How to Conceive a Girl: Any Guarantees?

When Chrissie Teigen and John Legend announced that they were having a baby girl, they had an extra piece of info to share.

Not only were they having a girl, they'd chosen to have one.

Through IVF, the question of how to conceive a girl was answered with assurance.

Yep, IVF offers more choice in this department—but are there other ways to guarantee the sex of your baby?

First, a quick note on the difference between sex and gender.

Sex is biologically determined through genetics, but your gender identity doesn’t necessarily have to match up with your assigned sex.

In this article, we’re talking specifically about sex.

With all that in mind, let’s dive in.

In this article: 📝

What are the chances of having a girl?

This is how sex is determined before birth:

Every egg has an X chromosome.

Every sperm has either an X chromosome or a Y chromosome.

When a sperm and an egg come together, so do their chromosomes.

If they line up in an XX package, your baby will usually have female reproductive organs, and if they line up in an XY package, your baby will usually have male reproductive organs.

So, the chances of conceiving a girl are really around 50/50.

But there are also more nuanced variations of this process which result in a baby being intersex, where sex is not as easily categorized within a binary system.

As our language and knowledge of gender and sex continue to involve, it seems that there is more to the picture than we may have previously thought.

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

So are there any tips for conceiving a girl that make it more of a surefire thing?

Remember the story of Chrissie Teigen and John Legend?

When it comes to IVF, parents are able to determine the sex of their baby with almost 100% certainty.

This is only if the patients undergoing IVF choose to do a genetic testing of the embryo.

The genetic testing is often done to check for any genetic abnormalities, and provides a definitive answer on the sex of the embryo.

But what about if you don’t want to go the IVF route.

Are there other options when it comes to choosing to have a girl?

Can you conceive a girl on ovulation day?

There are all sorts of theories about how to improve your chances.

One of the more renowned practices is the Shettles Method of Sex Selection, which has been around in various forms since the 60s.

At the heart of this theory is the idea that male-producing sperm enjoy a more alkaline environment, while female-producing sperm like a more acidic one.

The goal? To create the perfect environment for your choice, whether that's boy or girl.

From diets to douches, nothing is more important than the timing when it comes to the Shettles Method.

Around ovulation, things are more alkaline in the woman’s reproductive tract, so this is supposedly the best time to conceive a boy.

The best time to get pregnant with a girl, supposedly?

At least three days before ovulation.

But while this may seem to be promising, it’s just not that reliable, with many scientists doubting Shettles’ methods and findings.

Other fascinating findings? Women who have highly stressful jobs may have a higher chance of conceiving daughters.

But that doesn’t mean you have to hit the job pages to up your chances.

While the correlation exists, it’s small—a 54 to 47 percent ratio.

So, when it comes to conception through sex, unless you opt for IVF, there’s no How to Have a Girl in Three Easy Steps program out there.

And we know, if that’s what you have your heart set on, that’s not the best news to hear.

But regardless of sex, when that baby of yours makes their appearance, your heart is going to pop.

That’s one guarantee.

The TTC journey can be tough.

You don’t have to navigate it alone.

Join us on Peanut and let’s have the conversation.

Good luck. 💙💗