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Conception

When's the best time to get pregnant? Use our interactive ovulation calculator to work out when you're most fertile and most likely to conceive.

Original poster

how to concieve a girl??

52 replies

lonelymumof3 · 05/08/2004 15:59

me and DH are thinking about number 4 (mad i know) We wont mind if we have another boy, but we would like to try and concieve a girl, so that dd has a sister.....(she wants a girl to play barbies with!!! Fed up of having 2 brothers!!!)

It wont be for a few months yet anyway, so we have plenty of time to prepare....someone suggested me taking a magnesium supplement for a while before conceiving? I don't know if this is true. I will try anything (within reason without compromising my health that is!)

Any ideas?

OP posts:
nutcracker · 05/08/2004 16:01

Ooooh how exciting

I have to girls but tbh never followed anything to try and get either sex so can't really help, sorry.
Don't remember doing anything different when i got pregnant with Ds either actually.

nutcracker · 05/08/2004 16:02

Sorry that was absolutly no help at all was it.

Original poster
lonelymumof3 · 05/08/2004 16:02

i knew the sex of all of mine when i was carrying them before scans anyway!! cant remember doing anything different to get them though!!!

OP posts:
Original poster
lonelymumof3 · 05/08/2004 16:04

thats ok nutty.........see you are broody really!!!

OP posts:
nutcracker · 05/08/2004 16:04

Yeah I still am, just trying to deny it.

Have just been lurking on the TTC thread

mit · 05/08/2004 16:15

There is a book called How to Choose the sex of your baby by Landrum B Shettles - I've heard it's really effective if you follow it carefully.
I've read a fair bit on the subject out of curiosity and here is my learning (to sum it up in one paragraph (for a girl)):
Female sperm swim slower than male sperm, but they live longer (true to life hey!) SO, to concieve a girl you need to know your cycle pretty well and you need to have sex just before you ovulate. So, if you normally ovulate on day 14 of your cycle then have sex on days 11-13 - the theory being that the male sperm will swim like mad and then die, the lady sperm will gently meander on up, hang around a bit and maybe meet an egg as it is released on day 14. If you have sex on day 14, ie. the day you ovulate, you are more likey to concieve a boy as the male sperm will win the race to the egg. Make sense??
HTH, mit x

Original poster
lonelymumof3 · 05/08/2004 16:23

i dont know my cycle though. i am on depo injection atm and havent had a period for 8 weeks now. I am due to have another injection on 9th sept. when ttc before, my cyle was 33 days on all of them.

Nutty.....you will....i know you will!!

OP posts:
Original poster
lonelymumof3 · 05/08/2004 16:30

mit thank you....will keep an eye out for it

OP posts:
fenomen · 05/08/2004 16:32

Sorry, but the timing method doesn't work, not for everyone anyway. I've recently discovered I'm expecting a second boy despite trying for a girl both times.

Original poster
lonelymumof3 · 05/08/2004 16:34

does anyone know about the magnesium?

OP posts:
fenomen · 05/08/2004 16:36

Tried that too, and cranberry.

The only thing we didn't do was tight pants and hot baths for dh. I didn't think he'd agree.

(PS I've changed my name for this BTW).

Original poster
lonelymumof3 · 05/08/2004 16:37

i cant have cranberry anyway as i am prone to kidney stones

OP posts:
fenomen · 05/08/2004 16:45

Douching before sex is supposed to work too...can't remember what you have to douche with for a girl though.

I'd say it's probably worth trying some of these methods as long as you're not that bothered either way...it might sway the odds but nothing is guaranteed.

Original poster
lonelymumof3 · 05/08/2004 16:46

im not that bothered really....just thought it might be nice to even things up in the house!!!!

OP posts:
mit · 05/08/2004 18:29

I think as you said, Fenomen, it might sway the odds - but as long as your happy with whatever gender you end up with, it doesn't hurt to try.

My family seem to have girls no matter what we do (out of 40odd second cousins, only 3 are boys!!). My Granny had 5 sisters and they all had daughters, who in turn had mostly daughters....so far I have one DD but it's quite likely I'll have 3 eventually. I think some people are just pre-disposed towards one gender (and yes, I know it's the male sperm that dictates the gender but I think my family must have wombs that have a bias towards females.... can't think of any other way to explain only 3 boys out of 40 babes.....).

At the end of the day you will have what you're meant to have, or at least that's what I believe.

mit x

Beetroot · 05/08/2004 18:33

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

fenomen · 05/08/2004 20:27

Actually, mit, there is some evidence that the woman somehow selects one type of sperm or the other. It is thought to be something to do with the precise hormonal balance in the body. Obviously, some people have children of both sexes so again it is only something that seemingly sways the odds. Also, it was reported recently that more optimistic women tend to have more boys!

smellymelly · 05/08/2004 20:56

Douching with a solution of white vinegar and (cool boiled) water, in amounts 1:4 did the trick for me, the day before I ovulated.

We tried doing it days before ovulation, but it takes longer to conceive like that and I'm pretty fertile!

Let me find the thread I left all my info on...

smellymelly · 05/08/2004 20:59

Here it is.....

  • For a girl - use :1 part White vinegar mixed with 3 parts water.

  • For a boy - use: bi-carbonate of soda mixed with water (sorry do not know amounts but can find out if still int)

Yes you have to put it where you think you do before you have sex! But be careful, use boiled water and sterilised equipment....

Also...

  • For a boy the women should orgasm first, as this will mean her environment will then be hostile to female sperm.

  • For a girl the women must not orgasm.

I had also used the having sex days before ovulation to conceive a girl as I had read that too. But this is harder to get pregnant by, so after 3 months I tried the vinegar the day before I ovulated and got my girl!!!

It is a known fact that men with low sperm counts tend to father girls, so that means lots of sex well before ovulation to lower it. To be safe you should stop at least 3 days before ovulation if using the timing method.

And for a boy just to have sex once about 12 hours after ovulation.

Tessiebear · 05/08/2004 21:14

I have two boys and i want to conceive a girl in the near future. I have decided to try the douching the timing method and the Chinese gender chart* and if none of that works and i get another boy then ...it was meant to be. The chinese gender chart is just a bit of fun really but it says my two were boys and they are so it is worth a go. You take your age and the month you conceive / want to conceive to work out the predicted sex. To find the calender Google "chinese Gender Chart". You can also buy charts on the net whereby you give them your details (blood group blah, blah) and they work you out a timetable for the next few months for the days you should BD to get the particular sex. Some of them give you your money back if you dont get the required sex! Google "Gender selection" for web sites ---- hope that helps!

Tessiebear · 05/08/2004 21:16

Dont have to orgasm to get my girl smellymelly - that part will be easy

smellymelly · 05/08/2004 21:34

tessiebear.

CP3 · 05/08/2004 21:38

Sorry whats an orgasm?????

nutcracker · 05/08/2004 21:40

PMSL Charlie.

Looks like i'd have another girl then

celandine · 05/08/2004 21:48

Hi lonelymumof3 (I hope you aren't really that lonely)

Apparently vegetarian women give birth to more girls, though I'm not sure if you both have to go on the diet. There's lots of research online about it.

I've also read about the Preconception Gender Diet and for a girl it recommends:

calcium and magnesium supplement
low-salt diet
have looooads of calcium in your diet (I recall about 750ml milk a day or something huge like that..)

Other things I've heard are as smellymelly says about the douching, get dh to have a hot bath before sex, have sex 3-4 days before ovulation and also another method called 12+1 (I think) which tells you to have sex the day AFTER ovulation, 12 hours if poss, to conceive a girl. What else... drink anything to increase your internal acidity e.g. cranberry juice, cider vinegar, as this is hostile to male sperm.

As you may have guessed I've read up on this myself. DH and I are going to try for another baby and I wanted to try for a girl, but I have such long unpredictable cycles that I really am just thinking now I'd be grateful to just have a baby of either sex. ANyway, I've no reason to be fussy yet - I've only got one ds so far!