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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

Just because male sperm are faster and I conceived straight away, does this mean it is definitely a boy?

34 replies

DetectivePotato · 18/09/2010 19:29

I know that male sperm swim faster and die quicker whereas female sperm are slower and live longer so if you conceive straight away, does this mean it will definitely be a boy?

I know I conceived the one night I had unprotected sex. The dating scan put me at exactly 12 weeks pregnant which meant I conceived within 24 hours of having unprotected sex (was planned). I was convinced I was having a girl when I found out I was pregnant. People have been telling me it will probably be a boy as I conceived instantly, I am also having an almost identical pregnancy to that with DS and I am carrying the same, low and neat bump at the front.

I have my scan on Monday so I intend to find out but I really thought girl this time, now I am having doubts. Plus I know many people were convinced they knew the sex then were wrong.

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sotough · 18/09/2010 19:38

of course it doesn't mean you are "definitely" having a boy! i've never heard of this! you can't control what you're having; just see what fate brings you.

Tangle · 18/09/2010 19:38

No, it won't definitely be a boy.

12 week dating scans have an error margin of +/- 1 week - so being put at 12 weeks exactly doesn't really mean very much in terms of when you conceived. If you knew exactly when you ovulated that would be a better date to compare with date of sex than gestation from a dating scan.

Re. speed of sperm, the average Y-sperm may swim faster and die sooner than the average X-sperm, but that's very different to saying that all Y-sperm swim faster and die sooner than all X-sperm...

That said, I do know a lady with 5 (girl, boy*3, girl) and she could tell what she was going to have by the way she carried. And other people who carried exactly the same and had the opposite gender child...

So in other words, there's really no way of telling! Hope your LO is co-operative on Monday and you get an answer then :)

RaisedFromPerdition · 18/09/2010 19:42

The month I conceived I only had sex at the time of ovulation. Had a dd.

You can't know either way.

MollysChambers · 18/09/2010 19:45

I conceive straight away every time. I have three daughters.

Original poster

DetectivePotato · 18/09/2010 19:59

Oh I did ovulate the day I had unprotected sex.

So my friend could be wrong then? She is convinced it is probably a boy just because of the stuff in my OP. I knew I was going to get pregnant when I did, I knew I was pregnant and I really thought 'girl' this time (not that another boy would be a bad thing at all). Now I have been doubting myself.

Can't wait until Monday. I hope legs are wide open else I am waiting there until baby moves. I want to know!

OP posts:

cowboylover · 19/09/2010 21:38

Keep us updated!

chipmonkey · 19/09/2010 22:09

Detective, what your friend is describing is the Shettles Method which IMO is a load of crap, has never been proven and it it were correct, I should have four girls. I have four boys.

It's 50:50 every time.

Original poster

DetectivePotato · 19/09/2010 23:39

I'll (hopefully) let you know tomorrow!

OP posts:

onimolap · 19/09/2010 23:43

Not necessarily 50:50 - some people have a pH balance that definitely favours one over the other - and that also confounds theories over timing of the deed and speed of the swimmers.

nameymcnamechange · 19/09/2010 23:51

I had exactly the same sort of pg (same ms, same aversions and cravings) and same shaped bump second time around. So I was certain I was having another girl. But, of course, I was wrong ...

chipmonkey · 20/09/2010 00:17

ominolap, AFAIK, there was a study done on families with one boy, two boys, three boys, one girl, two girl, three girls etc. No matter how many boys they had or girls they had, the result was always as near to 50:50 as made no difference. I think if pH does make a difference, it's probably less than a 1% shift.

onimolap · 20/09/2010 00:23

Chipmonkey: I'd be interested if you can remember anything else about that study so I can try and find it. I thought it was a greater margin (70:30 is in the back of my mind) but I'm not that sure anyhow how useful the info is, whichever set of figures as both would give a high chance of having either (and still confound timing/speed theories).

MollysChambers · 20/09/2010 09:19

I agree with Chipmonkey - I did a bit of reading on this. Can't remember references though.

IControlSandwichMonkey · 20/09/2010 11:25

Yup, it remains near enough to 50:50, with only a few percent difference. There are a lot of studies. Hang on...

Here for example. First google hit.

chipmonkey · 20/09/2010 11:26

Omino, I can't remember the name of the study, only that it was done on families in New York. It was linked to from the website in-gender.com which I tend not to visit any more!

IControlSandwichMonkey · 20/09/2010 11:28

"Although we often hear the "statistic" that you are 30% or even 70% more likely to keep having the same gender, this is just an old wives tale. It is NOT a fact. The truth is, your odds stay pretty close to 50% for each child and only vary slightly. If you have had 2 or 3 boys, you are only about 2% to 6% more likely to have another boy. If you have had girls, you are slightly more likely to have a boy next. "

chipmonkey · 20/09/2010 11:28

Thank you SandwichMonkey! X posts but I think that is the one!

lucielooo · 20/09/2010 13:03

Oh interesting! So is it a myth that the the father tends to have one or the other? Just wondering as DP has 2 boys from previous marriage and keep hearing this means we're more likely to have a boy?

Octaviapink · 20/09/2010 13:13

The speed-of-sperm thing has been comprehensively debunked, sadly. Too many other factors!

LutyensCBA · 20/09/2010 13:47

With dd1, I had unprotected sex on the day I ovulated (wasn't planned, it was the only day that fortnight dh and I were in the same country and alone!). Result - girl

This time around, I had unprotected sex on day 3 of my cycle. My period had stopped that morning and I actually told dh that we didn't need condoms as I was in my "safe window" . Result - another girl (due in November, but gender confirmed by 4d scan)

Timing of sex and speed of sperm is all a load of hokum IMHO

IControlSandwichMonkey · 20/09/2010 13:55

lucie, I think it's the fact that it can seem pre-destined despite the stats saying otherwise. You almost think it makes sense that if your dp already has two boys, he's more likely to have more but it's just not true. Because if somebody has 8 children and they're all male, it certainly looks like you tend towards all males. But as it's around 50/50 each time the chances of having had all girls is the same. Any combination, all boys, all girls, alternating gender every time etc, all the same chance of happening. It just seems remarkable. The same as if you flipped a coin and got heads 8 times in a row or if the lotto numbers were 1 2 3 4 5 and 6. It looks noteworthy but it isn't really. We add the meaning ourselves when in fact it's just random chance.

MollysChambers · 20/09/2010 14:04

There is a myth going about as well that if you have two DC's of the same sex your third is more likely to be same again. It isn't.
I believe that this is a misinterpretation of the (obviously correct) theory that if you have, for example, two girls you are more likely than someone who has no children or one girl to end up with three girls, iyswim. With each conception its still 50:50 though.

lucielooo · 20/09/2010 15:52

Well you learn something new every day round here!

Reminds me off the thing about getting 123456 on the lottery.. everyone would be in shock at that unlikely event happening, but just as likely as any other numbers. Love a bit of probability!

Original poster

DetectivePotato · 20/09/2010 19:39

'Problem' over!

I was right and my friend was wrong.

Its a girl (or sonographer is 85% sure it is).

OP posts:

chipmonkey · 20/09/2010 20:15

Fab news, Detective! Not that you wouldn't have loved another boy, I'm sure but it is nice to be right!

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