How to Predict the Gender of Your Baby Before You Even Conceive

Predicting the gender of your baby even before you start conceiving has always been surrounded by myths, folklores and old wives tales. Sure enough, any couple would be contented with either a boy or a girl as long as the baby is healthy and far from danger. Still, there's nothing wrong with wishing for a particular one.

Some couples might prefer having a boy for their first born, for cultural reasons or because Dad wants their first born to carry the bloodline and the family name. Often, the couple would wish for the opposite sex of what they already have (for their second child) to create a balance in the family. A serious reason for wanting to predict the gender of the child before conception is to avoid gender-specific genetically-inherited disorders like hemophilia and muscular dystrophy which only affects boys.

As Per Cultural Beliefs...

According to the Mayans' ancient belief, it's all about math and numbers. Take into account the mother's age at conception and the year the baby is conceived. If both numbers are either odd or even, then it's a girl. But if one of the numbers is odd and the other is even, then bring out the blues and the greens because it's a boy.

The Chinese, on the other hand, use their Chinese Pregnancy calendar which is based on the age of the mother during conception and the month on which the baby is conceived. (http://www.motherhood.com.au/articles/chinesechart.htm)

Hear Says...

If the Mayans' and the Chinese' beliefs do not convince you that you will be having the gender of the baby that you are planning to have then read on.

Some studies and research (although not accurately conclusive to more than 50 percent), shows that what you eat and the timing of your pregnancy also affects the gender of the baby.

Before painting the baby room pink, eat more sweets and chocolates and put in heaps of vegetables and fish to your diet. In addition, (on a more mature note) if the woman orgasms first then you might have hit a jackpot on having a baby girl. The missionary and woman-on-top position are also said to give you a baby girl.

Want to save a bit of money on new baby clothes and re-use your previous baby boy's stuffs? Include lots of salty foods and red meat in your diet (but be sure to still do this in moderation as too much of anything is still not good for you). Making love on all fours and standing up are also said to produce a baby boy.

It's math time once again. Remember your odd and even numbers? There are claims that more girls are conceived on odd-numbered days while boys on even-numbered days.

Did you know that the phases of the moon are not only useful in checking the surge of waves or for lycanthropy? There are also claims that boys are more likely conceived during a full moon while probability increases in having a girl during quarter moon.

Some tribes during the ancient times also believe wearing certain trinkets and garments that they said could ensure the sex of your baby. Herbalists and alchemists during the medieval times, on the other hand, give the couple come concoctions to drink before having sex that they said would guarantee the sex of the baby that you want.

According to Scientific Research...

A Dutch research has shown that if a mother took longer to fall pregnant, the higher possibility it is that a baby boy will be born. For each additional year of trying to get pregnant, there is a four percent increase in the probability of having a boy. Though, four percent is still too small, the probability of having a girl still lags behind.

Below is a summary of known preconception methods:

A scientific gender selection method that is known to be effective is called Percoll density gradient centrifugation or "sperm-spinning". In this process, the sperm is placed in a centrifuge and spun. The Y sperm (which is the male-producing sperm) rises to the top while the X sperm (the female-producing sperm) sinks down the bottom.

Microsort is a technique that uses flow cytometry and DNA staining. Originally, Microsort is used with animals but is now also used for human reproduction. With this method, the man's semen is taken and stained with the fluorochrome dye. The sperm is then passed on to a tube and is exposed to ultraviolet light. This process would give the sperm different electromagnetic fields and allows for sorting of X and Y sperms.

Dr. Ronald Ericsson patented a procedure also known as "motility technique" in the early 1980's. In his method, the sperm is placed in a sticky protein solution called albumin and would produce an enriched sample after about 4 hours. Theoretically, the Y sperm would be able to swim down the sorting apparatus faster than the X sperms. The enriched sperm is then artificially inseminated into the woman during her fertile stage.

The Shettles' Method formulated by Dr. Landrum Shettles is based on the characteristics of the X and Y sperm. The Y sperm being faster but more fragile than X sperm while the X sperm is more resilient and have more "staying power" than Y sperm. Shettles' method made use of the woman's ovulation for the timing of sexual intercourse. To produce a boy, sex should be timed close to ovulation and should abstain from intercourse a couple of days before this time. To have a girl, sex timing should be 2 to 4 days prior to ovulation and abstain from sex from 1 to 2 days before ovulation until a few days after.

Whelan Method, named after Elizabeth Whelan who formulated the theory, says that sexual intercourse of about 4 to 6 days before ovulation would produce a boy while 2 to 3 days before ovulation would produce a girl. This is the opposite of Shettles' Method where a boy is produced when intercourse happens closer to ovulation.

Changing your diet several weeks before you try to conceive is also used by some. Diet high in salt and potassium is recommended if you are targeting for a boy while a daily diet high in calcium and magnesium if you want a girl. This diet is to be carried out for a period of 4 to 6 weeks and is often time combined with the Shettles' method.

The Douching method is done by gently washing out the inside of the vagina with liquid. This technique started out in 1930's where some women with infertility problem were advised by a German doctor to wash with a baking soda solution which resulted in many women falling pregnant, and coincidently most of them bore boys. Though there is still no supported fact, it is said that Y sperm prefer a more "alkaline" environment.

What now...

More than one technique, some would require monetary support while some would need discipline and monitoring. Sure enough, any parent would be happy to have any baby as long as the baby is healthy. But it also wouldn't hurt to get the sex of the baby that you want.

Women around the world have tried some of the techniques described above (the scientific ones and those based on ancient beliefs), but still there is not a single fool-proof methodology which works 100 percent.

Just goes without saying that really it is a work of nature that nobody could break (as of current).

Sources:

http://pregnancyandbaby.com/pregnancy/baby/Timing-of-pregnancy-may-predict-babys-gender-5926.htm
http://www.babyzone.com/pregnancy/GenderPredictor/
http://www.netmums.com/h/n/PREGNANCY/HOME/ALL/951/
http://www.pregnancy-info.net/babys_sex.html
http://www.motherhood.com.au/articles/chinesechart.htm
http://www.chinesefortunecalendar.com/PredictSex.htm
http://www.birth.com.au/Info.asp?class=65&page=35