Can you choose the sex of the baby according to the day you have intercourse?
There are some theories that it is possible to choose the sex of the baby based on the fertile calendar and when you have sexual intercourse. So that planning the ideal moment, the child has a male or female genetic sex.
Let's see if that is true and if there is scientific evidence to justify it.
What determines the sex of the baby?
When a woman becomes pregnant, the factor that influences the sex of the fetus is defined by the man, more specifically the sperm that fertilizes the egg.
Women have an XX chromosome map, while men are XY. Therefore, the possibility of conceiving a boy instead of a girl will depend on whether the fertilizing sperm has a “male” or “female” load.
Therefore, the possibility of having a boy or a girl depends on the capabilities of these two types of sperm.
It is a scientific fact that Y sperm (boy) are faster although their life is shorter. On the other hand, X sperm (girl) are more resistant and durable.
Compared to track runners, the Y's are the ones who achieve the best results in the 100-meter dash and sprint. However, the X's are distance runners and marathoners.
And why does this difference occur? It has a physical explanation: the Y chromosome weighs less, that's why they can run more. On the other hand, the X are more resistant because by running less they also get less tired.
Therefore, there is a slight chance of being able to choose the sex of your baby if you plan when you have intercourse and if you know when you ovulate.
Centennial traditional methods to know if it will be a boy or a girl
It happens to many couples who have already had children, all of the same sex, who are excited that the next one will be different. Or if you only have one, you want the classic "couple".
There is a myth that tries to solve this problem which is the Chinese calendar of pregnancy. Widely used in Eastern cultures and increasingly popular in the West.
This calendar consists of a table in which the data of the lunar age of the woman is crossed with the month and year of conception.
As you see, It does not take into account the man, who is the only carrier of the Y chromosome, nor does it take into account the woman's menstrual cycle.
It is assumed that most of the embryos conceived during a specific month and depending on the age of the woman, will be boys or girls.
Look, if it turns out that you just found out that you are pregnant and the sex of the baby is still not detectable by ultrasound, if you feel like it and are excited to check if it is correct in your case, use it. It won't hurt you.
But here's how to plan your sex to increase your chances of having a boy or a girl, based on what we know from medical science.
Before continuing with the details, we must warn you that when it comes to fertility and probabilities, there are so many factors that influence that you do not have a 100% guarantee of achieving it. Here we expose the data so that you know that there is a small probability of achieving it.
How to conceive a boy
Something you need to know is when is your ovulation Knowing your menstrual cycle and keeping a calendar with monitoring will help you achieve it.
After about two or three months of observing your basal temperature and cervical mucus, you will know when your ovary releases the egg that is ready to be fertilized.
If you remember, Y sperm (boy) weigh less and are therefore faster. So, if you have intercourse around the time of ovulation, the chance of fertilization by one of these sprinters is greater.
You already know that once the egg is fertilized, even if other sperm arrive later, they cannot enter.
how to conceive a girl
However, if you are a few days ahead of ovulation, the sperm (X) that are more resistant and live longer will be the ones waiting for the egg, while the Ys will have mostly disappeared or been depleted.
That said, do not forget that there is always the possibility that one of the sperm with the highest female load is as fast or faster than the male. Or that a male-bearing sperm fertilizes the egg a few days after ovulation.
Can you choose the sex of the baby in the laboratory?
Although we have given you the scientific reasons for you to know more about the probability of having a boy or a girl, the only guarantee of actually choosing the sex of the baby is with in-vitro fertilization. Technically it is possible to make a genetic selection.
However, in Spain it is absolutely prohibited, is considered eugenics. With a few exceptions, all for medical reasons and risk to the baby (such as hemophilia). In any case, it is analyzed, evaluated and approved by a bioethics committee.
Finally, our recommendation as fertility professionals is that you don't get obsessed with it. The most important thing is that you fulfill your dream of having that baby in your arms and that the pregnancy develops normally and healthily for both of you.
We want to add one last nuance: in this article we have used the generic term of sex of the baby to refer to the biological sex. However, sexuality is not defined by chromosomes alone. It is said that there is genetic sex, gonadal sex, genital sex and social sex.
It may interest you:
- What is the best sexual position to get pregnant?
- Differences between pregnancy and premenstrual syndrome
Related products