What if I told you that you could determine the gender of your child? Thirty years ago, Landrum B. Shettles developed the Shettles method as a natural way to select a child’s sex. Here are his techniques:
1. **Timing of Intercourse**
The method involves timing sexual activity around a woman’s menstrual cycle and using specific sex positions. Shettles’ book “How to Choose the Sex of Your Baby” claims that male (Y) sperm are smaller, faster, and have a shorter lifespan than female (X) sperm. Couples aiming for a male child should have intercourse close to ovulation, when the woman’s egg is released.
2. **Sex Positions**
For those wanting a male child, Shettles suggests having sex in the doggy style position, as this allows sperm to be deposited near the cervix, favoring the Y chromosome. To conceive a girl, he recommends missionary position two to four days before ovulation to ensure that only the hardier X sperm survive in the woman’s reproductive tract.
3. **Timing of Female Orgasm**
According to Shettles, the alkaline secretions produced during female orgasm can benefit Y sperm. Therefore, if aiming for a male child, the woman should orgasm before the man ejaculates. For a female child, the woman should avoid orgasm until after the man has ejaculated.
Shettles claimed an 80% success rate for couples who followed his methods.
4. **Ovulation Scheduling**
Paediatrician Martin Young disagrees with Shettles’ approach. Young suggests having sex several days before ovulation for a male child and near ovulation for a female child. He asserts that his method can increase the success rate to approximately 67% if followed correctly.
5. **Sperm Sorting**
However, many researchers believe these methods are not foolproof. The current gold standard for sex selection is MicroSort, a technique that separates male sperm from female sperm. Sperm sorting is considered the most effective method, especially when combined with in vitro fertilization.