A new social media trend is making the bold claim that it's possible to choose your baby's gender, supposedly backed by scientific reasoning. Under the tag of GenderSwaying, content shared explains the intricate methods mothers are employing to have a child of their desired gender, and these posts are being viewed millions of times.
Let's delve into the details...
While these methods are often not scientifically proven, they have become popular on social media and involve strategies such as mothers consuming specific foods or having intercourse at particular times. In short, the goal is to 'influence' or 'direct' the gender of the unborn child.
Influencer Alexis Bremner stated, 'I really wanted our first baby to be a girl. So, I did extensive research before getting pregnant,' deciding to implement the Shettles Method developed by American gynecologist Dr. Landrum Brewer Shettles in the 1960s. Shettles argues that the timing of intercourse relative to ovulation can influence the child's gender; he claims that Y-chromosome 'male' sperm move faster, while X-chromosome 'female' sperm are slower but survive longer.
This idea was developed by American microbiologist Dr. Kathryn Taylor, and it has inspired the emergence of similar approaches such as the Babydust Method. Dr. Taylor claims that the method has a success rate of 87%; however, there is no clinical study to confirm this.
Nicole Shamlin, a mother of three, shared that she finally had a daughter after following this advice:
During the cycle in which I got pregnant, we managed to do it two days before ovulation.
Dr. Bassel Wattar, an associate professor of endocrine gynecology and reproductive medicine at Anglia Ruskin University, stated, 'The Shettles method is not new; it has been in use since the 1960s. However, there is no scientific evidence backing this method.'
Research indicates that this method has no statistical impact on the sex of the baby. After all, the most important factor is not the baby's gender, but its healthy arrival into the world.