Conceiving a boy or girl?

The lowdown on…

Conceiving a boy or girl

1. The sex you conceive is largely a matter of chance and, obviously, the most important thing is that your baby is healthy, but if you’re really keen for a boy or girl, there are supposedly some things you can try to tip the balance.

2. Female sperm are thought to be stronger than male sperm, so have sex earlier on in your cycle, rather than on the day of ovulation, and don’t orgasm during sex.

3.  To conceive a girl, eat plenty of dairy products, unsalted foods, rice, pasta, mineral water, nuts and shellfish and limited amounts of meat and potatoes and avoid the ‘boy’ foods listed below.

4.  To conceive a boy, eat salty foods, plenty of meat, fish, white flour, pasta, spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms and fresh fruit and avoid the ‘girl’ foods listed above.

5. To conceive a boy, make love at night, on odd days of the month and in hot weather; to conceive a girl, initiate the sex yourself, make love in the afternoon, in cold weather and on even days of the month.

IVF update

Anyone attempting to obtain infertility treatment on the NHS will probably be aware it’s already something of a postcode lottery, but new recommendations from the British Fertility Society could mean that your weight is also an issue.

Obese women may not be offered treatment until they lose weight, as obesity can reduce chances of success and increase pregnancy risks. The Society also recommends that single women and same-sex couples be treated the same way as heterosexual couples.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       
20-25% is the likelihood of a normally fertile couple getting pregnant each cycle