Shettles technique, intimate place, timing – genuine or old wives’ tales? We consider the technology behind the theories and exactly how well they may actually work.

This competition is currently closed

There are a great number of various theories and methods to normal sex selection but hardly any study that is scientific. As there’s no solid proof, doctors warn against using them as well really. Some individuals say there’s strong anecdotal evidence and that there’s no harm in attempting them, as hardly any practices are intrusive.

Here’s a round-up of the most extremely popular intercourse selection techniques around…

1 Timing of sex – Shettles theory & Billings Method

What’s the theory?Female semen are heavier and reside much longer than male semen therefore when you have intercourse a couple of days before ovulation after which abstain (whilst the male sperm die), this will boost the odds of conceiving a woman.

Male semen are much lighter and swim faster than feminine people so can be almost certainly going to achieve the egg. Consequently, making love regarding the time of ovulation should boost the likelihood of conceiving a kid.

Dr Landrum Shettles developed this concept in the usa in the 1960s. It’s complemented by the Billings Method, which will be about timing intercourse round the persistence of genital mucus (whenever it is thin and clear for males, thicker and stickier for females). It is stated that partners using this method are apt to have men a lot more than girls.

What’s the success rate? Advocates claim 75% but there’s only a small level of medical proof in the united kingdom to guide it.

Confusingly, another concept exists centered on findings that partners that didn’t live together before conceiving had more girls. These people were considered chubby mature cam to be less likely to want to have intercourse during the right time of ovulation, backing within the proven fact that conceiving four to five times before ovulation ended up being very likely to create a kid.

2 intimate place

What’s the idea? Male semen tend to be more susceptible as well as the vagina becomes less acidic nearer to the cervix. Therefore if penetration is deep (woman-on-top or man-behind jobs), the male semen will enter an even more alkaline environment and are usually prone to endure the brief journey. Consequently, much much deeper roles should suggest a kid is much more most most likely.

Shallow penetration should favour your odds of conceiving a woman – the slow feminine semen are hardy sufficient to withstand the conditions that are acidic the entry to your vagina therefore might make it until the egg after a man semen have actually died down.

What’s the success price? maybe perhaps perhaps Not high, because the concept does not remember the fact that the distinction in lifespan between male and female semen is a matter of days, maybe maybe maybe maybe not mins.

Healthcare sceptics say that force of ejaculation and physics of sexual place don’t play a role in enabling the semen with their location more that’s quickly based on the chemistry of cervical mucus.

3 Male intimate abstinence

What’s the concept?Abstaining for the day or two before making love increases your chances of conceiving a child. The more the quantity of semen, the greater amount of male semen should be there, therefore theoretically there’s a larger opportunity that a male semen endures and fertilises the egg before a lady semen can achieve it.

What’s the success price? Maybe perhaps Not higher. Sceptics state by using more semen, the probability of you conceiving a child can be higher, but there’s no sex factor.

4 Changing your daily diet

What’s the idea? The minerals in what you eat could influence your metabolic rate while the environment of the eggs. – To improve conditions for male semen you want potassium (in meat, bananas, apricots and celery). – To improve conditions for feminine semen you may need more food that is magnesium-richin pea nuts, soya beans and leafy vegetables).

What’s the success price? There’s no medical information on people to aid the potassium or magnesium theories, although professionals state diet does appear to play some component in sex selection.

Historic activities have indicated that famine may result in more guys being created but also that ladies weighing lower than 54.5kg are more inclined to have girls. This can signify the sort of meals and nutritional elements offered to those individuals played a component, or that calories comes with an effect – however a low-calorie diet has a extremely various impact to malnutrition.

5 Timing of orgasm

What’s the idea? In the event that you reach orgasm before your spouse, your vagina becomes more alkaline, which produces a much better environment for male semen. Female sperm survive better when you look at the obviously acidic environment of the vagina, therefore climaxing first would favour the conception of men.

What’s the success price? Minimal. Extended foreplay gets the exact exact exact same effectation of increasing vaginal secretions, which may be just like good at reducing its acidity – but no body has recommended foreplay that is female a way of conceiving guys.

6 Douching

What’s the idea? Male sperm favour alkaline conditions, therefore douching (flooding the vagina using a syringe) with a dilute alkaline solution, such as for instance salt bicarbonate (baking soda) before sex escalates the odds of conceiving a kid.

What’s the success price? There’s a really tiny amount of medical proof that backs up this concept, however some professionals warn ladies against placing salt bicarbonate in their vagina since they might not understand how diluted to really make it, plus in any situation, the acid within the vagina will there be for necessary security against infections like thrush.