Many couples want to know whether they’ll be welcoming a baby boy or girl. And while it’s certainly true that the X and Y chromosomes in the egg and sperm determine gender, there is no foolproof method of pre-conception gender selection.
Some experts believe that sex position can help parents-to-be “pick” the gender of their unborn child. But is this really true?
Doggy Style
This sex position, which involves the woman lying on her back and the man straddling her, is supposed to help couples conceive boys. It’s claimed that this position allows for deeper penetration, which makes it easier for male sperm to reach the egg. Male sperm also don’t live as long as female sperm, so they need to be closer to the egg to fertilize it.
Another way to supposedly conceive a boy is by doing sex in the missionary position. In this position, the couple both kneel on all fours and the man enters the woman from behind. This position is said to result in shallow penetration and a harder time for male sperm to make it to the egg.
The Shettles Method, which claims that there are a few different elements that can determine the baby’s sex (including sex positions), is not without its detractors. However, it may be worth trying if you want to increase your chances of having a boy. The most important thing to remember, though, is that there’s no guarantee any sex position will affect your baby’s gender. In the end, it’s all up to luck and your body. Good luck!
Missionary Position
You’ve cut meat from your diet, started tracking your ovulation cycle and convinced your partner to take long baths. You’ve even switched up your sex positions in the bedroom. But have you done enough to conceive a girl? Some couples swear that certain sexual positions can actually determine the sex of their unborn baby. And while there’s no scientific evidence, anecdotal accounts are pretty easy to find online.
Missionary style, or man-on-top sex, is said to be good for girls because it allows for deep penetration. It also keeps your legs up against one another, which may block some sperm from reaching the cervix. While this position may not be the most exciting entry in your kama sutra repertoire, it’s worth a try if you’re hoping to conceive a girl.
The reason behind this trick is that sperm with the Y chromosome enter the egg first, and the matching of that sperm with the egg’s X chromosome determines whether you’ll have a boy or a girl. It’s important to note, however, that sex and gender are different things. Your biological sex is assigned at birth, and it doesn’t always match with your gender. That’s why the sex ratio of male to female births is slightly skewed. Even so, some people’s sex and gender match perfectly. This might explain why the Shettles Method is so popular.
Straddle Position
There’s a lot of debate about whether or not you can determine your baby’s sex at the time of conception. Some couples swear that sex positions can make a difference, but there’s not much science to support these claims.
The sex of a person is determined by the pairing of an egg’s X and sperm’s Y chromosomes at the moment of fertilization. The gender of a child is also determined by the type of sperm that effectively fertilizes an egg. During ejaculation, men produce millions of sperm; roughly half of these carry an X chromosome and the other half contain the Y. Shettles believed that the sex of a child is determined by which of these sperm penetrates an egg.
He also believed that certain sexual positions give the advantage to sperm carrying the Y chromosome, and that this gives boys an edge over girls in the battle of fertilization. He claimed that sex positions that allow for deep penetration allow boy sperm to swim quickly towards the egg.
He wrote a book called How to Choose the Sex of Your Baby that was very popular in the 1980s. Although Shettles’ methods have been heavily scrutinized, many people still believe that sex position can play a role in determining a baby’s gender. However, most experts say that you can’t use lovemaking techniques at home to sway a baby’s sex.
Boy-on-Top
Some believe that if you want a girl, you should straddle your partner during sexual intercourse to increase the likelihood of conceiving a daughter. Similarly, many believe that if you want a boy, you should have sex standing up. The logic behind these theories is that male sperm cells are smaller and swim faster than female sperm cells, so when they reach the egg cell, they can fertilize it more quickly.
The problem is that these positions can also result in deep penetration, which can kill male sperm cells before they reach the egg cell, and this is why they’re not recommended by doctors. Instead, it is better to eat a healthy diet, exercise regularly and have sex with your partner only two days before ovulation.
If you do decide to try the straddle position, make sure that the woman is in control of the depth of penetration. This will help to ensure that male sperm reach the egg before it is killed by the acidic environment of the vagina. And again, don’t forget the foreplay! According to Shettles, if you orgasm before your partner, it can help boost the speed of the male sperm cells and make it to the egg cell more quickly. This trick hasn’t been proven, but it can’t hurt to give it a shot.
