Conceiving: your baby's sex
The sex of your child depends on whether the fertilizing sperm contains an X chromosome (female) or a Y chromosome (male). The woman's egg always contains an X chromosome (female).
Boy or girl?
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Of the 46 chromosomes that carry the complete human genetic blueprint, the sex of a child is determined by just two, the X and the Y.
The sex chromosomes
A woman's eggs each contain a single X chromosome, while a man's individual sperm carry either an X or a Y chromosome. If an egg is fertilized by an X chromosome sperm, the baby will be a girl (XX). If the sperm has a Y chromosome, the child will be a boy (XY).
The X and the Y sperm have different properties. The X sperm (female) are larger, slower, and longer-lived than the Y sperm (male). The X sperm also appears to be favoured by the slightly acidic conditions in the vagina.
Some people believe that you can increase your chances of having a male or female baby by when and how often you make love. There's very little scientific evidence to support these ideas, but you may like to try them if you're keen to choose the gender of your baby.
When to make love
For a female baby, make love up to two or three days before ovulation as only female sperm survive this long. For a male baby, make love on the day of, or just after, ovulation, as the faster Y sperm (male) will reach the egg before the X sperm.
How often to make love for conceiving?
For a female baby, make love fairly frequently, as this lowers the proportion of Y sperm (male) in the semen. For a male baby, make love less often, as this will increase the proportion of Y sperm (male).
Posted 30.06.2010
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