There are various ways to plan the sex of a child on the Internet. For example, there is a version that if sexual intercourse took place a couple of days before ovulation, you can conceive a girl. And if you want to give birth to a boy, you need to remember when the Moon is in Aquarius, Aries, Gemini, Leo, Libra or Sagittarius. Let’s figure out whether it is really possible to plan the sex of the future child during conception.
What does the gender of a child really depend on?
The sex of the unborn child is determined by the sperm at the moment it meets the egg. Sex cells — sperm and eggs — contain genetic material organized into chromosomes. There are chromosomes that are responsible for the development of the fetus into a boy or a girl. For example, all eggs contain the “female” X chromosome. Men, on the other hand, release millions of sperm during ejaculation. About half of these sperm contain the X chromosome, while the other half carries the male Y chromosome.
A person’s sex is determined randomly. If the sperm that fertilizes the egg contains a Y chromosome, the child will inherit the XY genotype and a boy will be conceived. On the contrary, the fusion of an egg and a sperm with an X chromosome determines the conception of a girl.
Is it really possible to influence the sex of a child at conception?
In the 1960s, American obstetrician-gynecologist Landrum Shettles developed a theory of conception known as the Shettles method. Since then, science has torn the method apart, but many of the myths still persist.
Dr. Shettles believed that sperm carrying the Y chromosome move faster but live shorter in the vagina than sperm carrying the X chromosome. According to his method, to conceive a girl, one must have sex 2-3 days before ovulation: the sperm carrying the Y chromosome will die during this time, and the persistent sperm carrying the female chromosome will reach their goal. And vice versa: the nimble sperm carrying the male chromosome will fertilize the egg first if ejaculation occurs on the day of ovulation.
Shettles’ theory was not confirmed: studies have shown that sperm with male and female chromosomes do not differ in speed, size and structure. In fact, all sperm live in the vagina for up to 72 hours. Therefore, having sex 3 days before ovulation, on the day of ovulation and even after ovulation is possible. This will be enough to conceive a child – and nothing more.
There are other myths about family planning. For example, astrologers suggest using the lunar calendar. The sex of the future child is determined by the date of conception in the lunar cycle. The astrological forecast promises a girl if you conceive on the day when the Moon passes through the signs of Taurus, Cancer, Virgo, Scorpio, Capricorn or Pisces. And a boy should be expected when the Moon is under the signs of Aries, Gemini, Leo, Libra, Sagittarius and Aquarius.
Some people guess the gender by referring to the Chinese calendar, which takes into account the age and month of conception. According to the calendar, to give birth to a boy at 30, you will have to count only on November, December and January.
They also say that the diet of future parents affects the sex of the baby. For example, if you eat salty food, it supposedly helps conceive a boy.
In fact, no one forbids trying different methods and hoping for a result. Nature has other considerations on this matter: regardless of people’s wishes, 105 boys are born for every 100 girls in the world .
When can you find out the sex of your unborn child?
The secret of the future child’s sex can be revealed already in the 19th-21st weeks of pregnancy – during the second screening ultrasound examination. This is the most long-awaited moment of the examination. In addition to the sex, during the screening ultrasound the doctor studies the structure of the internal organs of the fetus and its life support systems: the position of the placenta, the volume of amniotic fluid, the length of the cervix. The doctor evaluates the expected weight of the fetus and markers of chromosomal abnormalities.
There is a way to find out the sex of your unborn child earlier: go to a lab and give blood for non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT). The technology was invented by an inquisitive Oxford University student named Dennis Lo. In the mid-1990s, he found DNA fragments containing the male Y chromosome in the blood of a pregnant woman. The researcher then assumed that the Y chromosome belonged to a male fetus.
During pregnancy, fetal DNA circulates in women’s blood, migrating into the bloodstream through the placenta. This DNA can be extracted, genetic testing – sequencing – can be performed, and the sex can be determined. Of course, non-invasive prenatal testing is not only needed for this. The study is mainly used to determine chromosomal pathologies of the fetus, such as Down, Edwards, and Patau syndromes. Testing is informative from the 9th week of pregnancy, when the expectant mother has accumulated a sufficient amount of fetal DNA. This is a paid study, but Moscow residents can undergo it at the expense of compulsory medical insurance funds if there is a risk of chromosomal abnormalities in the fetus.
When diagnosing pathologies, you cannot rely solely on the results of non-invasive prenatal testing: the data may be incorrect due to the peculiarities of transportation and storage of the material, multiple pregnancies, obesity and oncological diseases of the mother. Therefore, it is important to go to a consultation with a geneticist. The doctor will study the results of the genetic study and ultrasound screening. To confirm or refute the pathology, the doctor will refer you for invasive diagnostics of fetal developmental anomalies.
Is it possible to choose the sex of the child during IVF?
IVF (in vitro fertilization) is an assisted technology for treating infertility or conceiving a healthy child when parents suffer from serious genetic diseases. In this case, the fertilization of the egg occurs in laboratory conditions. The resulting embryos are grown in the laboratory for 2-5 days and then implanted into the uterine cavity.
Selecting the sex of a child during IVF is prohibited by law. However, there are exceptions when embryos are tested before being transferred to the uterus – preimplantation genetic testing is performed . Embryos are examined when one or both partners have hereditary diseases that the child may inherit. Testing is used to determine trisomy on chromosome 21 – a sign of Down syndrome. This is necessary for parents over 35 years old, because the risk of chromosomal abnormalities increases with age . Reproductive specialists also evaluate sex-linked diseases. Diseases associated with the X chromosome are, for example, Turner syndrome or Duchenne muscular dystrophy . In these situations, you can choose the sex to ensure the birth of a healthy child.