How to Get Pregnant with a Girl

Download Article

Increase your chances of having a baby girl with this simple guide

Medically reviewed by Lacy Windham, MD

Last Updated: September 19, 2024 Fact Checked

Download Article

Dietary Changes

|

Timing Conception

|

Medical Procedures

|

Video

|

Tips

|

Warnings

There are many reasons that hopeful parents might wish to have a baby girl. Perhaps you already have a son (or two or three!). Perhaps you are worried that you might pass along a sex-specific genetic disorder. Or perhaps you just have a personal preference about the sex of your baby. The only guaranteed methods of ensuring a baby's sex take place post-fertilization in a medical facility or laboratory, under the care of medical professionals. ^{[1]
X
Trustworthy Source
Cleveland Clinic
Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals
Go to source} However, there are a number of folk remedies and pre-fertilization techniques that some people say might help influence your baby's sex. Perhaps you'll find that, though these techniques are disputed, they're worth a shot. But no matter what: a 50/50 chance isn't so bad, right?

Things You Should Know

Eat a diet high in calcium and magnesium with foods like milk, eggs, and fruits and veggies. This might create a more "friendly" uterine environment for baby girls.
Avoid eating foods rich in potassium and sodium, like bananas, tuna, mushrooms, beans, and potatoes. These foods can increase your chances of having a boy.
Track your ovulation cycle and have sex 2-4 days before you ovulate. This gives female sperm more time to move up the uterine canal.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Using Dietary Changes to Influence the Sex of Your Baby

Download Article

Dietary changes remain a controversial method of influencing a baby's sex. Many doctors and scientists doubt that diet can exert any strong influence on a child's sex and consider the sex of a baby to be based on random chance. ^{[2]
X
Research source} Nevertheless, if your doctor says that it is safe for you to adjust your diet to promote having a girl baby, there is little harm in trying a "girl diet."
Dietary changes can supposedly affect your likelihood of conceiving a girl by altering the mineral content and acidity of the uterine environment. According to this theory, a woman's diet in the weeks leading to conception can make her body more "friendly" toward X chromosome sperm (which lead to a baby girl) and less "friendly" toward Y chromosome sperm (which lead to a baby boy). ^{[3]
X
Research source}
Recommended foods on a diet conducive to having a girl include low-sodium dairy products, eggs, rice, and low-sodium breads and crackers. ^{[4]
X
Research source} Fruits and vegetables might also help you conceive a girl.
A 2008 study found that women who ate potassium-rich cereals were more likely to conceive boys. ^{[5]
X
Research source} Other potassium-rich foods include bananas, salmon, mushrooms, beans, tuna, sweet potatoes, and potatoes.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Timing Conception to Influence a Baby's Sex

Download Article

1
Track your ovulation cycle. You can time your ovulation in many ways. The most accurate method is to use an ovulation predictor kit (OPK). If you have a regular menstrual cycle, you can also predict the date range of ovulation by counting back 12-16 days from the date your last period started, though the prediction might not be entirely accurate. ^{[6]
X
Research source}
- Keeping track of ovulation can also increase your likelihood of conceiving at all (regardless of sex) because women are usually the most fertile in the few days prior to ovulation. ^{[7]
  X
  Trustworthy Source
  Cleveland Clinic
  Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals
  Go to source}
- Other signs of ovulation include abdominal pain, changes in vaginal fluids, and changes in basal body temperature. Consider tracking your cycle carefully on a calendar in order to understand how your body responds to ovulation. ^{[8]
  X
  Trustworthy Source
  National Health Service (UK)
  Public healthcare system of the UK
  Go to source}
2
Have sex 2-4 days before ovulation to conceive a girl. Female sperm carry more genetic material, making them heavier and slower than male sperm. Having sex at least two days before ovulation gives the slower female sperm more time to move up the uterine canal before the egg arrives. ^{[9]
X
Research source} This is known as the "Shettles Method."
- There is an alternate theory known as the "Whelan Method" that suggests that sex should take place 2-3 days prior to ovulation to conceive a girl and 4-6 days before ovulation to conceive a boy. ^{[10]
  X
  Research source}

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Using Medical Procedures to Conceive a Girl

Download Article

While medical procedures are the most foolproof method for having a girl, they are also the most expensive. They can cost anywhere from several hundred dollars to tens of thousands of dollars. Sometimes these procedures are not available in every country, leading to additional travel costs as well. ^{[11]
X
Research source} Set a budget in order to plan how you might pay for the procedure.
While side effects from these procedures tend to be mild, these techniques are relatively new and involve a certain amount of risk. ^{[12]
X
Research source} Talk to a trusted doctor to decide what risks you are comfortable taking on.
It is possible to sort sperm into Y-chromosomal and X-chromosomal sperm using a technique known as cytometric sorting, after which an egg is fertilized with the desired sperm using artificial insemination or in vitro fertilization. Because X chromosomes are slightly larger than Y chromosomes, sperm that lead to girls are able to absorb more fluorescent dye than sperm that lead to boys. The sperm can then be separated, and the desired sex of a baby can be chosen. ^{[13]
X
Trustworthy Source
PubMed Central
Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health
Go to source} Sperm sorting is highly effective, though it is not 100% effective. ^{[14]
X
Research source} It can, however, be costly and might not be available for all prospective parents.
Many reproductive clinics offer to sort sperm by their speed of movement. Because sperm carrying female genetic material tend to be heavier (and therefore slower), this sorting can make a specific sex much more likely, though not guaranteed. ^{[15]
X
Trustworthy Source
Science Direct
Online archive of peer-reviewed research on scientific, technical and medical topics
Go to source}
5
Pursue preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD). This procedure can be done on embryos created using in vitro fertilization. It allows doctors to identify embryos of a certain sex, thus providing sex selection prior to embryonic implantation. In addition to identifying (and potentially selecting) embryos of a certain sex, chromosomal disorders and conditions can be identified using PGD. ^{[16]
X
Research source}
- Though highly effective, the procedure is costly and invasive, and it raises ethical dilemmas about the appropriateness of sex selection of embryos. In fact, sex screening is banned in some places. Certain countries, like Britain, make exceptions only when there is a medical necessity to screen for sex, such as sex-specific genetic diseases. ^{[17]
  X
  Research source}
- Other doctors similarly support post-fertilization sex selection in cases of medical necessity, but reject post-fertilization sex selection practices because of personal preference.
- The procedure works by identifying the sex of an embryo while it is still in the lab before it is placed in the womb, and claims 100% accuracy.

Expert Q&A

Search

Add New Question

Ask a Question

200 characters left

Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.

Submit

Video

Tips

If you are sad that you did not end up having a girl, that is known as "gender disappointment." It is a common condition, and you should not feel guilty about experiencing it ^{[18]
X
Research source} Instead, you should embrace your feelings and talk about your disappointment with a close friend or doctor. ^{[19]
X
Trustworthy Source
PubMed Central
Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health
Go to source} Usually the feelings of sadness pass after you bond with your baby, no matter what sex it is. If the feelings do not pass, you should reach out to your pediatrician. ^{[20]
X
Trustworthy Source
PubMed Central
Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health
Go to source}

Thanks
Helpful 1 Not Helpful 1
If having a child of a particular sex is important to you, you might consider alternative ways to raise a daughter besides giving birth to one. For example, you might consider adoption or becoming a foster parent. Not only would you have the experience of raising a girl, but you would also be giving your home to someone who needs one.

Thanks
Helpful 1 Not Helpful 2
Unless you pursue post-fertilization sex selection, the chances that you will have a baby girl will always remain roughly at 50/50. Try to approach your baby's sex philosophically and don't have your heart too set on any particular sex. Remember that the most important things are the health and happiness of your child.

Thanks
Helpful 0 Not Helpful 2

Submit a Tip

All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published

Name

Please provide your name and last initial

Submit

Thanks for submitting a tip for review!

Warnings

Although many reproductive specialists offer sex selection procedures for any reasons, some consider it unethical to select for sex based on preference alone.

Thanks
Helpful 13 Not Helpful 4
Talk to your doctor before making any drastic dietary changes (including taking new vitamin/mineral supplements) to make sure that they are safe and do not interfere with any medications you might be taking, or with any preexisting medical conditions you may have.

Thanks
Helpful 6 Not Helpful 2
Many medical professionals do not believe it is possible to influence a baby's sex through such means as dietary changes, sex positions, or timing the ovulation cycle. Even so, some companies claim that they have found the key to sex selection. Be wary of any pre-fertilization services that guarantee your baby's sex: they can be expensive and might not be effective.

Thanks
Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0
There are certain black-market sex-selection drugs that not only are ineffective at influencing a baby's sex but also have the potential to actively harm a fetus. Do not take any medications or supplements without discussing them with a licensed physician. ^{[21]
X
Trustworthy Source
PubMed Central
Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health
Go to source}

Thanks
Helpful 2 Not Helpful 0
Sex is not equivalent to gender; it is possible that your child will not identify with the sex they were assigned at birth. Be sure to support your child, no matter what gender he, she, or they might be. ^{[22]
X
Research source}

Thanks
Helpful 1 Not Helpful 1
Some of the most surefire methods of ensuring a baby's sex are also the most controversial and might raise ethical questions and concerns. Be sure that you think carefully about the implications of your reproductive choices. ^{[23]
X
Trustworthy Source
PubMed Central
Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health
Go to source}

Thanks
Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0

[1]

Trustworthy Source

Go to source

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

[17]

[18]

[19]

[20]

[21]

[22]

[23]

Log in

How to Get Pregnant with a Girl

Things You Should Know

Steps

Using Dietary Changes to Influence the Sex of Your Baby

Timing Conception to Influence a Baby's Sex

Using Medical Procedures to Conceive a Girl

Expert Q&A

Video

Tips

Warnings

You Might Also Like

References

About This Article

Reader Success Stories

Did this article help you?

Quizzes

You Might Also Like

Featured Articles

Trending Articles

Featured Articles

Featured Articles

Watch Articles

Trending Articles

Explore Categories