Conceiving a baby boy following dr. Shettles method

If you would like to feel those pregnancy signs as soon as possible and conceive a boy, dr. Shettles recommends couple should have sexual intercourse as close as possible to ovulation day. The reason for that lies in Y chromosomes that are not considered to survive for a long time, but are the fastest. Consequently, if they are release just prior to the ovulation, they would fertilize the egg much sooner than X chromosomes.

He also claims couple should abstain from sex before that for at least 5 days because that would increase ‘the power’ of male sperm.

Because Y chromosomes are not so resistant, woman should not restrain from orgasm – this way she would decrease alkalinity in vagina and this way enable best possible conditions for conceiving a baby boy.

Dr Shettles recommends position of man being behind woman (doggy style) since this position allows deep penetration which enables depositing sperm deeper into vagina and closer to the cervix, which means Y chromosomes have shorter distance to travel.

Conceiving a baby girl following dr. Shettles method

If you have your mind set on a baby girl, dr. Shettles recommends couple should have sex 2-3 days before ovulation, and that they should restrain from having sex on the ovulation day.

This principle is based on the fact that chromosomes X can survive in woman for up to 6 days and since X chromosomes are slower and but more resilient, they will survive I woman and also fertilize woman’s egg.

He also recommends if couple wants to conceive a baby girl they should apply the position that allows shallow penetration such as missionary position which enables to deposit sperm lower in woman where the environment is less alkaline. This way X chromosome will have to travel longer and further.

Following dr. Shettles method woman should refrain from having orgasm because this increases alkalinity in vagina which decreases chances for X chromosome to survive such ‘long’ period.

Who is Shettles?

You can call him Dr Shettles. He is often referred as the father of IVF and is considered one of the most influential fertility experts in the past 50 years. He is the author of a book ‘How to Choose the Sex of your Baby’, and this is actually the book that earned him such reputation.

What is the background of Shettles Method?

Shettles Method is based on a theory of X and Y chromosomes. X chromosomes represent a girl and Y represent a boy. His theory is said to have 75% success rate with couples who want to determine baby’s sex, although as already said it should be taken with a bit of healthy skepticism.

The basic principle behind his theory claims that Y chromosomes (for those who want to conceive a baby boy) are smaller and more fragile, but faster comparing to X chromosomes that are slower, but also larger and more resilient and are able to survive longer when they are once released.

On the principle of ovation dr. Shettles described his method. According to his method you will need when the exact time of your ovulation is, because this is the exact time when you can determine baby’s sex.  You can monitor your ovulation either by ovulation calendar or by monitoring woman’s fertility signals such as temperature, texture of cervical mucus and position of cervix.

The Whelan method

One of the most popular methods is Dr. Elizabeth Whelan method. In her method she is saying that the best time to conceive is before and after the ovulation. Further more she is suggesting that you will conceive a boy if you have sex six day prior to ovulation, and a girl if you have sex near the time of your ovulation. The best way to know the right time of ovulation is to monitor your body temperature.

Dietary supplements

It is believed that if you take certain dietary supplements you might increase your chances of conceiving a girl. The famous one is of course the Lydia Pinkham Herbal Compound. This can create acidic environment that will prevent Y chromosomes to live in side your vagina so there will be more X chromosomes that will swim up to your egg. Also a method of taking calcium and magnesium supplements for some time before conceiving is highly popular with couples.

The Shettles Method

We can say that this one might be the most popular method for conceiving a girl. Dr. Landrum B. Shettles says that in order to have a baby girl you need to do some of the following: have sex everyday from the end of your period till three days prior to ovulation, your sex needs to be in the missionary position to lower the path that sperm must cross and believe it or not he is against women having an orgasm because he believes that this makes alkaline environment in you vagina.

The O+12 method

This method was created by a mother of six sons that wanted a baby girl for a long time. After her second son she started to follow the Shettles method. She gave birth to four more sons following Shettles method and after her sixed son her friend gave birth to a baby girl. She then found out that this baby girl was conceived on the second day after ovulation. Her plan was to test this. What she had in mind was to have sex 12 hours after her ovulation. She easily new how to determine the time of her ovulation and she did everything as she planed. Needless to say she has conceived a girl.

You have to know that non of these methods guaranties that you will conceive a girl, but they can increase the chances.

After awhile it seemed like the only reason we were together was to have a baby. We didn’t know that stress was probably what was affecting my ovulation cycle and his count the whole time. Stress, indeed, messes with estrogen and testosterone production. Finally we decided to give it six more months to try to conceive naturally. At the end of it we would try whatever drugs or interventions the doctors wanted to put us on. My resolution was to do everything possible to try to get pregnant. We started using ovulation kits, I went to massages twice a month. My husband stopped riding bike and we both went on high doses of vitamins.

Then at the end of the six months we took a vacation. Three weeks in Spain, nothing but drinking wine and absorbing beauty. Neither of us thought of work the entire time. AND guess what!!! I conceived a baby the day after we returned home. I truly believe that if we did this earlier we could have saved ourselves a lot of time and heartache. The role of stress in infertility is extremely underestimated.

Simona, Seattle, WA USA

My husband and I decided to try and get pregnant.  It didn’t happen in the very first month after being off of my birth control pills. I was shocked! I found an article on the internet about how, “After taking birth control for many years, you should not consider that you’ll get pregnant right away.” I laughed out loud, and was relieved because others shared my experiences. I only hope I won’t need to wait too long.  So when you’re trying to conceive you should prepare yourself for emotional rollercoaster in perspective, rather than gather lot of scientific facts.

Dorrie, Chattanooga, TN USA

I have been fortunate enough to have beautiful son. I would like nothing more than to give him a brother or sister to grow up with. Unfortunately, me and my husband are not having any luck trying to conceive for some time.  We are entering the world of infertility treatments this month. Our first son was conceived after one try. Dealing with secondary infertility came to us as a huge shock. I was depressed, feeling guilty and experienced every other sad emotion for some time. I hated feeling depressed around my son. I hated  feeling sad when I already have one beautiful child. Everyone keeps telling you “Just relax and you’ll get pregnant”.

How could I do that when not being able to get pregnant is the source of my stress and anxiety. How can anyone relax under those circumstances? This book helped me cheer up, laugh a little, cry a little, and surprisingly, relax. I’m always getting back to this book when I need cheering up.  I found the descriptions of recommended tests and procedures helpful, as I have to undergo some of them and like to know what to expect . I found many things in the book sadly beautiful – how the woman’s eyes filled with tears as the moment of her child’s possible conception should have been a private moment between her and her husband, not in some doctor’s office. For those of you reading this, possibly facing infertility…

…don’t let fear of the nature of your child’s conception, birth, or joining of your family (if you’re adopting) cloud your decision to have a child. There are many roads to parenthood. Every parent has to find his or her own road, to conceive the child, and to raise the child. I know from experience, that whatever it takes to have a child, the results will be more wonderful than you can ever imagine, and well worth it! Good luck to all those trying to conceive!

Emily, Phoenix, AZ

Don’t put so much pressure on yourself to perform. The stress you create may actually be one of the reasons for your difficulty in conceiving. Relax and have fun! It seems that when relaxed, the body will function better and do what it’s meant to do to aid in conception. If you’re not getting pregnant right away, you’re not alone. It takes time, even for the healthiest couples. Try not to obsess, which will only make the time pass more slowly. Focus on other things — your hobbies, your work, anything you enjoy.

Keep the romance alive

Do something special for each other. Leave love notes or offer back rubs. Tired of the same dinner and a movie? Come up with some out-of-the-ordinary dating ideas. Enjoy yourselves. This is meant to be a fun journey. Conception will occur at the right time!

Try new things

Sit down with your partner and make a list of new things you would like to try to get in the mood. How about watching a steamy movie together? Or going out and buying lingerie or a few new sex toys? The nice thing about sex toys is that they are just for fun. Unfortunately, when you become so focused on trying to get pregnant, it can be hard to have sex simply for pleasure. It becomes more of a chore. Sex toys can lighten things up and allow you to explore new sensations and ways of relating with your partner. If you’ve never tried sex toys before, this may be the perfect time.

Be healthy

If you smoke, drink or do harmful drugs, now is the time to quit. Eating right, getting plenty of sleep can be very beneficial in your endeaver to conceive. Begin taking prenatal vitamins that provide between 400 and 800 micrograms of folic acid along with a healthy diet.