Men influence the gender of the baby, not women. Men provide the sperm which either has an X (girl) or Y (boy) linked sex chromosome. One testicle does not produce girl sperm and the other boy sperm. Both produce an equal number of X and Y sperm and it is random chance, which one fertilizes the egg. Some men do seem to produce better quality X or Y sperm which may account for the reason why particular families have large numbers of girls or boys
The X sperm is thought to be more resilient than the male Y sperm and survive longer than the Y sperm. The Y sperm moves faster than the X sperm. X sperm moves more slowly but maintain energy for a longer period and thus survive longer.
To increase the chances of getting pregnant it is always advisable to have intercourse around the time the woman is ovulating. One of the strategies suggested in The Shettles Method, which claims that the chances of having a boy are boosted when conception occurs as close to ovulation as possible. But how do you know that you are ovulating?
- Many women develop a distinctive pain on one side of their lower pelvis, which occurs mid-way through their monthly cycle.
- Changes in the cervical mucus. Fertile mucous is clear, watery and stretchy. The cells change to encourage the smooth passage of sperm upwards through the cervix towards the fallopian tubes. Fertile mucous is also less acidic than non-fertile mucous and this environment favours the sperm rather than killing them off.
- There are also some commercially available ovulation kits which detect hormonal changes which occur at ovulation, particularly an increase in Luteinizing Hormone.
- Women who have ovulated and are at their most fertile often experience an increase in their libido,
- An increase in your basal body temperature. This is the lowest temperature which is attained by your body during rest and sleep. Just before ovulation occurs there is a rise in the temperature by a couple of degrees.
Either way, it helps to maintain a healthy lifestyle and hope to conceive and give birth to a healthy baby - A beautiful baby.
