Baby gender selection

Having a child is one of the most important decisions that couples can take. How to take care of it if the child is a girl? How should we plan for a son? These are pertinent questions that crop up in the minds of prospective parents when they try and conceive. Now though, with research and development in medicine, technology and practices, we have ways in which couples can pre-decide the gender oftheir future child. While not all things work, but still, research that has gone into it has proved worthwhile to say the least. The following are things that have worked to a certain degree:

• Research shows that Mom-to-be’s who favour breakfast cereal and a potassium-rich diet delivered more boys than moms who skipped breakfast and took in fewer calories.

It's not certain whether the calories or the nutrients make the difference, although the association is one that is seen in other animals as well, with well-fed mothers giving birth to males and less well-fed mothers delivering females.

There are numerous other high-tech & low-tech methods in practice today for baby gender selection, a collection of which is shared below:

High-Tech Methods of Sex Selection

• MicroSort®:

The MicroSort® process sorts sperm by male and female by a process that measures differences in the DNA. Then using an intrauterine insemination (IUI) or in vitro fertilization (IVF) the enriched sample of sperm is used to help conceive the appropriate sex child.

• Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD):

This is the most effective technique in sex selection. With nearly 100% accuracy and the ability to select not only sex but a healthy embryo makes it very popular. This method uses in vitro fertilization and does biopsies on the embryos before they are returned to the uterus.

• Shettles Method:

The Shettles Method is based on the fact that male and female sperm travel and survive in the reproductive tract for varying amounts of time. Intercourse is thus timed about 12 hours prior to ovulation for a boy and several days before ovulation for a girl.

Low-Tech Methods of Sex Selection

Methods to up the odds of conceiving a boy or a girl are plentiful. Many of these approaches suggest one or more of the following techniques. Whereas none of them are scientifically proven to be true, but still, they have in a number of instances produced results that merit further exploration, research and investment.

• Timing intercourse closer to ovulation for a boy, further away for a girl - The reasoning is that the "girl" sperm (with X chromosomes) are hardier and the "boy" sperm (Y chromosomes) are more fragile, so having intercourse as close as possible to ovulation will give those Y chromosomes that determine maleness a fighting chance of meeting the egg.

• Making the vaginal environment more hospitable to "girl" or "boy" sperm
• Adopting various positions during intercourse. For instance, the missionary position is recommended for producing girls; rear-entry for boys.

It is a fascinating thing, deciding the sex of the child before birth, but couples around the world are increasingly using the methods described above to decide beforehand the sex of their future child(ren).

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