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Do you have questions about your pregnancy or are you curious about the concerns of other expectant moms? Each week, Sandy Jones and Marcie Jones, the mother/daughter team who have written internationally best-selling books on parenting and pregnancy, answer your questions, giving pregnancy advice for every lifestyle and stage of pregancy.

 

 

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November 07, 2009

Sex of a Baby

I read in a magazine that you can pick the sex of your baby by when you ovulate is this true?
Anita  - Providence, RI  
 
Can you pick the gender of your baby if you schedule sex based on when you ovulate? There may be something to it, but don’t bet (or paint) the house based on the reliability of this method! Here’s how it works: the chromosomes that determine if a baby will be a boy or a girl are carried by the sperm. A sperm with an XX chromosome will make a girl, and one with an XY chromosome will make a boy. Apparently “boy” sperm are generally faster swimmers, but they’re also less hearty and don’t live as long. So, based on that assumption, if you have sex a day or so before you ovulate, then there will be more slow-but-durable “girl” sperm there waiting to meet the egg. For a boy, wait until after you ovulate, which will give an advantage to the faster swimmers. But, the differences in sperm speed and durability are not that great, and it’s not always possible to know exactly when you’re going to ovulate, even with a regular cycle.
 
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