Expert answer

By HilaryPereira

Your baby’s gender is determined by whether your egg is fertilised by a sperm carrying an X (female) or Y (male) chromosome. Some experts believe there are things you can do to influence the gender of your baby, by creating the right conditions for ‘male’ or ‘female’ sperm. They are certainly not guaranteed, but they’re loosely based on biological knowledge about sperm. One theory, known as the Shettles Method, is based on the knowledge that sperm containing the Y chromosome swim faster but die sooner than X sperm. So to conceive a girl, the theory goes, you should have sex up until approximately three days before you ovulate, allowing time for the male sperm to die out and giving female sperm the chance to fertilise your egg. When it comes to having sex, this method suggests that the missionary position is best, because sperm is deposited closer to the entrance of the vagina. There are some theories that douching your vagina (squirting liquid into it) can help. For a girl, you could try an acidic solution: try mixing 15ml (1tbsp) of vinegar with 600ml (one pint) of warm water.