Recently published studies have shown that expectant mothers who preferred to eat breakfast cereals and eat a diet rich in potassium gave birth to boys. At the same time, pregnant women with a low-calorie diet and rare meals were born more often than girls. So what determines the sex of the child and is it possible to predict it in advance?

Scientists argue that most studies point only to the relationship of some factors; at the same time, there is no evidence base for early determination of the sex of the child.

However, this does not stop people - from your grandmother to a neighbor you don't know very well - from suggesting different approaches to influence the sex of the unborn child.

At conception, sex is determined by a set of chromosomes and largely depends on the male component (more precisely, on male sperm), which, as it were, predetermines the birth of an unborn child.

The female egg carries the X chromosome; in this case, the spermatozoon can provide both the X and Y chromosomes. During fertilization, a zygote is formed (a cell resulting from the fusion of a sperm and an egg), the chromosome set of which determines the sex of the unborn child:

• If the egg is fertilized from a sperm carrying the X chromosome, a girl will be born.
• If the conception came from a sperm with a Y chromosome, a boy will be born.

Male sperm that donates the female X chromosome has a longer lifespan (viability up to 7 days). At the same time, spermatozoa with the “male principle” (Y-chromosome) are more active and have high mobility: it is assumed that they have a smaller number of mitochondria (such “batteries” - energy sources of the cell), but in this case, the lifespan of the spermatozoon is reduced.

Scientific approaches to planning the sex of the child

What determines the sex of the child from a scientific point of view? The methods described below theoretically have some research base and can indirectly influence the formation of sex. In this case, it is important for a woman to keep a calendar of the menstrual cycle (it is recommended to use mobile application) and know your ovulation period (usually day 14).

During ovulation, the egg leaves the follicle and its task is to “meet” with the sperm. If this meeting took place, the fertilized cell enters the uterus and pregnancy is formed. If the meeting did not happen, the egg is excreted from the female body during menstruation.

• Fertilization, close in time to ovulation (a day before it), often leads to the conception of a boy: as described, the sperm with the Y chromosome is more active and reaches the egg faster (the short time before ovulation is due to the low viability of this type of sperm). Conception a few days (about four) before ovulation often results in a girl pregnancy (due to the long lifespan of the X-sperm).
• Formation of a more “hospitable” vaginal environment, which determines the sex of the unborn child: it is believed that high acidity (pH less than 7) is favorable for the girl, while the alkaline environment is friendly to the male sex. Some women even douche with water and vinegar (for a girl) or baking soda (for a boy).

Important! You should not try this approach on yourself; with a persistent desire - be sure to consult with your doctor!

The effect of diet on the gender of the child

"Your child is what you eat." The rule of acidity of the environment works not only locally (vaginally); change the pH of the body with foods rich in sodium and potassium if you want a boy:

• Eat red meat (beef, pork) and bananas. Peaches are also recommended.
• Consume salty snacks in reasonable amounts, including chips and crackers.
• Hazelnuts, almonds and other nuts are high in potassium.
• Future fathers can treat themselves to lemonade, cola is preferable (consume, of course, before conception).

If you want a girl, the diet should be shifted to the sour side. Focus on foods high in calcium and magnesium:

• Eat plenty of fresh fish, fruits and vegetables.
• Very good sources of magnesium are green vegetables - spinach and broccoli are prominent representatives.
• Diversify your diet with dairy products: cottage cheese, cheese and yogurt contain a lot of calcium.
• Eat sunflower, sesame and pumpkin seeds.

The Royal Society of London (one of the oldest scientific centers in Europe) conducted an interesting study: there was a survey of 740 pregnant women who recalled how they ate on the eve of planning a child. Those who ate breakfast cereals, nuts, red meat and bananas without limiting their calories were more likely to show boys to the world.

Sexual contact and folk superstitions

Who determines the sex of the unborn child? During pregnancy, both mom and dad can indirectly affect its formation.

If you want a boy:

• A woman after sex should remain for some time in a horizontal position - this gives a great chance for the Y-sperm to reach the egg.
• When making love, prefer the "man behind" position.
• Focus on the man's pleasure of sex.
• Sexual contact is best done on a quarter of the moon.
• Choose odd days of the month. At the same time, there is a certain dependence on the time of year: boys are more likely to become pregnant in the fall.
• The strong and strong-willed temperament of a woman can be a kind of "plus".
• In couples where the man is older, boys are more often born.
• The belly of a pregnant mother is similar in shape to a cucumber (elongated).

If you want a girl, the following recommendations may help:

• The sex position should be "missionary" or "woman on top".
• Focus on the woman's pleasure.
• Sexual contact is desirable to carry out in the full moon.
• Even days of the calendar month and spring time - for girls.
• If the woman's age is higher, the probability of a girl also increases.
• The shape of the abdomen is similar to a melon (the expectant mother does not have a waist, the stomach “spreads” to the sides).

Of course, there is no clear guarantee that using the methods presented, you will be able to “graft” the desired gender; however, these recommendations to some extent can increase the likelihood of having a girl or a boy.

Regardless of the gender of your unborn child, one thing is important - the health of the baby (or baby).

Hello everyone, this is Olga Ryshkova. From the school and university course, many people know that the sex of a person is formed during the period of conception and determines its chromosomes. Do you remember that humans have 23 pairs of chromosomes? Every cell in our body contains this set of chromosomes.

In men and women, all pairs of chromosomes are the same, except for one pair. These are the sex chromosomes. In this pair, women have the same chromosomes, while men have different ones. It is this pair that determines our gender. Women have two X chromosomes (XX) and men have XY chromosomes.

Look, this can be seen in the figure - all pairs of chromosomes in men and women are the same, but the sex chromosomes circled are different.

All our cells have paired chromosomes (double set), but in germ cells (eggs in women and sperm in men) - a single set. That is, all female eggs have one X chromosome. And in men, half of the spermatozoa have an X chromosome, half a Y chromosome.

The sex of the child depends on the sperm of the man.

So why are boys or girls born? The sex of the unborn child depends on which sperm enters the egg - with the X chromosome or with the Y chromosome. Did you understand that the sex of the child depends on the sperm of the man?

If so, it will be a boy.

And if so, it will be a girl.

This is where hormones come into play.

It turned out that the sex of the unborn child is formed not only with a certain set of chromosomes. Only recently, scientists have discovered how important the role of testosterone is in whether a child will be a man or a woman. All our life we ​​are under the influence of hormones. But the influence of these chemicals is most active at the time when our sex is determined, even before birth.

This may shock you.

Almost no one knows that the human fetus develops like a woman in the first 6 weeks. That is, all of us, including 100% men, regardless of the set of chromosomes, first developed as women. And only at the seventh week, when the formation of the gonads begins, when the testes that produce testosterone begin to form in an embryo with a set of XY chromosomes, only then will the formation of a man begin.

Gender is determined by testosterone.

Regardless of which set of chromosomes the fetus has - XX or XY, only the presence or absence of testosterone will form it as a boy or girl. If the hormone is not produced, then in any case there will be a girl.

This is fine?

This may be the norm, or it may be a pathology. At 7-8 weeks, under the influence of the Y-chromosome, the testicles begin to form in the embryo, they secrete testosterone, and under the influence of testosterone, the external genitalia develop and initially the female genitalia turn into male. This is the norm.

Under the influence of the X chromosome, at 7-8 weeks, the ovaries begin to form in the fetus, they do not secrete testosterone and the female genital organs continue to develop as female. This is also the norm.

What is the pathology?

Scientists came to the conclusion that testosterone affects the sex of the unborn child when they began to study people with a male set of chromosomes, who never became ordinary men. There is such a pathology, it is called androgen resistance syndrome (SHA). This is a genetic disorder. It occurs in 1 in 30,000 babies when the male fetus cannot use the testosterone produced and does not perceive male sex hormones.

People with androgen resistance syndrome are a clear demonstration that the sex of a child is determined not so much by chromosomes as by hormones. Despite having a male set of chromosomes, a fetus with this syndrome cannot develop into a boy because testosterone cannot do its job.

Boys are born girls.

In this situation, the embryo is genetically male. He has testicles that produce testosterone. But in its cells there are no receptors or structures that perceive testosterone. Therefore, this hormone does not exist. As a result, children in whom this syndrome manifests itself in its most striking form, at birth, are similar in everything to girls. The fact that they are genetically male, it becomes clear only when they do not start menstruating in due time.

Androgen resistance syndrome made it clear to scientists that hormones shape a person's gender no less than chromosomes.

Until the 70s, we did not know how to determine the concentration of hormones, so only now we suddenly realized a situation that had existed for many centuries. It is believed that Joan of Arc had this syndrome.

Hormones influence behavior.

By understanding the androgen resistance syndrome, scientists are beginning to understand how powerful the influence of hormones on our development. But what about mental development? Does the influence of hormones affect the differences in male and female behavior.

If we observe what children play, then, as a rule, we will see that girls play dolls more often than boys, and boys play cars, trains, and the like. We have known for 40 years that testosterone and other hormones have a strong influence on animal behavior. However, in relation to man, the question remained open for a long time due to the extreme complexity of conducting pure experiments. It is quite understandable that we cannot just inject hormones into people to see where it leads.

We are not researchers, but we can easily detect differences in male and female behavior. It is not so easy to isolate the influence of many factors influencing the development of male and female. But recently there have been Interesting Facts, suggesting that hormones play a significant role in this.

Women with male hormones.

To do this, scientists began to observe those whose concentration of hormones is not typical for people of this sex. A high concentration of testosterone is not typical for women. But it was her scientists who discovered in women with congenital adrenal hyperplasia. During fetal development, these women produce testosterone in the same quantities as men.

Congenital hyperplasia of the adrenal cortex is not so rare. It occurs in 1 in 6,000 children. These girls in the future will have to take medication for the rest of their lives in order to remain women. The body's compensation mechanism encourages the adrenal glands to act at full capacity, and the only thing they are capable of is to produce testosterone in huge quantities.

The first sign of excess testosterone in girls is that they are born with abnormally shaped genitals, since testosterone has already begun to turn the female external genitalia into male ones. Scientists have found that the behavior of girls with congenital adrenal hyperplasia is more similar to that of boys.

What does not affect.

Answering many questions, I’ll say right away that the blood type and Rh factor of the father and mother, the shape of the abdomen, nutrition and toxicosis of the expectant mother do not affect the sex of the unborn child.

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When planning a pregnancy, many parents ask themselves: what determines the sex of the child? Some couples would like to have the choice of having a girl or a boy. Because of this desire, myths arise that certain factors, such as the age of the spouses, nutrition, or zodiac sign, affect the sex of the unborn child.

But is it really so? To understand, you need to understand how the process of fertilization occurs and whether there is an opportunity to intervene in it. Modern medical technologies come to the aid of young parents. It is possible that soon the sex of the child can be "ordered" in the laboratory.

To understand what determines the sex of the child, you need to remember the basics of genetics from the school biology course. So, every cell in the body has a nucleus - a structure that contains DNA (genetic information).

All human features: hair color, eyes, gender, physique, etc. - are determined by a set of genes and chromosomes. It is different for women and men. In one cell there are 23 pairs of chromosomes, 22 of them are identical (XX), and the structure of the latter depends on sex. In the female body, it looks like XX, and in the male body it looks like XY.

All cells in the body, except for sex cells, contain a paired set of chromosomes. And the eggs and sperm are single. In the process of formation of germ cells, paired sets are separated.

Thus, all eggs contain 23 single chromosomes, and the last one is X. And all spermatozoa also contain 23 chromosomes, but the last one can be X or Y - both equally.

Depending on what set will be in the sperm that fertilized the egg, a boy (Y) or a girl (X) will be born.

If all spermatozoa had the same properties, then the probability of conceiving a child of a certain gender would be 50%. But male germ cells behave differently. Y-spermatozoa move faster, but are less viable. X-spermatozoa are not as active, but better withstand the effects of the factors of the internal environment of the female reproductive system.

Factors affecting the sex of the unborn child

There are certain factors whose influence on the sex of the unborn child is explained from a scientific point of view:

1. Conception time. The most studied and reliable factor. As already noted, male spermatozoa differ in the degree of activity and vitality: Y - move faster and die more easily, X - slow, but more enduring. It has been established that sperm in a woman's body can remain active for up to 5-7 days. If sexual intercourse occurs during ovulation, then the fastest Y-spermatozoa will fertilize the egg, but if it occurs a few days earlier, then the viable X-spermatozoa are more likely. Therefore, planning the sex of the child comes down to determining the day of ovulation.
2. Posture during intercourse. This factor is also associated with different activity of X- and Y-spermatozoa. With an act with deep penetration of the penis, the distance to the egg is reduced. Under such conditions, fast Y-sperms are more likely to fuse. Since the path to be overcome is not great, they do not have time to die. If the penetration is shallow, then the spermatozoa need to “pass through” greater distance and not the fastest, but the strongest, that is, X-spermatozoa, survive on the way.
3. Sexual activity of parents. With frequent intercourse (daily or every other day), the likelihood that Y-sperm will fertilize the egg is higher - the chances are high that sexual intercourse will occur on the day of ovulation. If the sexual activity of the spouses is low, then the X-spermatozoa will be able to survive until ovulation, as they remain active for up to 7 days.

The most common myths

In addition to factors whose influence on the sex of the unborn child is scientifically confirmed, there are myths - ideas that claim that it is possible to conceive a son or daughter by following the ancient tables, focusing on the signs of the zodiac of the parents, adhering to a special diet, etc.

The most widespread are the following versions of what determines the sex of the child:

1. "Installation" of the woman's body. According to this myth, 1 time in 3 years the female body "switches" from the birth of a boy to the birth of a girl. It turns out that only the sex of the first child cannot be planned, and after his birth everything comes down to simple arithmetic calculations. In fact, gender is determined by sperm, that is, the material of the father.
2. "Fresh" blood of the parent. This myth is based on the assumption that human blood is renewed after a certain number of years. And the sex of the child will be the same as that of the parent with more "fresh" blood. This theory has nothing to do with physiology human body, the properties of blood do not affect the process of conception.
3. "Strong" sex cell. Supporters of this theory are sure that at certain periods of life, the eggs in women and sperm in men become “stronger” or “weaker”. And depending on this, a girl or a boy is born. In fact, it may matter which of the spermatozoa will be more viable and active, but the “strength” of the egg does not affect the fertilization process.
4. Diet. This assumption is based on the fact that the diet of the spouses in the months before conception can affect the sex of the child. In fact, eating certain foods does not affect the process of conception.
5. Oriental, Chinese and Japanese ancient tables. All of them involve complex calculations, which, however, are not related to the monthly cycle of a woman or the characteristics of the reproductive systems of the spouses.
6. Zodiac signs. There are male and female zodiac signs. The theory claims that if the future mother and father have a male sign, then a girl will be born. If both spouses have a female sign, then a boy will appear. Such assumptions are not scientifically substantiated.

Is it possible to plan the gender of the unborn child?

According to statistics, on average around the world, 105 boys are born for every 100 girls. Perhaps this is due to the different survival rates of the two sexes, although modern medicine makes this difference insignificant.

Over the past decades, technologies for artificial insemination of eggs and cultivation of embryos have been rapidly developing. Since the process of fusion of germ cells can be taken out of the female body, it becomes possible to influence it.

To date, there are several technologies that allow you to plan the gender of the unborn child:

1. Robert Erickson method. Its essence is that spermatozoa are divided into fractions with Y- and X-chromosomes. First, the day of ovulation in a woman is determined. The man collects genetic material (sperm), which is treated with an albumin preparation. It has been observed that cells with Y chromosomes pass through the protein barrier faster and are the first to reach the bottom of the tube. Then the specialist separates the desired fractions and performs artificial insemination.
2. Flow laser sorting of spermatozoa. Separation of male germ cells is performed using a laser beam. Sperm with Y chromosomes contain 3% less genetic material than those with X chromosomes. The latter can be eliminated when exposed to a laser. When planning a girl, this method is 90% effective, and if a boy is needed, it is 70%. The necessary part of the sperm (screened or remaining) is introduced into the uterus or fertilization is carried out under artificial conditions (in vitro).
3. Pre-implantation diagnosis. Such a study is carried out at a certain stage of the cultivation of the embryo. In other words, sperm and eggs are collected first. Then, under artificial conditions, the process of fertilization takes place. After a few days, you can examine the cells of the embryo for the presence of genetic pathologies and to determine the sex. A material carrying the necessary combination of sex chromosomes: XX or XY is transplanted into the uterus. It should be noted that pre-implantation diagnosis is associated with risks, therefore, in order to determine the sex of the unborn child, it is not carried out in Russia.

The development of methods for planning the sex of a child is complicated not only by the level of technology development, but also by ethical considerations. After all, the balance established by nature - 100 girls to 105 boys - does not exist in vain.

Despite the popularity of the topic, a real way to schedule gender of the unborn child still does not exist. However, there are a number of myths folk remedies. Let's talk about them.

• Gender of the unborn child associated with the date of conception relative to ovulation.

According to this myth, in the middle of the menstrual cycle (the time of ovulation), boys should be made, and the rest of the time, girls are better.

In order to refute this myth and understand the reason for its origin, you must first understand what it actually depends on. gender of the unborn child?

Gender of the unborn child It is formed directly at the time of conception, at the time of the fusion of the female and male germ cells. Responsibility for gender of the unborn child bear male gametes - spermatozoa, which are initially divided into two groups - X and Y.

Spermatozoa with a charge Y at conception determine male sex of the embryo, and X lay the formation female. It is important to note that the spermatozoa of these groups differ not only in genetic factors that later determine the sex of the embryo, but also in physical properties. Long-term studies in the field of embryogenetics have shown that these types of male germ cells differ in size, shape, speed of movement and resistance to adverse environmental factors.

Future boys- Y spermatozoa - are small in size and equipped with a longer “tail”, which allows them to develop a significant speed of movement for this tiny cell. Thus, group Y spermatozoa are very mobile and active, which, under other favorable conditions, gives them significant advantages for fertilizing the egg. However, along with the listed outstanding "sporting" qualities characteristic of real men, spermatozoa with a Y charge also have disadvantages - they are not resistant to aggressive environmental conditions (high and low acidity, temperature changes).

Another disadvantage of "sperm-boys" is a low life expectancy; even if they enter the most favorable environment immediately after ejaculation, Y-spermatozoa live on average no more than a day.

In contrast, group X spermatozoa, which are larger and, as a result, less mobile cells, adapt much better to external adverse conditions and retain the ability to fertilize, sometimes up to a week and a half! Medical studies even describe cases of "preservation" of X sperm in the vaginal fornix for the period of menstruation and subsequent conception at the beginning of the next ovulatory cycle.

One of the popular planning methods is based on these differences in the properties of spermatozoa. gender of the unborn child- ovulatory. It is believed that in the middle of the menstrual cycle (on the 12th-16th day) the conception of a boy is more likely, and at the beginning and towards the end of the cycle there are more chances to conceive a girl. This theory is explained quite simply: in the middle of the cycle, ovulation occurs - the release of a mature egg from the ovary. It is during this period that, in principle, the onset of conception is most likely. Since the Y spermatozoa are more active and reach the egg faster, and the conditions for fertilization during this period are favorable, the conception of a boy is more likely in the middle of the cycle. When planning conception at the beginning of the cycle (before the onset of ovulation), Y spermatozoa are “screened out”, since their life span is limited, and there are still no conditions for fertilization during this period. But X spermatozoa, which are more stable in the vaginal environment and retain the ability to fertilize longer, can safely “wait” for ovulation and determine the female at conception. gender of the unborn child. In the second phase of the menstrual cycle (after the 16th day), the likelihood of conception decreases due to changes in the chemical and physical properties vaginal secretion. The environment of the female genital tract becomes "more aggressive" in relation to spermatozoa, and the unstable group Y has less chance of fertilization than the hardy and easily adaptable to adverse conditions X. In this regard, it is believed that closer to the end of the cycle, as well as before the onset of ovulation , more likely to conceive a girl.

In fairness, it should be noted that this method of planning gender of the unborn child, so convincing at first glance, is actually far from accurate. For such sex planning, the expectant mother must be a happy owner of an ideally regular menstrual cycle, and the future father must have an enviable fertility function (the ability to fertilize). Even with a more or less regular cycle, the date of ovulation can shift significantly - due to climate change, changes in atmospheric pressure and temperature, stress, hormonal fluctuations, physical overload, past illnesses, etc. In addition, each healthy woman during the year, both the appearance of an anovulatory cycle (ovulation does not occur at all during the month) and poliovulation (the maturation and release of several eggs from the ovary on different days of the same cycle) is possible.

A man's ability to fertilize also varies depending on the state of his nervous system, hormonal levels, physical activity, stress, smoking, alcohol consumption, chronic diseases (including hidden ones) and even diet. All these factors affect both the total number of spermatozoa and their activity, the ability to conceive, and, among other things, the ratio of X- and Y-groups. It is easy to guess that planning gender of the unborn child In real life conditions, it may turn out to be ineffective!

Now it’s clear where the “calendar” planning technique came from gender of the unborn child- after all, in this version there is an obvious analogy with the ovulatory method. However, it is hardly worth relying on a regular calendar - after all, not every woman ovulates, on which conception depends, occurs on the 14th day of the calendar month! The same goes for linking to lunar calendar that in the middle of the month (the second decade of the calendar month or closer to the full moon according to the lunar calendar), boys “get” better, and girls the rest of the time. If the female hormonal cycle so dependent on the phase of the moon, it would be logical to assume that all women on the planet should ovulate and menstruate at the same time!

• Once every three years in a woman’s body, the “installation” changes to gender of the unborn child.

This method involves the choice sex of the second and subsequent children. First child in terms of planning gender of the unborn child is, as it were, a “trial”, but further, according to the authors of the myth, everything should go like clockwork: you know, wait for yourself three years - and give birth to a child of the opposite sex.

This version does not have any reasonable explanation: as you know, gender of the unborn child“Determines” the man, and not the woman at all - the egg always carries only the X chromosome. Well, from a practical point of view, this "wait and see" method does not stand up to criticism - just look around and count how many families have children of the same sex with a difference in age of three to four years.

• The child will inherit the sex of the parent whose blood is "younger".

This version is based on the opinion that human blood is “renewed” at regular intervals, and this change can affect various physiological processes in the body, including the ability to conceive a child of a certain gender. According to this theory, the blood of a man is renewed every four years, and the blood of a woman every three years; plan gender of the unborn child it is possible, by calculating whose blood this year is “younger”, i.e. recently updated. The method is quite difficult to implement, since when calculating the "rejuvenation schedule" of blood, it is necessary to take into account blood loss (childbirth, abortion, miscarriage, surgery or injury accompanied by bleeding - it is believed that in this case there is an extraordinary "rejuvenation" of the blood).

I must say that the origin of the theory of "blood renewal" is not very clear - from a scientific point of view, such a fact cannot be confirmed. Blood is the only body tissue that exists in the liquid phase; like any other tissue, it consists of cells (erythrocytes, leukocytes, platelets, lymphocytes, etc.) and the base, which is plasma (the liquid part of the blood). Plasma renewal is ongoing; As for blood cells, each type has its own “lifespan”, so there is no single “renewal” period for all - a week, a month or four years - does not exist. No differences were found in the lifespan of the same blood cells depending on human sex: in men and women, blood cells live the same amount of time. Moreover, as we already know, gender of the unborn child depends only on the "charge" of the sperm involved in fertilization.

The spermatozoon is not a blood cell, the chromosome set (X-or Y-chromosome, which determines the sex of the fetus) does not depend on the composition of the blood or the "age" of its components. Therefore, the method of planning the sex of a child according to the "blood age" of the parents is a very effective near-scientific "duck" - nothing more.

• Gender of the unborn child depends... on the orgasm.

This way of planning gender of the unborn child based on the presence or absence of an orgasm in the expectant mother at conception. Women who dream of a daughter are advised by this technique to refrain from orgasm, and those who are planning an heir must certainly get sexual satisfaction. This method of planning the sex of the baby is justified as follows: during sexual discharge, the vaginal environment becomes alkaline, which greatly facilitates the advancement of spermatozoa. And since the sperm that determine the male sex have greater mobility, the chances of conceiving a boy are significantly increased.

The logic in such justification, of course, is present; however, it is still not worth placing high hopes on this method. The main factor on which the possibility of conception depends is the onset of ovulation (the release of a mature egg from the ovary); if this has not happened yet, the “acceleration” of Y-spermatozoa is meaningless: after all, they live no longer than a day and may literally not survive to conception - in contrast to spermatozoa with an X chromosome, whose life expectancy in an alkaline environment will only increase.

• Gender of the unborn child determines the posture at conception.

In the literal sense: a man from above will be a son, a woman from above will be a daughter. When meeting with such an original method of planning gender of the unborn child A number of questions arise spontaneously. For example, what if other positions were used during conception (dog-style, spoons, etc.)? Or by what miracle did heterosexual children appear in Puritan religious families, where the missionary position was considered the only acceptable position in the performance of marital duty? Questions on this topic can be asked endlessly, but the method is not as naive as it might seem at first glance. There is a more "scientific" version of this technique, according to which the sex of the child depends on the depth of penetration of the penis into the vagina during conception. There is already some logic present here; the essence of the idea is again in the different speeds of movement of X- and Y-spermatozoa.

Deeper insertion postures are thought to further shorten the path for the fast-moving Y-sperms, thus guaranteeing the birth of a boy. And vice versa - postures in which vestibular contact is possible (shallow penetration into the vagina) significantly lengthen the path for spermatozoa and reduce the chances of "future boys" to reach the egg in a short period of their life.

It should be noted that such a justification completely refutes the original version of “a woman on top - there will be a girl” - after all, the rider’s pose cannot be called vestibular. Like the previous method associated with the presence of orgasm, the pose option can only be considered in combination with the ovulatory method - outside of ovulation, all these tricks are meaningless.

• Gender of the unborn child depends on whose germ cell is "stronger" at the time of conception.

The authors of this version believe that at some periods of life, the egg "dominates", and at other times - the spermatozoon. That is, in the literal sense, “who is stronger” - like fighters in the ring or politicians in debates: today I won, and tomorrow the opponent will win. Accordingly, at boy planning the expectant mother is offered to perform various actions designed to "exhaust" the egg, for example, follow a protein-free diet or increase physical activity.

No logical justification for this method of planning gender of the unborn child does not have; it is obvious that its creators do not know the anatomy and physiology of the human reproductive system, even at the school level. Firstly, the egg is a huge, largest cell in the human body: its size at the time of ovulation is 0.1 mm! The spermatozoon, on the contrary, is one of the smallest cells: its size is only 50–60 microns, and even then, taking into account the length of the “tail” (the organ of movement; the main part of the spermatozoon, the head containing genetic information, is 5–6 µm).

That is, if we understand the term "predominance and strength" literally, in size, the egg is always hundreds of times "stronger" than the sperm, and no diet can change this ratio. Secondly, this is exactly the case when the statement “size does not matter” is true - after all, no matter who is stronger, the sex always determines the sperm. It is from the chromosomal charge of the male reproductive cell involved in conception that the sex of the unborn child depends, and the “charge” of the egg is unchanged - it always carries the X chromosome. So there is no point in exhausting yourself with diets and excessive physical activity; to nothing but general exhaustion and a decrease in the likelihood of conception healthy child, such a miracle method will not lead.

• Can be programmed gender of the unborn child with special diets .

The authors of this method advise to review the menu of future parents a couple of months before the planned conception. If a couple dreams of a son, pickles, marinades, seafood and meat delicacies should prevail on the table. When “ordering” a daughter, according to this method, it is worth leaning on vegetables, pastries, sweets and fruits.

The history of this myth is beyond doubt: people draw an analogy between the traditional taste preferences of men and women and the ability to thus influence gender of the unborn child. In fact, dietary modification before conception is really appropriate - but only to increase the chances of conception and the health of the unborn child; seafood and fruits do not have any effect on the formation of sex.

• Planning gender of the unborn child perhaps with the help of oriental tables.

On the Internet you can find many "ancient" tables, according to which it is proposed to accurately calculate gender of the unborn child. The most popular are the "Chinese" and "Japanese" versions.

In the Chinese calendar, everything is quite simple: the age of the expectant mother is indicated vertically, and the month of conception is indicated horizontally; indicated at the intersection gender of the unborn child. The origin of this calendar is doubtful, as well as the effectiveness of the method: after all, according to this version, the sex of the child depends on the age of the mother and the time of year, while we know that sex is determined by only one factor - the charge of the sperm.

Using the "Japanese" method is more difficult: it involves the use of a special table and graph. In the table, the month of birth of a woman is indicated vertically, and the month of birth of a man is indicated horizontally. First, expectant parents are asked to find the number in the table at the intersection of their months of birth. After that, you need to find the number in the chart showing the right time to conceive. To select the optimal month, you need to find the number in the upper horizontal line of the graph and then follow the change in the scale along the vertical axis corresponding to this figure. In this version, unlike the "Chinese" version, the male factor is still taken into account; however, this does not seriously affect the result - after all, we are talking about choosing the optimal month, and not the day of conception (that is, again, not tied to ovulation). These methods are more like divination than scientific way which can be used for planning gender of the unborn child.

Finally, I would like to give advice to all future parents planning to increase the family. Don't get too hung up on the question of choice gender of the unborn child: there are simply no exact methods of planning today. Nature is not a table of orders; moreover, in the event of a mistake, the disappointment of the parents can greatly harm the child, affect his self-esteem, cause various complexes and doubt in the love of the parents. The main thing is that the child should be desired - and whether it is a boy or a girl is really not so important!

It is very naive to think that the sex of the unborn child depends on the woman. Due to national or religious prejudices, a woman sometimes deliberately gives birth only to girls or boys. Here is someone who, and the woman is certainly not to blame for the absence of an heir or doll-daughter. Factors influencing the sex of the child are more from the side of the father, his health, lifestyle and even food preferences.

Boy or girl?

Most parents want to know who will be born to them. This issue is especially worrisome for a couple expecting their first child. I really want to buy clothes and gifts, the color of gender matching. come up with the most beautiful name, and just dream, imagine what a wonderful (wonderful) daughter or son will be born. Of course, you can always look at the pregnancy calendar: boy or girl? And it is possible already at the stages of pregnancy planning to take some steps towards planning the sex of the unborn baby.

Dad's role in gender planning

Y-infected sperm are very gentle comrades and die at the slightest negative impact. They do not withstand a long absence of sex from their father (more than three days), they die when drinking alcohol, they are very weak in smoking men.

X-chromosome-containing sperm, that is, bearing feminine, more resilient. They are not afraid of rare sexual intercourse, they endure bad habits father and withstand the high temperature inside the body of the expectant mother.

Girls are born if fertilization occurred after an illness in the father, after excessive drinking of alcohol, after a long absence of sexual intercourse.

The role of mother

Although mommy has a “small” role in the form of bearing a new life, it can also affect the sex of the baby. The male embryo is weaker. 76% of miscarriages occur with male embryos.

If the mother is sick, very worried, or heavy physical exertion has fallen on her, then the embryo can easily choose the female sex. However, this can happen no later than 4-6 weeks of pregnancy.

After reading this article, you can at least a little, yes, influence the gender of your child. If you want a boy, then do not take too long breaks in sex, give up at least alcohol, eat food high in protein. Make sure that conception occurs on the first day after ovulation. And take care of the peace and health of a woman in the first weeks of pregnancy.

If you want a young lady, then increase the break time between lovemaking up to 4 days. Drinking and smoking - definitely should not be in any case! But a little physical activity in mommy will help push the embryo to choose the feminine.

Well, in principle, it does not matter who is born! It is important that the baby is born healthy and with loving parents!