So, you’ve decided to start a family or expand the existing one. About 20-30 years ago, couples were leaving everything to fate and some old wives tales. Today’s modern technology allows a couple to affect the gender of the baby. It is not a sure thing, it never is, however, there are several factors that couples can influence. Few tricks here and there improve the chances of parents getting the gender they prefer. If the preferred gender is male, here is how to do it.
Why Couples Prefer Baby Boys?
When it comes to baby’s preferences, oftentimes, mothers prefer a baby girl, while fathers prefer a baby boy. However, couples prefer having a son, thinking it would be less hard work than having a daughter. Another reason for son preferences, especially if the baby is firstborn, is the thinking that boys are better at looking after their siblings. In more traditional societies, it is common for couples, especially the father to want a boy in order to have someone who can carry the family name.
How Does the Selection Works?
A baby’s generic make up is constructed from a male chromosome and a female chromosome in proportion 50/50. Female chromosomes are marked XX, meaning the mother can contribute only an X to the genetic makeup of her baby. Males chromosomes, on the other hand, contain both X and Y and can transfer those genes to the baby. Therefore, the gender of the baby depends mostly on male sperm cells. During intercourse, the male partner ejaculates more than 20 million sperm cells into the woman. From those, only one sperm cell will penetrate the ovum and fertilize the woman’s egg. Whether it would be an X or a Y that determines the gender of the baby.
The Old Wives Tales
Same as there are many old wives tales, legends and myths as conceiving a baby girl, there are many regarding boy pregnancy. Some of these tales are transferred from a generation to generation while others are new and modern myths. For centuries, women had a habit of gossiping and debating baby’s genders. Here are some of the myths related to baby boy conceiving.
- The heartbeat of the baby is lower than 140 beats per minute.
- The mother carries the baby all out front.
- There have been no signs of morning sickness in the first three months.
- The mother carries the baby low.
- When it comes to breast size, the right one is the bigger one.
- Mothers crave for salty food and protein.
- The feet of the mother are colder than they were before she got pregnant.
- The skin of the mother becomes dry.
- The mother sleeps on her left side.
- A simple test old wives performed in the past is to tie the wedding ring to a thread and hang it over the stomach of the mother. If it moves in circles, she carries a male baby.
- The color of the mother’s urine is bright yellow.
- When the couple was conceiving the baby, the mother was more aggressive in bed.
- The hair on mother’s legs grows faster.
Tricks for Making a Baby Boy
For some parents, it is important to have a boy, enough that they try to influence the conceiving. There are a variety of means couples do to influence their pregnancy, and the following are some of them. It is an old practice to try to choose the sex of the baby, and back in the days, customs were centered on the woman. However, as technology showed that the man is the one who influences the gender the most, nowadays practices focus on the male sex partner.
1. The Timing: For male babies, experts suggest to have sexual intercourse as close to the ovulation period as well. Male sperm cells are faster, but they are also more fragile and prone to die. Female swimmers take their time, but they are better suited to survive. Having sex close to ovulation is a trick to give male sperm cells a head start. Additionally, experts suggest the man to climaxes first, as female orgasm creates an alkaline environment that female sperm cannot survive.
2. The Boy Diet: Experts suggest a special diet for male partners if they want to father a baby boy. The diet includes eating more meat, particularly red meat, consuming chips and salty snacks. Lastly, caffeine. Drinking coffee is believed to increase the chances of fathering a son.
3. For Male Babies, it is recommended a male partner to penetrate deeply into their partner. This way, the sperm is deposited close to the entrance of the uterus, a less acidic environment, in which male sperm cells are better suited to survive. Sex positions that allow for deeper penetration are standing sex, or woman on all four. Missionary position is not recommended.