Can conceiving positions determine the sex of your baby? While no scientific research has ever explored how certain sexual positions affect the resulting baby's sex, a doctor named Landrum Shettles created a system to help parents select and plan out their baby's sex. His simple method emphasizes the importance of timing if you want to increase the odds of conceiving a baby girl.
The sperm and the egg each contain one half of the baby's genetic makeup. Since the mother is a female, she is genetically an XX, which means she can only contribute an X chromosome to the baby. The father, on the other hand, has XY male chromosomes, which means that he can contribute either an X chromosome or a Y chromosome through the sperm. During intercourse, over 200 million sperm are released, and half of these carry X chromosomes while the other half carry Y. Only one will be able to penetrate the egg.
According to Dr. Shettles, sperm carrying X or Y chromosomes have unique properties, and that these can be used to determine the sex of your baby. Y-bearing sperm or "male" sperm are faster because of their small round heads. However, they're also short-lived and die quickly. X-bearing sperm or "female" sperm move slower due to their large, oval-shaped heads, but they also live longer and are more resilient. So if you'd like to conceive a girl, you need to let the Y-bearing sperm "die out" so that only the X-bearing sperm remain to fertilize the egg.
Before we get into the subject of what sex positions to use, it's more important to establish the best time to have sex if you want to conceive a girl. First, you have to be familiar with your menstrual cycle and predict your ovulation by charting your basal body temperature (BBT). If you have been keeping a BBT chart for several months, you can more or less predict when ovulation will occur. Start trying to conceive a girl two to four days before your predicted ovulation date.
Since you want the slow-moving X-bearing sperm to prevail, you need to use sex positions that offer shallow penetration. This will allow the male to leave the sperm at the entrance of the cervix, putting the resilient X-chromosome sperm at an advantage. Here are two sex positions that allow for shallow penetration.
Missionary position for conception
You're probably familiar with the missionary (or man on top) position by now. Not only is this position said to provide the greatest possibility of conceiving, but the shallow penetration combined with the woman's position allow the sperm to be left right outside the cervix's mouth which is where they should be to conceive a girl when the timing is right, according to Dr. Shettles. Another advantage of this position is the intimacy it provides - both partners can kiss, touch, or exchange looks without sacrificing movement or pace.
Spooning posture to help you conceive
When spooning, the woman lies on her side while her partner cuddles her and enters from behind. This provides for shallow penetration optimal for conceiving a baby girl, and more laid-back lovemaking. The woman can also control the pace by moving against her partner.
The sperm and the egg each contain one half of the baby's genetic makeup. Since the mother is a female, she is genetically an XX, which means she can only contribute an X chromosome to the baby. The father, on the other hand, has XY male chromosomes, which means that he can contribute either an X chromosome or a Y chromosome through the sperm. During intercourse, over 200 million sperm are released, and half of these carry X chromosomes while the other half carry Y. Only one will be able to penetrate the egg.
According to Dr. Shettles, sperm carrying X or Y chromosomes have unique properties, and that these can be used to determine the sex of your baby. Y-bearing sperm or "male" sperm are faster because of their small round heads. However, they're also short-lived and die quickly. X-bearing sperm or "female" sperm move slower due to their large, oval-shaped heads, but they also live longer and are more resilient. So if you'd like to conceive a girl, you need to let the Y-bearing sperm "die out" so that only the X-bearing sperm remain to fertilize the egg.
Before we get into the subject of what sex positions to use, it's more important to establish the best time to have sex if you want to conceive a girl. First, you have to be familiar with your menstrual cycle and predict your ovulation by charting your basal body temperature (BBT). If you have been keeping a BBT chart for several months, you can more or less predict when ovulation will occur. Start trying to conceive a girl two to four days before your predicted ovulation date.
Since you want the slow-moving X-bearing sperm to prevail, you need to use sex positions that offer shallow penetration. This will allow the male to leave the sperm at the entrance of the cervix, putting the resilient X-chromosome sperm at an advantage. Here are two sex positions that allow for shallow penetration.
Missionary position for conception
You're probably familiar with the missionary (or man on top) position by now. Not only is this position said to provide the greatest possibility of conceiving, but the shallow penetration combined with the woman's position allow the sperm to be left right outside the cervix's mouth which is where they should be to conceive a girl when the timing is right, according to Dr. Shettles. Another advantage of this position is the intimacy it provides - both partners can kiss, touch, or exchange looks without sacrificing movement or pace.
Spooning posture to help you conceive
When spooning, the woman lies on her side while her partner cuddles her and enters from behind. This provides for shallow penetration optimal for conceiving a baby girl, and more laid-back lovemaking. The woman can also control the pace by moving against her partner.