Can you influence the gender of the baby?

Gender of the baby: determining sex chromosomes and sperm

How do you decide if the baby will be a girl or a boy? In principle, it depends on the competition of the sperm. Whether it’s a girl or a boy who makes it to the finish line first – there is no reliable recipe for that. People have always tried to influence the sex of their babies. In ancient Greece, men turned to the right during intercourse in order to conceive a son. The French tied off their left testicles for the same purpose in the 18th century. Today, however, we know that the sex of the baby is determined by the sex chromosomes and by the male sperm that fertilizes the egg.

X and Y chromosomes

A human cell consists of 46 chromosomes or 23 pairs of chromosomes. The first 22 pairs of chromosomes are the same in both sexes and are numbered according to size. Number 1 is the largest, number 22 is the smallest. The 23rd pair of chromosomes contains information that determines a baby’s sex and is composed of either the combination XX or XY.

The sperm and egg each contain half of a full set of chromosomes. When the egg cell and sperm cell fuse, the same number of female and male chromosomes combine to form 46 chromosomes again. The egg always inherits an X chromosome, but a sperm can contribute either an X or a Y chromosome. A girl develops from the combination XX, a boy from XY.

Can couples help with the sex of the baby?

Even if chance ultimately decides which gender the baby has, there are some theories and hypotheses that seem to give parents room for maneuver when it comes to the desired gender. We present some of these theories that more or less plausibly explain how couples can purposefully have a boy or a girl:

• According to a study by biology professor Dr. Alexander Lerchl, more boys are fathered in summer and in mild winters than in cold temperatures. To do this, he compared birth and weather data in Germany from the years 1946 to 1995. However, he does not give a clear explanation for the phenomenon. The scientist suspects that Y sperm cells can develop better at mild temperatures.

X sperm slower than Y sperm

The basis for other hypotheses about the possibility of influencing the sex of the baby is the discovery that X and Y sperm have different properties. X-sperm move more slowly, but are robust and long-lived. Y sperm swim faster but are sensitive to unfavorable conditions.

• In this context, the French gynecologist Francois Papa published a book in 1995 with a special diet that is supposed to influence the pH value of the vaginal environment and thus create better conditions for X or Y sperm. According to Papa, an acidic vaginal environment severely attacks the sensitive Y sperm, so that X sperm are more likely to prevail. Women who want a girl should therefore ensure a relatively acidic vaginal environment with plenty of calcium and magnesium from meat, fish and Brussels sprouts, for example. Women who want a boy, on the other hand, should improve the conditions for Y sperm with sodium and potassium from bananas, dairy products and spinach, for example.
• One of the most well-known theories about influencing the sex of the baby comes from Dr. Landrum B. Shettles. The starting point here is also the fast Y sperm and robust X sperm. Scheduling intercourse after the day of ovulation may allow parents to influence the baby’s sex, according to a study conducted by Shettles. The best time to conceive a girl is about three days before ovulation. In this case, X-sperms have an advantage due to their longevity. If the parents wanted a boy, the day of ovulation or a time shortly thereafter would be ideal, since Y-sperms make it “to the finish” faster. The popularity of the study is certainly based on a hit rate of 70 to 80 percent. However, it must be said that

However, couples should not take the various theories too seriously, because at best they only shake the ratio of X and Y sperm a little. However, they are not a guarantee of success. However, the methods are not harmful either, which is why they can be tried out.

“Yes, I’m disappointed” – what to do if things don’t go as planned?

Many women say again and again that it doesn’t matter to them whether it’s a boy or a girl, the main thing is that their baby is healthy. But then the ultrasound examination delivers a first result and suddenly it is there – the big disappointment. Expectant mothers are not always aware of their own preferences when it comes to the sex of the baby and are shocked and ashamed of their own feelings.

Prolonged disappointment or sadness is referred to as “gender disappointment” and remains a taboo subject. It helps affected mothers to open up and consciously process their emotional world. So when women have vague feelings of sadness or disappointment about the baby’s gender, it may help to talk about it with someone they trust. Nobody should be ashamed, because many women feel the same way.

Women should be clear about what is behind their desire for a girl or boy. Is it the good princess or the wild soccer player you have imagined? It can help if the women imagine their child as a personality of its own, far removed from all typical gender attributions. Even a little bully will behave well-behaved and exemplary, just like little princesses can dash across the soccer field. In most cases, the negative feelings will go away on their own once the little ones are born and in mom and dad’s arms for the first time.