This was from Glo. She wrote this post for me and Id like to share it with you, especially for those TTC - trying to conceive :).

Goodluck.

Maybe next time, I need to post about those TTC - trying to control :). LOL. Like me!

There had been an animated discussion amongst online friend on getting pregnant and how to determine the sex of your baby.

Here is a excerpted summary of the book, How to Choose the Sex of Your Baby, by Landrum Shettles, M.D., and David Rorvik.

Basically, men produce two types of sperms, the X (female) and Y (male). According to Dr. Shettles’ studies the y-sperms are smaller, weaker, but faster than their sibling x-sperms, which are bigger, stronger, but slower.Based on this fact, there are several things you can do to “favor” the conception of boys or girls:(1) The most important aspect of all is timing of intercourse during the monthly cycle. The closer to ovulation you have sex, the better the chances to have a boy, because the y-sperms are faster and tend to get to the egg first. If you have sex 3 days or more before ovulation, the better your chances to conceive a girl, because the weaker y-sperms tend to die sooner and the x-sperms will be available in greater quantity whenever the egg is released. On the other hand, having sex from 2 days before ovulation, through a few days after ovulation, is better for conceiving a boy. Around the 2-day point — 48 hours before ovulation — seems to be the 50/50 mark.(For those with a precise turn of mind, Shettles clarifies even further [p. 187]: from zero to 24 hours before ovulation, intercourse is more likey to
result in a boy; from 24 to 96 hours before, a girl is more likely; and the further away from that 24-hour dividing line in either direction, the better the odds.)

(2) Position of intercourse and depth of penetration are important, partly because of acidity/alkalinity of the woman’s reproductive tract (see sec. (6)
below). The closer to the entrance to the vagina, the more acidic the pH of women’s tract. Also, deep penetration places the sperm closer to the egg, and gives those aggressive boy sperms a head start :-). So, a shallow penetration will favor girls and a deeper will favor boys. Shettles recommends
missionary-position for a girl, and rear-entry (dog-style) for a boy.

(3) Women’s orgasms can also be important. This also has to do with pH. When a woman has an orgasm, the body releases a substance that makes the environment more alkaline, favoring boys. Shettles recommends no female orgasms when trying for girls!

(4) The sperm count is another factor. Obviously, a low sperm count to begin with doesn’t favor either sex. But a high sperm count favors boys. Shettles recommends three things:

(a) When trying for a boy, the man should not have an ejaculation for 3 days before reaching the target date a day or two before ovulation. Intercourse earlier than 3 days before ovulation should be with a condom only. For girls, have sex every day from the first day after your period ends,
and stop 3 days before ovulation. (No intercourse even with a condom during that time.)
(b) Shettles recommends that for boys, the man wear loose underwear only — that is, men who usually wear briefs or other tight underwear should switch to boxers. The idea is the same as wearing boxers to increase overall fertility — the testicles need cooler temperatures for sperms to survive, and the Y-sperms, since they are weaker, will be helped more than the X-sperms by this method. However, Shettles does NOT recommend the opposite, that men wear briefs for a girl — this will just decrease overall fertility.
(c) Also, for a girl, the man is supposed to take a hot bath immediately before intercourse. “Room temperature” is fine for a boy. The idea is
the same as the briefs versus boxers — give the X-sperms an advantage.

(5) In trying for a boy, Shettles recommends a nice cup of caffeinated coffee for the man, right before intercourse — he isn’t clear on how or why this
works, but apparently it gives the Y-sperms a jolt!

(6) Concerning douching and the pH of the women’s reproductive tract: A more acidic environment favors girls, since it will kill the weaker y-sperms first, leaving a greater quantity of x-sperms available to fertilize the egg. On the other hand, a more alkaline environment favors boys. (Note: Some women are naturally very acidic and have a hard time conceiving boys.)

Shettles *formerly* recommended two douching-methods (involving vinegar or baking soda) to help alter vaginal pH. However, in the most recent update (c.1989) of his book, he no longer recommends douching at all. His comment (pp. 179-180) is that one can get equally-good results with or without the douches recommended earlier.

Well, these are the big ones. Read the book for other details. If you can determine the time of ovulation and follow the rules presented in his book, Dr.
Shettles claims a success rate of 70-75% for girls and 75-80% for boys (better than the “normal” 50%).
As you see, it’s not 100%!!!

Also, Shettles recommends a “practice” period of 3-6 months, to make sure the couple has all the techniques down properly.

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