To think that I can control the sex of my future child?

[KerryAC]

I thought that being able to control the sex of my future baby is impossible. I mean in school, I was taught that chances are 50-50. But apparently some scientists think that mothers do control the sex of their babies: theconversation.com/mammalian-mums-control-the-sex-of-their-offspring-15975

choc

besparkle is right, eggs only contain X chromosomes.
sperms either carry X or Y.

And I also had 5 boys and miscarried a girl in between and was convinced I can't have a girl!
but I wanted 6 children and very much expected the last one to be a boy too!
Guess what? babyZing is a girl!!!

OP there's a thing called "swaying"
A woman can do a lot of things to control the acidity of her hooha which can in theory effect the sperm.
but there are no guarantees.
and some of it is utterly ridiculous!
(I found abour swaying when I was pg with DD btw!)

another deciding factor can be the time that elapses between sex and ovulation.

male sperms (containing the Y chromosome) are faster but weaker, so if TTC when egg is ripe and ready you are more likely to have a boy, the faster swimmers will get there first.
this is reasonable from the day of ovulation for about 2-3 days

female sperms ( X chromosome carriers) are more resilient and can wait around for the egg to be released.
so if having sex for 3 -4 nights in a row just before ovulation you are more likely to have a girl, as the slower swimming female sperm will be around.

again, no guarantees whatsoever.

Sorry I'm getting my Xs and Ys mixed up! I knew the egg chromosome was always the same until changed by a sperm.

Zing- congratulations! Also thank you, as I am sure I was starting to sound like a crackpot with my theory.

I have 2 DSs and have been pregnant 5 times. The last time I lost a pregnancy it was a girl and had a very serious chromosome duplication ( discovered via amnio). I have often wondered if the earlier two were girls too. It's only a theory. I think you just get what you're given, but it does make me wonder when large families are all one sex.

I find genetics fascinating. When I found out how long a DNA strand was in one cell, I couldn't speak for about ten minutes. We are all walking miracles.

so sorry to hear about your losses!

friend of ours have 5 girls, they lost a boy ( MC also)

and I know a few people who have similar tales of being able to carry only boys or girls.

I think children are miracles and a blessing.

I do wonder about the arguing and whining though

Yes, they are indeed miracles and blessings, but ask me again at the end of the summer holidays. They don't half fight a lot!

One of the most fruit loopiest thoughts I ever heard was over gender.
Friend of a friend told everyone that she conceived a boy, but she craved chocolate ice cream for the rest of pregnancy, and due to the amount she ate, the baby changed to a girl

DeWe- I don't know whether to laugh or cry!

I wore a lot of blue clothes when I was expecting DS1, which is why he is male.

chocs I wore very pretty dresses with DD and that is why she is a girl!

actually all fetuses "start off" as females, ( or should I say asexual?) but at about 7-8 weeks testosterone kicks in for the boys and that gets the male genitalia and stuff going.

that's why boys have nipples to despite te the fact they have no need for them.

DeWe what I want to know is if your friend's baby had choc-colour skin as well as a result?