Dr Anadeep Chandi

Want to have a boy or girl child naturally? Here are some tips.

Although, chances of conceiving a male child or female child is nearly 50-50. However, there are certain methods, by which one can increase the odds of having a boy child or a girl child.

There are two types of sex chromosomes: “X” and “Y” chromosome. X chromosome when present in pair, make a female baby. X chromosome along with Y chromosome makes a male baby. This Y chromosome is given by the father. Therefore, to some extent, the gender of the child is decided upon by the type of sex chromosome (i.e. X or Y) donated by the father.

There are certain methods by which you can increase your odds of having boy or girl child.

• Landrum Shettles Method (75-90 % accuracy)
• The Babydust method
• Chinese gender predictor Calendar (50% accuracy)

To understand it better, let’s understand about certain facts regarding sperm carrying Y chromosome and sperm carrying X (female) chromosome.

Male Sperms:

• Y sperms are smaller, faster, fragile, and have shorter life span
• They survive better in alkaline media (in vagina)

Female Sperms:

• X sperms are taller, slower, stronger, and live longer
• They survive better in acidic media (in vagina)

Things to be kept in mind to enhance the chances to conceive a boy or girl baby:-

Timing of intercourse

For male baby:-

• Intercourse around the time of ovulation (12 hrs before ovulation) so that the male sperm reach faster towards the egg.
• Ask your partner not to ejaculate 4-5 days before ovulation, so as to increase the sperms count reaching the egg, as the male sperms are prone to death earlier.

For Female baby:-

• Intercourse 2-3 days before the ovulation i.e. have sex earlier in the fertile window period.
• Ejaculate more often.

Sex position

Sexual position at the time of orgasm may also help.

• Go for Deep penetration (doggy style, reverse cowgirl): When Male sperms that can swim faster are released close to the cervix, they are likely to reach the egg first. For girl child, avoid deep position, and try missionary position.
• Women should have orgasm first, or close to male partner’s orgasm: orgasms helps to release alkaline fluid into vagina that can favour male sperms.
• Try Straddling position, or standing position: Male sperms do well against gravity, when compared to female sperms. Leaning forward against the wall for balance, or asking your partner to lift you up can also help.

Dietary changes

Prior to ovulation, the cervical mucus is acidic, which is not ideal for the sperms and only the fittest can survive. A more alkaline environment is better for the faster male sperm. Certain food items can help in conceiving a boy or girl baby by improving the pH of the vagina.

Having certain food items increase the chances of male child:

• Consume alkaline food more often like garlic, probiotics, citrus fruits, green leafy veggies and root vegetables, citrus juices/fruits, avocado, almonds, seeds, nuts, cherries, whole grains.
• Avoid acidic food items like processed food or caned food.
• Eat potassium rich diet like Banana, sweet potatoes, white beans, broccoli, spinach, brussels sprouts
• Eat less spicy food
• Avoid calcium and magnesium intake like dairy products, eggs, meat, etc
• Take Evening primose oil and guaifenesin daily, that improve the quality of cervical mucus
• Consume more calories and eat morning cereal breakfast to increase your blood sugar levels that can be helpful for male sperms.
• Ask your male partner to drink energy drink, cup of coffee, dark chocolate to have a caffeine boost before sex that can also help male sperms to behave more active.

Note: Calorie intake should be according to your work schedule. Eating blindly would not help. Eating healthy balanced diet should be a part of your healthy lifestyle and should continue during pregnancy too.

Lifestyle changes

• Reduce stress: less stress you feel, more chances of having a male baby
• Ask your male partner to loss weight if he is obese or overweight, sperm count and quality are lowered if male partner is obese.
• Tell your male partner to discard his tight briefs and wear boxers
• Exercising regularly can boost up fertility: studies shows that dads who exercise before having children have healthier kids.

Family balancing is important in certain communities of the world. It can help in improving sex ratio. However, these methods are not full proof and can fail too. Moreover, it is God’s wish to decide, what to give and what not to give. Consult a medical professional for more details about family planning.

Disclaimer: This article focuses on certain natural tips that can increase the chances of having a male or female child. Sex selection is a crime in certain countries, especially India. This article does not prefer one sex over other. However, this article can be useful for certain couples who are seeking family balancing.