When it comes to the gender of your future children, do you prefer pink, or are you begging for blue?
While a healthy, happy baby is all that truly matters, there are a host of reasons why parents may be hoping for one gender over another. Some parents may like the element of surprise, while others (like the father of four daughters who fainted at his fifth gender reveal) may really want to select the gender of their child.
But there isn’t much you can do to determine the gender of your baby … or is there?
We’re here to tell you about the Shettles method and how to use it as a baby gender predictor. The Shettles method isn't accurate 100% of the time, but it could be worth trying if you really want a boy or girl.
What Is the Shettles Method?
The Shettles method was introduced over 40 years ago by Dr. Landrum Shettles, who proposed the idea that there are key differences between male (Y) sperm and female (X) sperm. Male sperm have a shorter life span, are able to swim faster, and are more sensitive than female sperm.
Using this knowledge, you can time intercourse based on these attributes. Using the Shettles method for a girl, you should have intercourse daily from the end of your period until three to four days prior to ovulation. For a boy, you should have intercourse from two days before ovulation until the day after.
The key to successfully using the Shettles method is being able to accurately pinpoint ovulation. If you are one of those women who have no idea when you’re ovulating, there’s little chance of the Shettles method being successful for you.
According to Dr. Shettles’ own book, Choosing the Sex of Your Baby: “Our success rate continues to be 75 percent or better for those seeking girls and 80 percent for those who seek boys. And the rate of success is even higher among those who have reported … that they were ‘highly confident’ that they had precisely pinpointed ovulation — a key factor in the Shettles method.”
With this in mind, let’s take a look at some of the signs of ovulation and facts that may help you pinpoint your own ovulation.
Signs and Symptoms of Ovulation
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Ovulation occurs in the middle of your cycle, but not on a particular cycle day, since cycle lengths vary from person to person and even month to month. If you don’t know the average length of your cycle, you may need to keep track for a few months.
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Once you know your average cycle length, divide the number in half to determine an approximate time of ovulation.
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Symptoms of ovulation include increased discharge; thin, mucus-like discharge; a twinge of pain in one or both ovaries (called mittelschmerz</em>); breast tenderness; bloating; and increased sex drive. Even if you don’t have all of these, there’s a good chance you have at least one, so pay close attention!
Once you get good at determining when you ovulate, it’s time to get down to business!
How to Use the Shettles Method to Conceive a Baby Boy
- Refrain from intercourse until as close to ovulation as possible.
- Use positions that allow for deeper penetration to allow the short-lived male sperm to reach the egg before the heartier female sperm.
How to Use the Shettles Method to Conceive a Baby Girl
- Have intercourse every day from the last day of your period up to three to four days prior to ovulation. This is why it’s critically important to know exactly when you ovulate — you’ll need to know when to stop!
- Use only positions that allow for shallow penetration, like the missionary position.
Shettles Method Success Rate
The Shettles method is based on scientific research and is much more accurate than the Chinese baby gender predictor. However, it has its share of doubters, and of course isn’t accurate 100% of the time.
If you used the Shettles method as a baby gender predictor, please SHARE this article with others who may want to use it as well, and let us know in the comments how it worked for you!
