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One of the common methods to try and have a girl is to use the Shettles Method of gender selection. We are just providing you a basic overview of the approach, so you will need to read the book to learn all the specific details.

The Shettles method was developed by Landrum B. Shettles to help influence the gender of your baby prior to conception. Couples can improve thier odds of conceiving a girl by following the method that Shettles outlines. While the Shettles Method isn’t 100% accurate, it’s thought to be a good approach of gender selection, having a 75% to 90% success rate in conceiving a child of your desired sex. Understanding when you ovulate, timing intercourse, and the position to have sex in are major elements of the Shettles Method.

Knowing When You Ovulate

The theory is that “girl” sperm are hardier and may last longer than the much more fragile “boy” sperm. The key to conceiving a girl is to accurately figure out when you are ovulating. You will want to chart when you are ovulating for, at the very least, two or three months so you’ll be able to accurately time intercourse for getting pregnant with a girl. You should be able to pinpoint when you are ovulating by basal body temperature (bbt)charting, charting your cervical mucus or by using ovulation predictor kits. All of these methods can be used together to increase your certainty. If you are planning on using an ovulation kit, you will have to keep in mind that it will only give you a 24 to 36 hour warning prior to ovulation. If you are trying to get pregnant with a girl, this time frame isn’t a long enough warning, as you are supposed to stop having sex several days before ovulation.

Timing Intercourse Precisely

If you have been consistently been recording your results, you should have a good idea of when you ovulate in your cycle. You will want to have unprotected sex up to 3 or 4 days before you ovulate. After this time, you are decreasing your chances of conceiving a girl. At 3 or 4 days prior to ovulation, your cervical mucus and vaginal environment are more acidic. The acidic nature of the vaginal environment is favorable for the “girl” sperm as they are more resilient than the “boy” sperm. If you are seeing slippery cervical mucus, with the consistency of raw egg whites, you’ll need to use caution. The egg white cervical mucus is a lot more fertile and less acidic, favoring the “boy” sperm.

Sex Position and Orgasm

Although intercourse is only a small piece of the puzzle, it is an important one. The Shettles method recommends that, if you are trying to get pregnant with a girl, you should have sex that has shallow penetration. Your partner should try to ejaculate as close to the vaginal entrance as possible. The entrance is more acidic, than the rest of the vagina, and will work against the weaker “boy” sperm. Typically missionary position, with woman on her back and the man on top, is the recommended position to have sex in if you are trying to have a girl. In addition, the woman should avoid having an orgasm as this releases fluids in the reproductive environment that lowers acidic levels allowing the “boy” sperm to survive longer than you would desire. The contractions from the orgasm can pull the sperm up into the cervix and help the boy sperm be ready and waiting for your egg, once you ovulate. This is not something you want to happen if you are trying to conceive a girl.

Good Luck!