When people say they’re going to ‘try’ for a girl/boy

To be honest I find the whole wanting a certain gender a bit 'ick'. Because for me, you could only feel that way if you have a lot of preconceptions of what that child will be like or the things they are into

Yep me too.

I hate gender reveal videos when they already have some dc and there's a big deal about wanting a particular sex. An acquaintance on FB has just had a receal with twins and they already have a toddler boy. First cannon blue, mum and dad smile and hug sedately. Second cannon pink and mum is screaming and jumping and then joined by her sister doing the same. It's awful, cringy and sad for the two boys who'll probably watch that someday and get to see exactly how much they weren't wanted compared to their sister.

Actually there are ways of having one particular gender and there is a science behind it

I think it's all lighthearted tbh.

I had 2 boys when I was pregnant with baby 3.

I did "try for a girl" in very silly ways.... I used to focus on seeing 3 magpies 😂

That said, it worked!

I've been asked while pregnant with DS2 if we'll try for a third so we can have a girl my lovely boy isn't even here yet but apparently some people think he's not good enough...

Honestly, it's not something I could get worked up over.

“Abhorrent”. Really???

Same as when people go gambling with the aim of trying to win the jackpot. It's just a phrase and a bit silly to get so annoyed by it.

I’ve just googled the shettles method. Hilariously it worked absolutely the other way around for us. 3 x we had sex well before ovulation and had boys. Once we made an impromptu decision to try and just caught ovulation that day - girl. 🤣🤣🤣 maybe DH sperm is confused

My cousin had 5 boys and with each one (after the first) said they'd love a girl. They did have a girl (no6) then decided to have another in the hope they could give the girl a sister. No7 was a girl. Madness.

I once had a friend tell me they were trying for a baby and I absent mindedly said out loud what I was thinking 'I always wonder what people mean when they say that'. Boy did I regret it! As she then proceeded to tell me that what she meant was that he always used to pull out but now he doesn't 😱. I was horrified on two fronts:
Why have you told me that?!
How the hell are two educated adults thinking that was an acceptable method of contraception in the first place?!

This completely

Exactly this. It’s embarrassing to be honest.

I would just say 'no, because that's not how it works'. To be honest I find the whole wanting a certain gender a bit 'ick'. Because for me, you could only feel that way if you have a lot of preconceptions of what that child will be like or the things they are into. Ie women wanting a girl they can dress in pretty things and go shopping with. Or men who want a boy who they can take to the football. Seems like a lot of expectation on a person who doesn't exist yet! Let them be the person they want to be and enjoy watching them along the way.

The Molly Weasley effect.

I one of 4 - 3 girls and a boy.

My youngest sister always jokes she was only wanted because they wanted a boy. And when my brother was born people congratulated my Dad. Thankfully he never agrees he genuinely couldn’t care less what he had and doesn’t treat my brother like some prince.

I’ve had 2 girls, and had comments like being one of three girls not tried for a 3rd as it would probably be a girl. No having children is expensive and I couldn’t afford a 3rd, even though I would have liked too. My husband was asked recently didn’t he want one more to get a boy ….his comments was why? (I’m the one that watches sports and plays while he loves a bit of theatre!)

Shettles. Three boys, three girls. Like I said I wouldn’t stake anything important on it being a foolproof method or anything but I got the sibling set I wanted whether by chance or design. I track my ovulation anyways due to PCOS so I’m very familiar with my cycle and it wasn’t stressful.

The Shettles method does seem to make sense tbh. I think if you want another baby then trying to sway it is fine. If you ONLY want one sex then that’s a problem.

I had 2 boys and then a girl and I wanted a third boy mainly because my mum was hoping for a girl and it pissed me off. What’s so wrong about my boys?? I’d have happily taken a third one. Plus everyone else thinking we were only having a third so we could have a girl. So bloody irksome.

Equally I know a few people who did the Shettles method and it worked (obviously could just be chance). Fair enough if they wanted another kid. It’s a problem when you see families who keep going and have like 7 boys and then stop when number 8 is a girl.

You can chose the gender. It’s the sex you can’t choose

You kind of can "try" for a boy or girl.

It's not exact but:
Boy sperm (Y chromosome) swim faster but die quicker. So if you have sex around the time of ovulation there's is a higher percentage chance of a boy.
Girl sperm (X chromosome) swim slower but live longer so if you have sex a couple of days before ovulation there is a higher percentage chance of a girl.

Yup, I have 3 DDS and as well as the obvious just glad they're healthy etc, I actually wouldn't have it any other way, I just know how to parent girls , if number three had been a boy I would have been a bit out of my comfort zone 🤣

I don't know why people even mention ttc, in the olden days people had sex and had babies, or not

Why the need to compicate it and what do they excpet people to say, "hope he gets a winner"?

I've got 5 boys so been asked plenty of times if I was trying for a girl, and when they were younger asked if I'd try again to get a girl. I was never desperate to have a girl. I know some people won't believe me, but oh well. Other people (family and complete strangers!) expressed disappointment at boys 3,4 & 5. I just thought they can fuck off. Especially the stranger who told me I must so disappointed in my perfect newborn 5th baby. Imagine saying that!

My ILs were particularly vocal about me not having a girl, despite them already having 4 granddaughters/nieces. (Should have told them blame the sperm of their son/brother😂) Whereas my mum never showed any displeasure about her only grandchildren being boys at all.

In the olden days they thought that one testicle made girls and the other testicle made boys. I forget which.

So they’d chop of the girls bollock.

Maybe by ‘trying’ they mean they’re getting crafty with the bacon scissors? Or maybe just strangling it with a hair elastic?

You should ask.

FIL was the third child. His DM was determined that he was going to be a girl and had picked his name (think Joan Mary) when he was born he became "John Mark". After another 2 boys, his DP gave up and then had a surprise baby - another boy. FIL's mental health always suffered because he felt that he had failed his DM by being a boy rather than a girl.

I knew someone who had 11 girls - 12 was a boy. He said he would have gone on if it had been another girl 😫🤣. My own husband is one of 4 boys - they wanted a girl too but alas.