Some couples dream of cute bows and playing princesses with a daughter. Others want to toss around a basketball or play dinosaurs with a little boy.

When it comes to the gender of your baby, it is really you against the odds. However, if you are determined to have a girl or a boy, there may be something you can do to increase your chances of getting what you want. Gender swaying might be your answer.

What is gender swaying? Gender swaying is the process of actively trying to conceive a baby of a particular gender by doing certain things that are said to increase the chances of conceiving the desired gender. Popular methods include the Babydust, Shuttles, and Whelan Methods as well as diet and positioning techniques.

Sounds kind of crazy right? Maybe not! There are a handful of methods and techniques that some believe to be successful in helping you conceive the gender that you want, and we will discuss each one briefly.

Gender Swaying – 6 Techniques To Try

There are six common methods that people have used in the past when trying to gender sway. Whether or not they actually work is debatable, but it’s still interesting to learn about them!

1. The Babydust Method

The Babydust Method is all about timing intercourse around ovulation. Sure, you always do this when you are trying to conceive.

However, the Babydust Method is based on the life span of male and female sperm and the likelihood of conceiving a girl or boy depending on when you have sex.

According to studies, male sperm mature first and die off. Then, the female sperm mature and die off.

Supposedly, having sex too soon before ovulation gives the male sperm time to die off, leaving mostly female sperm to mature and fertilize the egg.

Therefore, if you want a boy, you should wait to have sex on the day of ovulation and again 24 hours later. This gives the male sperm the best chance to reach the egg during their shorter lifespan.

If you are trying to conceive a girl, you should have intercourse two to three days prior to ovulation.

2. The Shettles Method

The Shettles Method is very similar to the Baby Dust method and involves the technique of timing intercourse around ovulation to “choose” your baby’s gender. The method is based on the work of Dr. Landrum Shettles, a biologist and gynecologist.

Shettles discovered that female sperm survive better in acidic environments and male sperm swim better and more quickly in highly alkaline environments.

He gives some advice for creating a more acidic environment when trying to conceive a girl:

Having intercourse right after a woman’s menstrual cycle or before ovulation, which he believes makes the womb more alkaline.
Trying positions that allow for shallow penetration as he believed there are parts of the vagina that are more acidic.

If trying to conceive a boy, he advises the following:

Having intercourse on the day of ovulation and up to three days after.
Trying positions that allow for deeper penetration.

Therefore, if you want a girl, Dr. Shettles recommends having sex 2-3 days before ovulation. Intercourse that happens near the time of ovulation will, more often than not, result in a boy.

3. Whelan Method

Elizabeth Whelan, a public health researcher, has another method that involves timing intercourse around ovulation. She claimed that similar methods were based on research that involved artificial insemination while hers is based on natural conception.

Her studies and research suggest that couples should have intercourse two or three days prior to ovulation when trying to conceive a girl. They should have intercourse between four and six days before ovulation if trying to conceive a boy.

4. Gender Swaying Diet

As if there aren’t enough fad diets to try out there! According to some, the food you eat can determine the gender of your baby.

Low-Calorie Method

According to this method, eating a low-calorie diet increases your chances of conceiving a girl. Eating more calories may lead to you conceiving a boy.

Food Acidity Method

Did you know that food has pH? Some foods are more acidic than others, which some people believe contributes to conceiving a girl. If you want to increase your chances of having a boy, you should eat foods that are less acidic.

Mineral Method

The mineral diet aims to help couples conceive a girl through diet changes and intercourse timing. The diet requires that moms-to-be eat foods that are low in sodium and high in calcium and magnesium.

In addition to these diet changes, couples should aim to have intercourse as close to ovulation as possible, including the days right before and after.

What Should I Eat To Conceive a Girl?

According to the Food Acidity Method, eating acidic foods increases your chances of conceiving a girl. Consider foods like:

Cheese, yogurt, and milk
Fish and seafood
Meat
Brown rice, oat flakes, and granola
Beans
Almonds

Other methods suggest reducing your calories to around 1500-1800 each day as well as cutting down your salt and potassium intake. This means you may want to refrain from bananas, tomatoes, and potatoes and stop adding salt to everything you eat.

Some have also claimed that cutting out high-fat foods and replacing them with high-carb foods like pasta with cheese and butter has increased their chances of having a girl.

What Should I Eat To Conceive a Boy?

Much like the “girl diet,” restricting certain foods is said to help your chances of having a boy. Consider eating more of these foods if you want a boy:

Fruits
Non-starchy vegetables
Soy foods
Nuts
Bananas
Avocado
Spinach and kale
Sprouts and wheatgrass

5. Boxer/Briefs Method

Does your partner’s underwear really have anything to do with the gender of your baby? Some would argue that it does.

Lab studies have determined that X-carrying sperm cells (female sperm cells) can withstand higher temperatures than their Y-carrying counterparts.

Therefore, if you want a girl, ask the dad-to-be to wear briefs as they keep the testicles close to the body and raise the temperature. This allows the X-carrying sperm to thrive.

Meanwhile, boxers allow for more airflow and cooler temperatures for the Y-carrying sperm.

6. Positioning Techniques

Remember Dr. Shettles from earlier? He had another theory about how the sex position in which a baby is conceived can play a role in determining the baby’s gender.

He believed that a shallow penetration coupled with ejaculation close to the entrance of the vagina (where it is more acidic) favors female conception.

On the other hand, deeper penetration and ejaculation closer to the cervix is believed to increase your chances of having a boy.

Additionally, according to studies, it also helps if the woman orgasms because it boosts the alkaline properties in the vagina that helps the sperm do their work. So, ladies, if you want a boy, make your man work a little harder!

Does Gender Swaying Actually Work?

While they may be fun to try, all of these methods have been brushed aside by medical experts as there have been many conflicted results in further studies and tests on the subject.

They have found very little if any evidence to say that these methods actually work. The only method mentioned above that has scientific and medical backing is the timing of intercourse under Shettles and Whelan’s methods.

Gender Swaying Success Rate

The most successful gender swaying method is timing intercourse and following the advice of the Shettles, Whelan, and the BabyDust methods. These methods are said to have a success rate of 75-87%.

Precautions When Attempting To Sway Baby Gender

Since none of these methods are really guaranteed to give you the gender that you are hoping for, you should not take them to any extremes.

Do not only eat carbs and sugar or reduce your calories significantly in hopes that you will conceive a girl. Likewise, do not take the boxers vs. briefs method too far as overheating can cause severe damage and fertility problems.

If you want to try to gender sway, go for it, but remember to be realistic and smart about what you are doing to your body. Also keep in mind that none of these methods have been proven, so take it with a grain of salt, and do not set your expectations too high.

Conclusion

There you have it! Who would have thought, right? Whether you were just reading this for entertainment or want to give gender swaying a try, good luck! Just remember that you are going to love your baby all the same, boy or girl.

Ashley Potter( Founder )

Mom of three (including identical twin boys), wife, and owner of Parents Wonder. This is my place to share my journey as a mother and the helpful insights I learn along the way.

Gender Swaying – 6 Techniques That Can Influence Baby’s Sex