If you desperately want a baby girl, you might be willing to do anything to make it happen. Well, when it comes to sex positions purported to increase the odds of conceiving a female, it's actually as tame as it gets.
According to Dr. Landrum Shettles [1], who has used his trademark "Shettles method" to give couples what he claims is a 75 percent chance of having a child of the desired sex [2], there are three surprisingly simple positions — along with one major (albeit unverified) disclaimer — to aid in getting a girl.
Although there is no scientific evidence to confirm Shettles's theory, the idea behind all of the recommended positions is shallow penetration.
Why? The Y-chromosome sperm responsible for producing boys swim faster but don't live as long and are generally weaker than the X-chromosome sperm that produce girls. These girl sperm, while slow, are resilient and can survive in harsher environments for up to five days.
1. Missionary.
It's nothing especially exciting, but it turns out that good old-fashioned sex is one of the best ways to get a girl. In fact, you shouldn't even try to spice it up: lie on your back and keep your legs planted, because if you wrap them around your partner's waist, you're inviting deeper penetration. If done right, the sperm will be deposited far away from the cervix, giving the girl sperm a greater chance of getting there than their boy counterparts.
2. Spooning.
Yep, the ultimate cuddle session might have some added benefits! In this position, you lie on your side with your knees bent, while your partner lies down and enters you from behind. It's the position of your legs that helps to keep the penetration especially shallow here.
3. Straddling.
Just as the "girl on top" straddling technique is purported to conceive a boy, the same can be said for creating a girl . . . it's all a matter of how you control the depth of penetration. By being on top and lowering yourself onto him, you can better ensure that your partner won't fully enter you and will ejaculate as close to the opening of your vagina as possible. This will make it more difficult for the boy sperm, who have a shorter lifespan, to reach your egg.
4. No Orgasm.
Womp womp: this is that annoying Shettles disclaimer you were warned about. Although you should never feel as though you can't enjoy sex to maximum fulfillment, there are some theories that the female orgasm creates an alkaline environment in the vagina that helps those short-lived boy sperm last longer. But by avoiding the Big O, your vagina remains acidic, which benefits girl sperm.