the odds be in your favour!
