These are a few methods currently used for gender selection.

The Ericsson Method – This medical procedure can be pricey, but it is effective about 75% of the time when selecting a boy and about 70% to 72% of the time if the couple is trying for a girl. The use of the fertility drug Clomid increases the odds of bearing a girl if sperm bearing the X chromosome are used for insemination.

The Ericsson Method entails artificial insemination, where the sperm are first separated and those bearing the male (Y) chromosome or bearing the female (X) chromosome only are used to fertilize the eggs, depending on the patient’s choice.

PGD (Preimplantation genetic diagnosis) – PGD combines in vitro fertilization with the Ericsson Method of sperm selection, so that only embryos fertilized with sperm bearing either the X or Y chromosome, depending on the patient’s choice, get implanted into the mother. Because the embryos are first fertilized with selected sperm and then checked for gender prior to implantation, this combination yields even higher success rates than the Ericsson Method alone.

If you are using gender selection to avoid passing on gender-related genetic diseases, or if you feel you absolutely could not accept a child of the gender not of your choosing, this medical method has the most proven track record, according to many accounts.

Intercourse -Timed Gender Selection – In the 1970s, two doctors released two different books offering directions on how to conceive a baby with the gender of your choice. In 1971, Dr. Landrum Shettles and David Rorvik wrote “How to Choose the Sex of Your Baby,” and revealed that sperm with male (Y) chromosomes move faster than sperm with X (female) chromosomes but do not live as long.

To conceive a boy, have intercourse on the day of ovulation or one day after. To conceive a girl, have sex two to four days prior to ovulation.

Use any number of methods, such as:

• tracking your natural fertility signs such as: basal body temperature, your cervical mucus, and your cervical position

• using an ovulation predictor kit

• using an ovulation tracker/calculator

Shettles offers other tips for tipping the scales when it comes to conceiving a baby boy, too.

• Have sex in a position that encourages deep penetration to deposit the weaker “boy” sperm closer to the cervix

• When a woman orgasms, it changes the pH level in the vagina to be more alkaline, an environment where the Y-chromosome sperm thrive

• Create an alkaline or acidic environment for the sperm by douching with a special solution prior to intercourse

• The prospective father-to-be should drink coffee prior to intercourse

Elizabeth Whelan’s method – outlined in her mid-seventies book “Boy or Girl,” contradicts the Shettles Method. She says that biochemical changes in a woman’s body prior to ovulation make the environment more friendly to Y-chromosome sperm. To conceive a boy, she says, have sex six to four days prior to ovulation, and to have a girl, wait until two or three days prior to ovulation.

Whelan’s technique, however, has lost validity over the years, while many people still rely on the Shettles Method. The Shettles Method, when done correctly, offers a 75% success rate for both genders, making the technique as reliable as medically-assisted methods. The Whelan’s method offers only a 68% success rate for boys and 56% for girls; only 6% higher than the natural 50% odds of having a girl without doing anything prior to or during conception to influence the gender.

GenSelect Gender Selection Kit – Kits such as the Genselect Gender Selection Kit also consider the pH level of the vagina, and offer special douching solutions to create an acidic or alkaline environment, friendly to x- or y-chromosome sperm, respectively.

This kit, which touts a 96% success rate, combines intercourse timing with diet and all-natural nutriceutical supplements with douches to adjust the acidity of the vagina.

Diet – A recent study suggests that women who eat a high-calorie diet tend to conceive boys more frequently – specifically, in a sampling of 740 women, 56% of the women who ate a diet high in carbohydrates and who consumed more calories conceived a boy, compared with 45% who ate a lower calorie diet. Additionally, starting the day with a bowl of cereal increased the odds of having a boy. 59% of women who ate cereal daily had boys, compared to 43% who ate cereal less frequently than once a week.

Experts attribute the increase in males conceived by women who eat a healthier, heartier diet to an increase in blood sugar levels. Also, the study seems to lend credence to the old belief that a diet high in salt increases the odds of conceiving a boy. In the study sample, a higher intake of sodium, potassium and calcium seemed to favor conceiving a boy.

It’s important to note, however, that a change in diet alone only increased the odds by a mere 9% (at best) over the natural 50-50 chance of having a boy.

Many people view the ideal family as “one boy, one girl.” And parents with two children of the same gender often get the question “Are you going to try for a boy/girl?”

These ideas may help you conceive your gender of choice. But let’s be honest: When all is said and done, most people don’t really care whether they have a boy or girl, so long as the baby is healthy. Even if you are hoping against hope for one or the other, as soon as you see that wonderful baby you created, the gender probably won’t matter.

Author: Dawn Allcot