Comments found on the internet on gender selection

Throughout history, expectant mother and fathers have attempted to predict the gender of their offspring - mostly unsuccessfully.

THE FOLK LOGIC APPROACH
There is plenty of folk logic which has throughout time attempted to predict the sex of your baby. While this article won't delve too far into this logic, we can confirm parts of it cover:

• What you eat - meat, salty food and soft drinks for a boy; fish vegetable and chocolate for a girl
• The lying, sitting or standing position that you conceived in
• The time, day, compass bearing or location of the moon when you conceived
• Whether the man wears underpants or boxer shorts - the former for a son, the latter for a daughter

Most reproduction experts however reject all the folk logic approaches as being ineffective or inconclusive. Many state that in folk logic cases, it is simply easier to toss a coin. Far easier, plus you've got a 50/50 chance of being right.

THE SCIENTIFIC APPROACH
There are a range of different scientific approaches on how to choose the gender of your baby.

1) One such approach work on a calendar method (different from the Chinese calendar approach), which suggests that on 8 days each month, the mother can only conceive a boy, and on a different 8 days, only a girl. French scientists discovered that the receptors on a mother's egg membrane have an alternating energy charge. At different times they accept or reject X (girl) or Y (boy) chromosome sperm. Intensive research on thousands of case studies resulted in a formula or method which enabled them to predict the periods of alternating polarities for each mother. The results are shown on a 12 months personal conception calendar. When using this calendar, you should attempt conception on the days that have been scientifically identified as favourable for a baby boy or girl.

2) The following approaches entail monitoring the cervical mucous. Using these methods, after ovulation and when the cervical mucous resembles egg white - being slippery, clear and wet - this indicates the best time to become pregnant. Becoming pregnant with a son or daughter is discussed below:

a) The Shettles Method - This theory behind this method is that given that the Y chromosome (boys) is more fragile than the X chromosome (girls), it is best to attempt conception as close as possible to ovulation if you want a boy, or alternatively two to four days before ovulation if you want a girl.

b) The Whelan Method - This theory disputes the Shettles Method by suggesting the opposite. Under this method, you should attempt conception 4-6 days before ovulation for a boy, and 2-3 days before ovulation for a girl. It is suggested that the success rates under this theory is 68% for boys, and 56% success rate for girls.

c) The Ericsson Method - Used in franchised sperm sort clinics. This involves filtering sperm through a water soluble solution. Alternatively the sperm is separated through a centrifuge. The assumption is that most Y chromosomes are lighter and rise to the top, while X chromosomes sink to the bottom. The mother is then artificially inseminated with the chosen sperm. No one knows the effect on the foetus of this very expensive in-vitro procedure.

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