Gender Selection: What is Myth, What is Fact

When I was pregnant over 20 years ago people rarely knew the sex of their unborn baby and they certainly had no real way to be assured they would conceive boys or girls as they preferred. This is known as Gender Selection and it refers to the ability to choose the sex of your baby before you get pregnant by using some method to help change the odds that nature deals out as for as which sex your baby will be. Things move fast in the world of technology though and medical technology is no exception. There are now several major medically based methods for Gender Selection. Four of these methods are: The MicroSort Method, The Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD), The Shettles Method and The Ericsson Albumin Method. Following is a brief overview of each of these Gender Selection methods.

MicroSort is a process by which sperm is "sorted" in a way that measures differences in DNA and then uses intrauterine insemination or in vitro fertilization to help you conceive. The success rate of this method varies and is, reportedly, 92% for girls and about 81% for boys.

Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis or PGD is a method of Gender Selection that uses in vitro fertilization. Basically, it is done by biopsies of embryos before they are implanted into the uterus thereby "diagnosing" the sex of said embryo. It is reported to be very successful but also very costly.

The Shettles Method has to do with the timing of intercourse in relation to time of ovulation. Supposedly, 12 hours prior to ovulation for boys and several days for girls.

The Ericsson Albumin Method involves filtering of sperm, intrauterine insemination and the use of fertility drugs. Clomid is one of those drugs.

These explanations are, of course, all simplified and brief so if you are considering Gender Selection be sure to do your own research and speak with your doctor about any of the above methods.

Of course, where there is fact there is often also fiction and Gender Selection has its share of myths. There are certainly many people who swear that the following methods of Gender Selection work but keep in mind that there is no scientific evidence to support these methods, they are not based on facts and , really, don't all Gender Selection methods have at least a 50% change of success.

A few of the non-medically based methods of Gender Selection are: Astrological charts, dietary intake, sexual position and age of parents.

Astrological charts give you conception dates that will result, supposedly, in having a boy or a girl. A horoscopic component also may use cross references of the mother's age and month of conception.

Diets are also used as a method of choosing which sex your baby will be. These diets may claim that a salty diet will produce boys and a diet high in sugars and sweets will produce girls. Kind of a sugar and spice and everything nice type of thing. Keep in mind that a diet high in salt is never healthy nor is a diet high in sugar.

Another method you may have heard about or perhaps your mom, who always wanted a grand-daughter, whispered it in your ear and that is the method of sexual position. This method is based on the fact that it is the sperm which determines the sex of any baby. The boy sperm, which carry the Y or X chromosome are very fast swimmers but don't live as long as the slower X chromosome only girl sperm. Therefore, sexual positions that give the boy sperm an advantage, supposedly, will be more likely to produce a boy.

Age at time of conception is another method in which some people believe that a woman's age at time of conception may influence boys or girls based on hormones and vaginal PH levels.

Yes, things have surely changed since I had my babies all those years ago but one thing hasn't changed and that is the fact that the most important thing about having babies is that they be healthy and come into a world in which they will be loved.