Talk

Flip

Get updates on how your baby develops, your body changes, and what you can expect during each week of your pregnancy by signing up to the Mumsnet Pregnancy Newsletters.

Pregnancy

Chances of boy/girl

16 replies

stripeyorangesocks71 · 22/06/2016 11:34

So thought I'd throw this one out there!

As it's known that the male determines the sex when you get pregnant. And everyone says it's a 50/50 chance on the gender which is a fair statement.

My partner has 3 girls from a previous relationship and we are now having our first baby together. It'll be my first.

So with him having 3 girls already, do you think it's more likely we will have a girl together too? Or does it still come down to that 50/50 chance, do we think?

Thoughts please :)

(Btw just to note I am going to be more than happy with either a girl or boy, same can be said for my partner!)

OP posts:

Report

Felyne · 22/06/2016 11:37

Each separate pregnancy is a 50/50 chance so having had three girls already will not affect the next pregnancy as it is an independent event.

Report

meditrina · 22/06/2016 11:40

For an individual couple, it's 50/50 (on a population level, there are slightly more boys than girls, but that doesn't map down to the odds for a specific pregnancy).

One (pretty large) survey of births in New York found that if you already have 3 boys, your chances of having a 4th boy are 50% higher than they should be on a 50/50 model (9 percent with 4 boys when the model says 6), but AFAIK that's not been replicated.

Report

Pinkheart5915 · 22/06/2016 11:42

Surely it stays 50/50 in each pregnancy

Me I have ds and am currently pregnant with DD

My cousin 4 girls
My friends 2 boys 1 girl
My aunt 3 boys, 1 girl

Report

MyBreadIsEggy · 22/06/2016 11:42

I read somewhere that if the father is over the age of 40 at the time of conception you have a slightly higher chance of having a girl than a boy....but it was a really minuscule percentage

Report

FellOutOfBed2wice · 22/06/2016 11:43

I thought I'd read somewhere that it's 50/50 on the first, still 50/50 on the second regardless of what gender you got last time but that if you had two of the same your third and subsequent child is much more likely to be the same as the first two.

Not sure where I read that or how it works with same father/different mother though.

Report

SaveSomeSpendSome · 22/06/2016 11:43

I know people say its 50/50 but i do think people can only produce one sex. For example..

One of dhs colleagues has 11 children which are with approx 8 women and all 11 children are girls.

Look at that programme that was on about 16 kids and counting and there was a couple on there that had 12 or 13 children and only one was a boy.

Report

GashleyCrumbTiny · 22/06/2016 11:46

It's 50/50.

Report

LittleLionMansMummy · 22/06/2016 11:49

Dh had 2 girls previously and ds arrived 5 years ago. Pregnant with our no. 2 but not finding out the sex! To my mind it's like flipping a coin - the odds of it landing on heads 3/4 times in a row are less but by no means impossible or even improbable. Its occurrence is still relatively high. I've heard, somewhere, that if your male partner is an older father there is more chance of a girl but not sure how true that is. Dh was 41 when he gathered ds but not sure if 41 is considered 'older' or not. There is some discussion around the timing of intercourse determining gender too - 'female' sperm can survive for longer in the female reproductive system, therefore if conception occurs a few days after intercourse it's apparently more likely to be female. It's fascinating stuff but essentially it's a roll of the dice!

Report

LittleLionMansMummy · 22/06/2016 11:54

Haha just flipped a coin out of interest. Assigned heads to a girl, tails to a boy. The result was three girls, one boy. My money is already on a girl for me, but exciting speculating!

Report

stripeyorangesocks71 · 22/06/2016 12:05

Wow thanks everyone for your responses! I know it's a 50/50 chance either way, but it just made me think could we be having a girl as his previous have been girls. We don't mind at all either way, just so excited!

OP posts: