Different Sex Positions to Conceive a Girl

All you want is a healthy baby, right?

But you can mean that with all your heart and still know that you’ve always pictured yourself with a daughter.

So, if you want to tip the scales in favor of sugar, spice, and all things nice, here’s the lowdown on the best sex positions to conceive a girl.

In this article: 📝

How to conceive a girl: the background

A bit of “science” first.

A lot of the advice about different ways to conceive a girl or a boy is based on a book: How to Choose the Sex of Your Baby, by Dr. Landrum Shettles.

The theory was so popular in the 60s that people still refer to “the Shettles method”.

Your baby’s sex is determined by their chromosomes.

They get one of these from the egg (always an X chromosome) and one from the sperm (which can be X or Y).

After fertilization, an XX zygote (the technical name for the combined egg and sperm before the cells start to divide) will grow into a baby girl, and an XY will grow into a baby boy.

So, if you want to “choose” the sex of your baby, all you have to do is give the X or the Y sperm the best chance of being the first to make it to the egg.

Sounds logical, right?

The Shettles method is essentially a set of suggestions for influencing whether the X or Y sperm fertilizes the egg.

It claims to be at least 75% accurate, but of course, we can’t confirm this.

But, if you do want a daughter, here’s what you supposedly need to know about X chromosome sperm cells:

• They’re slower than their Y chromosome counterparts
• They live for longer and have more stamina
• They prefer an acidic environment

So, in a nutshell, if you want to conceive a girl, you just have to find a sex position that suits these characteristics.

The best sex positions to have a girl

According to Shettles, these are the best positions for conceiving a girl:

You on top

When you’re on top, you have control over how deep your partner goes.

Aiming for shallow penetration means the sperm ends up closer to the vaginal opening, and further from the egg.

"Male” or Y chromosome-carrying sperm might not have the staying power to make it to the egg from here, so it follows that you would have a higher chance of conceiving a daughter.

Missionary position

It’s a classic, and it might also be the best position to get pregnant with a girl.

Again, this position doesn’t let your partner go as deep, especially if you resist the urge to wrap your legs around his body.

Spooning

Cuddling leads to baby girls, apparently.

Again, of all the sex positions you could try, this is one of the shallower ones, so it gives those X chromosome sperm the advantage.

How else can I increase my chances of having a baby girl?

We’ll admit, the Shettles Method for conceiving a girl isn’t that adventurous.

And things only get worse.

You’ll also read that "a woman shouldn’t orgasm if she wants to conceive a girl".

The science here is that the female orgasm:

1. Draws sperm up closer to the egg, which favors male sperm and
2. Makes your vagina more alkaline, which also favors male sperm.

As you can imagine, this is not advice we're keen to get behind.

So we’d like to solve this little problem with a slight amendment to this, in the interest of having a great time and not letting your conception goals get in the way of good sex:

To conceive a girl, the woman should orgasm first.

And there are some more things to try:

• Stop trying a day or two before your ovulation date: The male sperm will run out of energy, but the girls should still be around when the egg is released. Plus, your cervical mucus becomes more alkaline the closer you are to ovulation.
• Eat a baby girl diet: Foods with lots of calcium and magnesium supposedly make your vagina a touch more acidic. Leafy greens, dairy, fish, almonds, and chocolate are all your friends.
• Get up and go: Lying down gives the speedy Y chromosome sperm the advantage. This might also be why it’s best to have sex in the afternoon to conceive a girl.

As fun as it is to talk about how to choose the sex of your baby, we also know that TTC can sometimes be a long journey.

So whether you’re speculating about the color of your future nursery or looking for some company on the road to get there, the other women in the Peanut community are there.