I Want a Boy... No, a Girl ...

A mong the zillion predictable questions you'll be asked when you're pregnant  ("When is it due.. any morning sickness? ... how do you feel?")
- you will surely encounter the "So what do you want, a boy or a girl?" question. Many people don't want to know. Many people point out that what they prefer doesn't make an iota of difference.

 Some couples, though, do prefer one gender to the other, Maybe they hope to have a boy to carry on the family name or business. Some may think a girl is easier or more fun. Other couples may already have two or three boys, and want a girl for a change, or vice versa.

Today, scientific advancements make it possible for couples (those who can afford the service, anyway) to actually choose the sex of their child. For example, the MicroSort system at the Genetics and IVF Institute in Virginia can apparently distinguish between sperm carrying the X-chromosome (for a girl) from a sperm loaded with the Y-chromosome (for a boy) by the fact that the former has 2.8 percent more DNA and is substantially larger than the Y-chromosome.

But for those who
(a) can't make use of Microsort
(b) plan to conceive the normal way,
if you want a boy or a girl, you'll have to rely on much less scientific methods and old wives' tales.
Such as:

To conceive a boy:
The man should wear loose underwear or boxers to increase overall fertility and give the weaker Y-sperms a more 'promising' environment over the Xs; Men should eat more meat, especially red meat, The woman should lie back after having sex; The woman should give in to her husband's seduction.

To conceive a girl:

Have sex in the missionary position; The wife should do the seducing; Both spouses need to cat lots of fish and veggies; Conceive in the afternoon on even days of the month.
But is there anything more 'scientific' on conceiving a boy or a girl?


 Sperm Strength

 One theory is that the sperm with the Y-chromosome (that will produce a baby boy) swim faster and do better in a more alkaline environment, while sperm with the Xchromosome moves more slowly and do better in a more acidic environment.

 So tracking when you are more acidic or alkaline, and tailoring your love-making sessions to these periods, may help you.

 We got similar suggestions from Dr Chang Ton Choong, an obstetrician and gynaecologist in private practice.

 For a girl: Try to have intercourse two to three days before ovulation because the Ychromosome-carrying sperm are not as resilient as the X-carrying ones, and will perish faster. Try to avoid an orgasm, as that increases the alkalinity of the vagina, which enhances the performance of the Y-chromosome sperm. (To increase acidity, Dr Chang suggests using a vinegar douche.) Said Dr Chang: "Some studies show that the position of intercourse should be face to face, as the penetration is shallow and the Y sperms are less likely to survive."

 For a boy: Try to have intercourse as close to the time of ovulation as possible. Female orgasm is encouraged and should preferably occur before the male orgasm. This increases the alkalinity of the vagina. (You may also want to use a baking soda douche.) Some studies have also shown that depositing Y-chromosome sperm nearest the cervix enhances their survival.


 C an it work?

 Dr Christine Yap, an obstetrician and gynaecologist at the Singapore General Hospital and at its Centre For Assisted Reproduction (CARE), said that there is no proof that the Y-chromosome sperm is stronger than the X-chromosome sperm or vice-versa.

 A New England study found no relationship between the timing of intercourse and the baby's sex. Also, overplanning your sex life can be stressful and reduce the chances of conception altogether.

 She added: "What we are trying to figure out is whether any conditions increase the proportion of X or Y sperm hanging on to the rim of that egg, so the chances of an X or a Y penetrating are higher. But even then, the most willful sperm wins. Nothing much can determine what one single sperm among millions will do."


 Health is Important, Gender isn't

 Agreed Sandra Teo, 33, who is expecting her first child later this year: "My husband and I would rather just leave it to God, or chance or whatever, to decide for us. So we have no expectations, as long as we know it's a healthy baby, we're happy."

 Worst of all, because you think you will get a girl and buy all manner of girly clothes and toys, you may feel disappointed to have a boy.

 Stresed Dr Chang: "There are certainly no guarantees that the sex of the baby will be what you desire, even if you employ all of the above methods. You should aim to have a healthy pregnancy and a healthy child, regardless of the sex of the child."


Can you Guess by Looking?
The other side of the "boy or girl" question is, of course when you're already pregnant and someone tells you 'oh, I can tell you're
carrying a boy because you're..'

Mrs Jongkol Sim, 31, then four months pregnant, was 80 percent sure it was a boy. Why? She said: I had no inclination to put on makeup whenever I went out and the baby was kicking quite actively even when he was just four months. And whenever we went shopping, I would subconsciously look at baby boy's apparel and toys. My husband even bought a football jersey on impulse! We both agreed it was a boy." 

Josephine Phua's mother-in-law, though, knew that Josephine was carrying a girl because "her stomach was very round'. Other old wives' tales on the difference between boys and girls in the womb are numerous and often contradictory.



One reason for SEX-SORTING (such as what the Microsort machine in the US can do) is to help prevent the transmission of sex-linked hereditary diseases. However, one report noted that such sex-sorting might cause genetic damage, as the procedure involves tagging chromosomes with something called a fluourochrome. MicroSort is not available in Singapore. Another similar method, called, Flow cytometry, can sort cells in the laboratory for biological experiments, but cannot be used by parents to select their baby's sex. If a patient has concerns about serious sex-linked conditions such as haemophilia, tests such as Chorionic Villus Sampling can be done in the 10th week of pregnancy. It determines the sex of your child and the risk of the disease.

Source: Today's Parents, Aug 2001, p20
Gender Bender- How to get a boy or a girl?

Chances are most couples trying to conceive a baby have heard at least one old wives' tale of how to manipulate the sex of their child. We take a fun look at some of the theories being floated in books and on websites (some more dubious than others!) as well as the scientific methods being used today.
High-tech sex selection
Scientists have developed machines and techniques to "sort" sperm. In one method, called the Percoll density gradient centrifugation procedure, sperm are whizzed around at a high speed. It is said that X-bearing sperm will gather at the bottom while the Y-chromosome sperm will be closer to the surface.
In another procedure called MicroSort, sperm cells are stained with fluorescent dye that enables scientists to distinguish between Y-chromosome sperm and X-chromosome sperm, which have about 2.8% more genetic material.

These procedures are often used to
help prevent hereditary sex-linked
diseases for couples who may have
a history of such disorders. In the
UK, some authorities oppose their
use for frivolous reasons. like
carrying on the family name or
simply because they don't want a
girl. However. in other countries like
US, which is less regulated in such
areas. these procedures are
commercially available and even the
stricter UK has private clinics offering
sperm sorting. However, none of
these methods are foolproof and high
proportions of sperm are lost during
the procedures - about half for
spinning, and more for MicroSort.

Sooner or later?

According to the Shettles method, to have a boy, a couple should have sex just once about 12 hours before ovulation. If you have intercourse too early (like three or more days before ovulation), more Y-chromosome- bearing sperm (for boys) will die off, increasing the chance of getting a girl.

This is because the sperm carrying the Y-chromosome (for a boy) is lighter and faster but dies sooner, while the female chromosome carrying sperm, is larger, hardier and can survive in vaginal fluid longer.

To get a girl, a couple should have sex not later than two days before ovulation. This is to ensure that more Y-chromosome sperm die.

Dr Landrum Shettles and David
Rorvik, who wrote the book How to
Choose the Sex of Your Baby, claim
a 75 percent effectiveness rate if their
methods are followed scrupulously
 Other rules include abstaining from
sex for four days before the crucial
ejaculation, if you want a boy, to
ensure that sperm count is higher.


 Moonstruck
According to the Lunar Phase or Lunar Cycle of Fertility idea, a woman is most fertile when the moon is in the phase it was in when she was born. It supposedly affects the bio-chemical environment of the endometrium.

A Czech psychiatrist, Dr.
Eugen Jonas streamlined
this method so that it can
be used to identify those
days in a woman's cycle
on which only a girl will be
 conceived, and those days
on which only a boy will be
begotten.

Interested to find out more?
The representative office of
the Dr. Eugen Jonas
Method (r) for Singapore,
Malaysia and China, has a
website:
www.usmev.com.au/cji.htm

 Biochemistry and pH
In her book Boy or Girl?, Elizabeth Whelan suggested an opposite theory to the Shettles Method. She said that biochemical changes may favour male sperm early in a wornan's cycle, so to have a boy, have sex four to six days before ovulation. For a girl, have intercourse two to three days before ovulation.

Another related angle is
that a more alkaline
vaginal fluid is helpful to
Y-chromosome sperm.
Some women douche
with baking soda and
water to increase
alkalinity, while some
experts suggest a
deeper penetration so
that sperm are
deposited closest to
the  cervix, which is
more alkaline.
By the light of the silvery moon...
 If you believe that lunar forces determine the tide might be true that the moon dominates sperm movement as well. So one theory: For a boy, make in the sky. For a girl, have sex when full.

 Environment 
Some scientists think that envi ctors play a part. One study found that couples who smoke around the time of conception have a greater chance of conceiving a girl.

 Head north
Electromagnetic forces are the woman should be aligned in the North-South direction with her head towards north. (There, finally a use for your multiple- function watch-with-cornpass!)


 		Calendar Girl
 By another theory, more boys are conceived on odd days of the month, while even days tend to favour girls.
More lunar tunes...
An astrological theory says that couples should check which zodiac sign the moon is in. The moon passes through all 12 zodiac signs in its 28 day cycle, and the signs alternate between male and female signs. For example, Aries is considered Male and Taurus Female. The sex of the child depends on whether the moon is in a male or female sign at the time of conception.
Sugar and spice and all things nice...
"Sugar and spice and all things nice... that's what little girls are made of." And what this old wives' tale seems to that for a girl, mums should nibble on sweets or chocolates or cat fish and veggies, but for a man-child, tuck heartily in to meat (red, preferably) and salty food. One belief in Portugal is that round fruit and vegetables (such as apples and grapes) produce girls while long vegetables (such as carrots and cucumbers) produce boys.
 Boy or girl? It depends on whether the ovum is Left or Right
According to one website, Ayurvedic studies says that an ovum from the left ovary attracts sperm for girls, and a right-side ovum attracts Y-chromosome  side of the ovary is determined by the positions of stars and planets.
 		Get deeper
 Position of intercourse and depth of penetration have been identified as important considerations. A deeper penetration places the sperm closer to the cervix and the egg, enabling the sperm to swim directly into the reproductive tract, without too much of a journey through the hostile vagina. The missionary position


Source: Today's Parents, Sep 2002, p27
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