Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 2: Using the Shettles method
• Method 2 of 2: Using PGD with in vitro fertilization
• Tips
• Warnings
• Necessities

Gender selection or determining the sex of your baby in advance is a controversial topic in the medical field. Personal and social pressure leads some people to try specifically to have a boy or a girl. As a result, there are many superstitions and myths surrounding this subject. In some countries it is now possible to determine the sex of the child with certain medical procedures, but in the Netherlands this is not allowed if there are no hereditary, sex-linked disorders. However, there are other less scientifically proven techniques for determining the sex of the baby; although most doctors and fertility experts will dismiss these as quackery, there are some research findings that some methods may increase the chances of having a boy or girl.

To step

Method 1 of 2: Using the Shettles method

1. Calculate the mother's ovulation date. The Shettles Method is a collection of techniques designed to increase the chances of having a baby of the desired gender. According to the Shettles method you increase the chances of having a boy if you have intercourse as close to ovulation as possible. If you don't know exactly when the mother is ovulating, follow the instructions below to determine this:
   • Check your vaginal discharge every day. Just before ovulation, a woman has elastic and watery discharge, similar to raw egg white. Shettles recommends charting the cervical mucus at least a month before conception to be sure of your ovulation date.
   • Take your temperature every morning before you get out of bed.At the start of ovulation, your temperature will peak. Because you need to have sex as close to ovulation as possible, it is advisable to map your basal body temperature at least 2 months before conception.
   • Use an ovulation kit. An ovulation kit, available at most drugstores, pharmacists, or online, detects when your body is producing the luteinizing hormone (LH) before ovulation. To detect the LH surge as soon as possible, Shettles recommends testing twice a day, preferably between 11:00 AM and 3:00 PM for the first test and between 5:00 PM and 10:00 PM for the second test .
2. Let the father maximize his sperm count. The Shettles Method recommends that the father take steps to ensure that he has as many sperm as possible to increase the chances of a successful pregnancy through just one intercourse. Most importantly, the father does not ejaculate 2-5 days before ovulation. However, there are other factors that can affect sperm count as well. The tips below will increase your sperm count and make sure your sperm is as healthy as possible:
   • Keep the testicles cool. Sperm production is at its maximum when the testicles are slightly cooler than body temperature. Avoid tight-fitting underwear, hot baths, and warm laptops on your lap.
   • Do not smoke or drink. Men who smoke and drink a lot usually have fewer sperm cells. If you find it difficult to quit, talk to your doctor.
   • Do not do drugs. Cannabis has the same effects as cigarettes on sperm count. Cocaine and other hard drugs also reduce sperm production.
   • Avoid certain medications. There are all kinds of drugs that can reduce a man's fertility; some medications, such as chemotherapy, can even make men permanently infertile. If you are currently on heavy medication, talk to your doctor about your desire to have children. You may be able to freeze sperm so that you can have children in the future.
3. Fairly as close to the ovulation date as possible. When the woman is sure that she is ovulating, you should have sex. Try to have sexual intercourse from 24 hours before ovulation to 12 hours afterwards. During this time, the chances of fathering a boy are greatest, according to Shettle.
   • The Shettles method is based on the fact that, under perfect conditions, the male sperm, which are small and fast but weaker, can reach the egg earlier than the female sperm, which are large and slow, but stronger. According to Shettle, the reason the ratio of boys and girls born is 50/50 is because a lot of weaker male sperm cells die in the birth canal. Having sex as close as possible to the moment of ovulation ensures that the sperm can reach the egg immediately, increasing the chance that many male sperm cells can reach the egg alive.
4. Free on his dogs. The Shettles method recommends using deep penetration sexual positions if you want a guy. The logic behind this is that ejaculation during deep penetration gets the sperm as close to the cervix as possible, giving the fast male sperm cells a head start. On the other hand, with less deep penetration, the sperm will have to travel a longer way to the uterus, giving the stronger, but slower female sperm cells (which can survive longer in the vagina) to the advantage.
5. Make the woman cum during sex. According to Shettle, male sperm, which are weaker than female sperm, are more likely to die in the acidic environment of the vagina. If the woman has an orgasm, it can give the male sperm cells a better chance. During the woman's orgasm, extra fluid is released from the cervix, making the lining of the vagina less acidic. The male sperm cells can survive better, which increases the chance that they will reach the egg alive. It is best if the woman cums just before the man ejaculates.
   • The Shettles Method also claims that the contracting movements during the female orgasm direct the semen inward.
   • If the woman can't have an orgasm, don't worry; it is not essential.
6. Try not to have sex before or after ovulation. The Shettles method only works if you only have sex once during ovulation. Other attempts can undermine the method because if you get pregnant as a result, the odds are just 50/50. So make sure you don't have unprotected sex outside of that one attempt during ovulation. You don't want your carefully controlled sperm using the Shettles method to compete with normal sperm.
   • According to most studies, sperm can survive in the vagina for 3 to 5 days. This means that the father and mother should not have unprotected sex 5 days before ovulation. It is also wise to wait a few days after ovulation before having unprotected sex.
   • If you do want to have sex, use a condom to avoid getting pregnant outside of the pre-planned period.
7. Understand why the Shettles method is questioned. Although its proponents swear by the Shettles method and there are some research findings showing that it is moderately effective, you should know that these techniques are highly questioned within the medical field. Multiple studies have shown that scientific data partially or completely reject the efficacy of the Shettles method. Other studies have shown that trying to determine gender by scheduling the time of intercourse reduces the chance of pregnancy anyway, let alone having a boy. In short, we can say that having a boy with the Shettles method is far from guaranteed.
   • Even studies that well suggest that the Shettles method works, it turns out that the effectiveness of the method is much lower than what Shettles claims; rather 60% than 80%.

Method 2 of 2: Using PGD with in vitro fertilization

1. Find a clinic where PGD and IVF are performed. PGD ​​is short for pre-implantation genetic diagnosis. This is a method to prevent the birth of children with a serious genetic disorder. It can also be used to determine the sex of the baby. In all countries in Europe, selection on non-medically relevant characteristics is punishable: only when there are hereditary, sex-linked disorders, deliberate pregnancy of a boy or girl is permitted. Check the PGD Nederland website, http://www.pgdnederland.nl, to find out where you can go near you.
   • PGD ​​in combination with IVF is the only way to choose the sex of the baby with certainty. It is a very expensive, research-intensive method. A mother undergoing PGD and IVF has to undergo all kinds of exams, take fertility medications, undergo hormone treatments, and donate eggs through a surgical procedure. The whole process can take months from start to finish. The costs are reimbursed by almost all health insurers.
2. Get fertility treatments. The mother will first have to give up eggs a few weeks to months in advance. For this she will be given certain drugs to stimulate the ovaries to release more mature eggs. The more eggs there are, the greater the chance of a successful pregnancy.
   • Normally, the woman will be given pills or injections for about two weeks, but if she does not respond well to the drugs, she may be given alternative medicines for a shorter period of time.
   • The side effects of fertility drugs are usually mild and can include hot flashes, nausea, bloating, headaches, and blurred vision.
3. Have hormone injections. In addition to fertility drugs, women who have to donate eggs usually also receive a series of daily hormone injections. These injections also stimulate the ovaries to release more eggs. These hormones include gonadotropins and the luteinizing hormone (LH). Some women experience serious side effects from these hormones, so if it is the first time, they are closely monitored to see if the process is going well.
   • You may also need to take progesterone, a hormone that thickens the uterine lining to prepare for IVF.
4. Give the eggs. While the woman's body is stimulated to release more eggs, an ultrasound determines when the eggs can be released. Once the eggs have matured, the woman undergoes a simple, low-impact surgical procedure to remove the eggs. A doctor uses a very thin needle attached to a tube to collect the eggs from the ovaries. Most women can resume their normal activities the same day.
   • Although the woman is sedated, it can be a bit painful afterwards. It is usually recommended to take painkillers afterwards.
5. Fertilize the eggs. If the father hasn't donated sperm cells yet, he should do so now. The sperm is processed to use the best quality, healthiest cells to fertilize the eggs. Within a day the eggs are checked to see if they have been fertilized. All eggs that have been fertilized are now allowed to grow for a few days.
   • As is the case with all sperm donations, the man should not ejaculate for 48 hours beforehand.
6. Have the embryo biopsied. After the embryos have been allowed to grow for a few days, the doctor takes a few cells for testing and analysis. At the moment, this has no consequences for the further development of the child. DNA is taken from every cell sample. This DNA is analyzed to determine the genetic profile of the embryo, including the sex of the child that would emerge from the embryo.
7. Make a decision based on the research results. After the cells of the embryo have been analyzed, the parents are informed about possible determining factors (such as the presence of genetic disorders). The parents then determine with which embryos they want to continue the pregnancy. If for medical reasons it is only safe to have a baby boy, only male embryos are now used.
   • PGD ​​is exceptionally accurate; conservative estimates have a 95-99% success rate. Later research can be used to confirm the results of PGD, making the method almost 100% accurate.
8. Undergo in vitro fertilization. Once you have determined which embryos will continue the pregnancy, they are placed through a thin tube into the woman's uterus. Normally, only one or two embryos are transferred. If the attempt is successful, the embryos will implant in the uterine wall and the pregnancy will continue normally. In general, a woman does not need to stay in the hospital as it has not been proven that more than 20 minutes of rest after the procedure would have a more positive effect.After two weeks, the woman can take a pregnancy test to see if the procedure was successful. .
   • Don't let failed IVF treatment discourage you. Most women have a success rate of 20-25% per treatment. A success rate of 40% or higher is considered rare, and even very healthy couples often need to undergo multiple treatments before they become pregnant.
9. Know the costs and what is reimbursed by insurance. The costs (intake interview, genetic and gynecological preliminary examinations, IVF / ICSI treatment, genetic examination of the cells of the embryo) are reimbursed by almost all health insurers. Of course, the deductible applies as well as any voluntary deductible. In a number of cases, preliminary genetic testing is required on family members, in addition to the testing on the wishful couple. This genetic examination of family members is declared to the health insurer of the couple, provided this reimbursement is included in the basic insurance. It is the responsibility of the wishing couple to inquire. If the reimbursement of this blood test is not part of the policy conditions, the insurance company will receive a bill for this blood test from the family members. In principle, it is reimbursed. However, the deductible and any voluntary deductible do apply.

Tips

• To increase the chances of having a boy, encourage your partner to wear boxers instead of briefs. Tight underwear increases the temperature around the testicles and can reduce sperm count.

Warnings

• No gender selection method is 100 percent reliable. Most gender selection techniques are based on lay people's stories and have not been proven by medical professionals.

Necessities

• Thermometer
• Ovulation kit