Baby Gender Selection

Wendi — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 14:10:50 +0000

Baby Sex Selection

Yes, we are living in a day and age where couples are able to select the sex of their baby prior to pregnancy. Whether or not you believe in this practice, it is being done. Some couples desire to have a child of a particular sex in order to prevent certain medical illness, while others simply want to even out their families. Without using sex selection techniques you have about a 50% of conceiving a male child and a 50% chance of conceiving a female child. Sex selection methods are done to increase the odds in favor of having either a male or female child. Sex selection is a very controversial procedure, and as you can imagine many ethical and moral concerns come with it.

Sex selection is also commonly referred to as gender selection. Dependent on the method that you choose, you may only be increasing your chances of a particular sex by a small percentage or it can be as much as 99.9 % accurate.

Gender or Sex Selection Methods

The Gradient Method of sex selection is the least expensive of sex selection technologies. With that said, it also yields the poorest success rates of all three methods. Sperm from the father is placed in a fast spinning machine called a centrifuge. The goal is to have the X and Y-chromosomes separate. X chromosomes weigh more and the hope is that they will be identifiable through this separation process. Sperm then from whichever sex is desired is selected and used for IUI. This procedure on average will cost a couple $600.00 not including the cost and fees associated with IUI.

Flow Cytometry is another sperm sorting technique. Fluorescent dye is used to identify the X chromosomes. The dye will stick genetic material of the sperm. It is thought that the sperm with the chromosomes X will have more dye because they are made of more genetic material. The X and Y sperm are then separated with the use of a laser machine. Desired sperm is then used for IUI or IVF. Success rates with flow cytometry are much greater, about a 60-70% chance of conceiving a child of the desired sex.

Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) is one of the most successful techniques for sex selection. The process is complex and it involves the creation of embryos. Once the eggs have been fertilized and embryos have been created, the embryos will be analyzed for cell structure and DNA. The embryo is given time to divide and after about 3-4 days one cell is removed from each embryo. This one cell will be able to give information of the genetic makeup (gender) of the embryo. The desired embryos are then used for the embryo transfer for IVF. PGD yields about 99% accuracy for achieving the desired gender. PGD is much more expensive, it ranges from $2,000 and $4,000 plus the costs related to the IVF procedures.

Baby Gender Prediction

Wendi — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 17:34:00 +0000

Boy or Girl?

I am only a day shy of my 18-week ultrasound and am anxiously waiting to hear if we are having a little girl or boy. The excitement and anticipation is overwhelming! I have gotten mixed feedback from friends and family. There is a small group who believes that it is better to wait until the birth of the baby, they say it will be a bigger surprise. Then there are those, like me, who take the opportunity to find out as so as they can. Whether it is now or 18 weeks, it will still be a pleasant surprise! (And, the professional shopper that I am must say that there is not a huge selection of neutral clothes and accessories. So whether it is team pink or blue, we are ready!

Of course I have entertained myself by searching for “online gender prediction” results and came across many entertaining quizzes and philosophies. I have taken a few online questionnaires, with mixed results.

It is still fun, for entertainment purposes only, to partake in the online fun. I did find a list of all of the types of gender prediction that are out there:

Baby’s Heart Rate
The babies heart rate is a popular theory on guessing gender. Supposedly if your baby’s heart rate is 140 beats per minute or more, it’s a little girl. If the heart rate is under 140, it will be a little boy. No evidence supports this theory.

Chinese Gender Chart

Some say that the Chinese Gender Chart is up to 90% accurate, hmm. (Seems to me like any fertility treatments, especially FET’s wouldn’t hold any water with this prediction method, considering the fact our baby was conceived in December, but I didn’t carry it until March!) Legend states that the Chinese Gender Chart was buried in a royal tomb near Beijing over 700 years ago. As of now, the original is supposedly the Institute of Science in Beijing.

Click the link to test out the chart: Chinese Lunar Calendar

Drano Method

It is actually advised that pregnant women not try this method because of the toxicity of the fumes from the Drano. Here are the “rules”:

The Drano gender prediction test is “best” if performed after 16 weeks of pregnancy.
This test should be performed outside using a large glass container or jar.

What will I need for the Drano Gender Prediction Test?

Approximately 2 tablespoons of Drano
Large glass or glass jar
A few ounces of first morning urine

Put your urine and Draino in the glass jar. There will be a quick chemical reaction with strong fumes that will be emitted from the jar…stay away!

When the reaction stops, observe the color of the test.

If the liquid you observe darkens to a brownish color within the first 10-15 seconds – It is a boy. If the liquid shows no darkening or color change after 10 – 15 seconds – It is a girl.

Wedding Ring Method

Use your wedding ring and attach it to a thread or strand of hair. Hold the dangling item over your belly while you are laying down. If the ring swings in a strong circular motion, you will be having a girl. If it moves in a to and fro motion like a pendulum, you will be having a boy.

IntelliGender Gender Prediction

There is a fairly new kit on the market that claims up to 80% -90% accuracy in predicting gender called the IntelliGender Gender Prediction test. It is a urine test that you can use in the privacy of your home. This test is advertised in many popular pregnancy magazines.

Check out the IntelliGender now:
IntelliGender Gender Prediction Test Kit

All in all, the best way to find out the sex of your baby is through the use of ultrasound. Sonographers are highly qualified in making educated guesses about the sex of you baby, but the only way to get 100% accuracy is with an amniocentisis or CVS testing.

Pregnancy IVF Blog » boy

Baby Gender Selection

Baby Gender Prediction