When it comes to sex selection as a process, this kind of attempt to influence a pregnancy has been done in many different ways throughout human history in various civilizations. The values and the needs of populations have changed as well. In today’s modern world, sex selection largely refers to established medical screening processes, as well as some more informal “home science” that gets debated as potential myth.
Medical Methods for Sex Selection
Conventional sex selection consists of several kinds of medical procedures that basically manipulate either the sperm or the egg in order to influence the gender of the fetus. In sperm centered sex selection, scientists can actually affect the X or Y chromosomes as part of an IVF or in vitro fertilization procedure. In embryo selection, the process is sometimes a standard part of evaluating the best egg candidates for IVF. Either of these methods is done prior to implantation, and there is no real way to affect the gender of a fetus after the sperm and egg have come together.
The Shettles Method: Home Science for Sex Selection
In addition to the modern methods used by fertility specialists, there are some ideas about how couples can use information about a woman’s natural cycle to influence the gender of the fetus.
The Shettles method, which was attributed to Dr. Landrum Shettles, shows how the gender of a fetus depends on the specific sperm that fertilizes an egg. Lots of expectant parents are familiar with how many thousands of tiny sperms compete to reach the single egg, and how the successful sperm will carry an X or a Y chromosome. The Y bearing sperm will produce a boy, while the X bearing sperm will produce a girl.
According to the research of Shettles, timing intercourse differently may help influence whether the conceived fetus is a girl or a boy. Some specific elements apply to the Shettles method, including when to have intercourse relative to ovulation. Sex positioning can also be effective according to this informal sex selection method. Other types of conditions can also affect what kind of sperm attaches to the egg.
To have a girl, according to the Shettles method, the couple should conceive 2-3 days before ovulation and avoid female orgasm. In order to have a boy, the Shettles method recommends having sex as close to ovulation as possible, using deep penetration sex positions, and encouraging a female orgasm (because the result climate favors the Y bearing sperm).
Does the Shettles Method Work?
Although Dr. Shettles make specific claims about his method in his 2006 book “How to Choose the Sex of Your Baby,” lots of medical experts have discounted some of his claims. Some doctors even think that the Shettles method will make conception more difficult, and the various rules for the Shettles method can seem unnatural to some couples. In the end, the Shettles method is one of many kinds of informal advice for those who are conceiving. Not all parents even want to choose the gender of their baby. Those who do can consult their chosen OBGYN doctors and fertility specialists to learn more about the real science of sex selection, as well as how their own personal traits may play a role in their efforts at conception.
Getting good local medical advice is key, and reading widely on maternity health can help parents make the right decisions.
