You’re trying to get pregnant and you’re wondering if there’s any way you can get that little girl or boy that you so desire. Admit it, someone told you if you eat a certain food or have sex in a certain position, you can control the sex of your baby and part of you thought, "why not?" In the case of most of these old wives tales, it can’t hurt to try, but are some of them dangerous? And remember, for all of the women who claim that one or more of these tricks worked for them, there are just as many who will tell you that they didn’t work at all!
Cultural Beliefs
The ancient Mayans believed that you could determine the sex of a baby by looking at the mother’s age at conception and the year of conception. If both numbers are even or both are odd, then the baby will be a girl. If one number is even and the other is odd, the baby is a boy. Some people will tell you that this absolutely works, but we figure the odds are about 50/50.
The Chinese also have a method for predicting the sex of a baby. The belief is that if you compare the mother’s age at conception and the month of conception you can accuratly predict the sex of the baby using a chart. A quick office poll reveals that the Chinese method has about the same rate of success as the Mayans – 50%.
Don’t feel like putting all of your faith in the Chinese or Mayan methods? Here are a few other methods that some people claim will work:
If You Want a Girl:
• Eat lots of chocolate and other sweets
If you’re not diabetic or pre-diabetic, go for it – but in moderation! We all know that too many sweets are bad for blood sugar, waist-lines and teeth.
• Both of you should eat lots of fish and veggies
It may not get you a girl, but eating healthy is never a bad idea.
• If the woman orgasms first, you’ll have a girl/
• The missionary position will produce girls
• If the woman is on top you’ll have a girl
If you Want a Boy:
• Eat lots of salty foods
We’re not so sure that this is a good idea. Too much salt can cause hypertension and in some cases, stomach cancer. If you already have high-blood pressure, definitely don’t try this.
• Eat lots of red meat
There are a lot of vegetarians who will tell you that you can have a boy without eating any meat. While moderate intake of red meat is fine, too much does carry some health risks; consumption of too much red meat has been linked to colon cancer and heart disease. If you want to try this, consider choosing organic meat. Meat from cattle that have been fed grass contains more omega three and six fatty acids (the good fats), and less saturated fat.
• Let the man initiate love making
• Make love standing up
• Lie down for a while after sex
• Have sex while on all-fours
Other Pearls of Wisdom
A common claim is that more boys are conceived on odd numbered days and more girls on even numbered days. If you want a girl, try to conceive when the moon is a quarter full and for a boy try when the moon is full. Some people claim that the time of day can affect the baby’s gender too – girls are conceived in the afternoon and boys at night.