How to get pregnant with a boy

Lots of couples have a slight gender preference when it comes to babies, but some are willing to take things a little further and actually take steps to conceive the gender of their choice. Have you already got four daughters, and are you hoping for a son this time? Or do you have another reason you would prefer to get pregnant with a little boy?

As long as you keep in mind that none of the natural gender selection methods are guaranteed to work, you can always give one of the following techniques to get pregnant with a boy a try.

The Shettles method to conceive a boy

Doctor Shettles, obviously the person who invented this method, took the view that sperm travel at different speeds depending on the chromosome they carry. Sperm that carry Y chromosomes create a boy if an egg is fertilized. These simmers are said to be quicker meaning they reach the fallopian tubes, where the egg is waiting, a lot more quicker. Sperm that carry X Chromosomes and would create a girl go slower according to Dr Shettles. But at the same time, these sperm are said to live for long periods of time. That is why Dr Shettles advises who are hoping to get pregnant with a boy to have intercourse starting a day before ovulation, and up to 12 hours after a positive ovulation test.

Whelan method

Doctor Elizabeth Whelan developed another, completely contradictory method to conceive a baby of your chosen gender. She, unlike Dr Shettles, claims that couples who do the deed earlier in a woman's menstrual cycle increase their odds of getting pregnant with a boy. Studies organized by her found that around 68 percent of those who followed Whelan's methods when trying to get pregnant with a son managed to conceive a boy successfully. Is this coincidental, or does this method really give you a somewhat higher chance of getting pregnant with a son? You decide!