“According to my desire...” Is it possible to choose the gender of the child? (journal “9 months”, No. 9, author obstetrician-gynecologist CIR Gevorkova E.V.)

Finding out who will be born, a girl or a boy, is a logical and natural desire of every married couple. However, conventional diagnostic methods, including ultrasound, do not give an accurate answer to this question until the 21st week of pregnancy.

Meanwhile, improvements in science have made it possible to determine the sex of a child using a blood test as early as 9 weeks. Moreover, the accuracy of the method is 90–95%. This research principle is possible by combining the circulatory systems of the mother and fetus. The woman's blood contains DNA that belongs to the baby. These postulates became the condition for the approval by American scientists of a new diagnostic method.

During an ultrasound, the sexual characteristics of the fetus are assessed by the image on the monitor screen, which may be blurry or inaccurate. A new technique related to the study of blood composition involves deciphering DNA to detect special chromosomes.

The technology is based on identifying the Y chromosomes that are in the blood of boys. If this chromosome is found in a woman’s venous blood, an heir should be expected. Otherwise, heirs.

This research technology is quite young, as it was developed in 2007 by the American center ConsumerGeneticsInc. Over the past years, the effectiveness of the technique has been tested in numerous clinical trials and confirmed by international certificates.

A little physiology

Each cell of the human body has 23 pairs of chromosomes - 22 pairs of autosomes (non-sex) and 1 pair of sex chromosomes. Each pair of autosomes is identical in a man and a woman. Only the sex chromosomes differ: a woman has two X chromosomes, a man has one X chromosome and one Y chromosome. In any woman, all eggs contain one X chromosome (there are simply no other sex chromosomes in the female body). There are two types of sperm in men: those with an X chromosome and those with a Y chromosome. If the egg is fertilized by an X sperm, a girl will be born, if Y, a boy will be born. Thus, the sex of the unborn baby depends only on the man! A woman can only “contribute” in the form of an X chromosome, and the responsibility for the second necessary part lies with the dad.

Determining the sex of a child by mother's blood

Back in 2011, scientists from the USA invented a simple blood test for a woman, which can be used to determine gender at 7 weeks. The technique is based on purifying free-floating DNA and searching for the Y chromosome, which indicates the conception of a boy. The test was created to detect chromosomal developmental abnormalities, suspected hemophilia in boys, as well as congenital adrenal hyperplasia, which is associated with early puberty. The analysis was tested on 6,500 pregnant women participating in 57 studies over 15 years. Perhaps this test will soon be available in all diagnostic centers around the world.

I believe - I don't believe

Whether to believe omens is a personal matter for each couple. Of course, most signs regarding the gender of the unborn baby are based on superstitions and prejudices. And some are based on nothing at all. Judge for yourself.

According to Chinese superstition, in order to have a boy, a woman needs to lie with her head to the north during intercourse, and to conceive a girl, she needs to lie with her head to the south. Among the Germanic peoples there is a superstition that if conception is “timed” in the rain, a girl will be born, and if it is in sunny weather, a boy will be born.

An interesting sign of the ancient Slavs (it can easily cause discord in the relationship between spouses): if a woman loves a man more than he loves her, a girl will be born, and if on the contrary, then a boy.

There is also such a sign: if conception occurs in the fall, then boys are born more often, and if in the spring, girls are born. This method is based on the “vitaminization” of the mother’s body - they say, in the fall there are a lot of vitamins in the body, and the boys “get started” in more comfortable conditions! And girls agree to be born in conditions of spring hypovitaminosis. However, according to science, the saturation of the female body with vitamins in no way affects the likelihood of fertilization with X- or Y-sperm. Of course, vitamins are necessary for the normal functioning of the body, especially when planning pregnancy. But so far, not a single vitamin has managed to take on the role of “determiner” of the sex of the unborn child.

The connection between the renewal of the blood of parents and the gender of the unborn child

Throughout the life cycle, the human body pumps hundreds of tons of blood, which undergoes regular renewal. Scientific research has proven that not only blood, but also mucous membranes and skin are subject to this process. Typically, the renewal frequency is 3 years for women and 4 years for men. No external factors affect the natural renewal that is programmed by nature. But it is worth considering that the blood can be renewed due to “artificial” irritants, which entail large blood losses. Thus, blood renewal also occurs:

• after natural birth and cesarean section;
• after surgery, which is accompanied by heavy blood loss;
• after donating blood;
• as a result of blood transfusion;
• after abortions.

The human body is a very complex mechanism, so it is very difficult to predict when blood renewal will begin. After all, it can begin with minor blood loss. Unfortunately, even modern laboratory tests cannot determine the “age” of blood.

Blood in the human body is renewed regularly

Adherents of this technique believe that the sexual predisposition of a child depends on which partner has the “youngest” blood at the time of conception. That is, if male blood was renewed much later than female blood, then it is the sperm containing the Y chromosome (male) that will be dominant and will reach the egg faster than all the others and fertilize it. But if a woman’s blood turns out to be “younger,” then a sperm with an X chromosome (female) will take part in conception.

Temperature technique

This floor planning technique is very common because it is quite simple to apply. Its essence lies in the fact that Y-sperm quickly die under the influence of high temperature, while carriers of the X chromosome are more resistant to the effects of heat and cold. Dads who want to have an heir should not overheat! They will have to forget about tight jeans, tight underwear, saunas, steam baths, and long periods of driving. Working in blast furnaces - no, taking a cold shower - yes!

There is some truth in this, but these precautions relate more to the possibility of having children in principle, and not specifically to a boy or girl. The fact is that under the influence of high temperature, the sperm protein denatures and all sperm lose their activity. Y-carriers die a little earlier, X-carriers die a little later, and it is impossible to calculate the period when the majority of one or the other will remain “alive.”

Use of the technique in clinical diagnostic

Clinical diagnostic specialists will help you get answers to questions related to the test, and will also tell you about the procedure for conducting it and the principles underlying the study.

By contacting us, you can be confident in the accuracy of the diagnosis and the transparency of the methods we use. Taking laboratory samples and studying the material, as well as drawing up conclusions, are carried out by qualified specialists with experience in the leading genetic laboratories of the capital.

We sign an agreement with each patient, which, along with the impeccable reputation of the center, becomes a guarantee of successful and fruitful cooperation. You can make an appointment by phone or on the website.

Dinner is served!

The method of planning the sex of a child using a special diet is a special topic. What kind of diets are not offered to expectant parents - electrolyte, French, Slavic, and Japanese...

The goal of all these diets is the same - to saturate the mother’s body with certain electrolytes (these are important biological substances involved in almost all spheres of the body’s life). All of them are equally necessary for the body, however, sperm have their own “preferences” in the saturation of specific elements. X chromosome carriers survive better in an environment saturated with calcium and magnesium, and Y chromosome carriers with sodium and potassium. And these substances are found in certain foods.

This is what the girl’s “grocery set” looks like: eggs, fresh fish, eggplants, beets, carrots, cucumbers, peas, capsicums, onions, green salad, unsalted nuts, dairy products, herbs, honey, jam. Drinks include coffee, cocoa, hot chocolate.

The boys “got” meat, bread, rice, potatoes, mushrooms, lentils, cherries, bananas, apricots, oranges, peaches, dates, dried fruits and traditionally male drinks - beer, wine, fruit juices.

This fairly common method of sex planning deservedly causes a particularly wary attitude among doctors, since, unlike other methods (calculating the date of ovulation, frequency of sexual intercourse, choosing certain positions, etc.), diet directly affects the condition of the mother’s body. An unbalanced diet (and any diet, in fact, is exactly that) threatens the exacerbation of chronic diseases, decreased immunity, hypovitaminosis, and at the same time does not at all contribute to the birth of a child of the desired sex.

"Call of blood"

One of the most popular methods for determining the sex of an unborn child is counting the “renewal” of blood. According to this technique, the state of the blood changes in a certain cyclical mode: at the beginning of the cycle, the blood is “fresher and stronger.” This determines the gender of the unborn child - whose blood is “younger”, that parent determines the gender of the unborn child.

The method, simple in its essence, is based on numerological theory. The technique of numerical patterns has reached us since ancient times; According to this theory, it is believed that all living organisms develop cyclically. At certain intervals, a programmed restructuring of the body occurs, including “renewal” of the blood. For women this interval is three years, for men - four.

The calculation is simple: the age of future parents is divided, respectively, by three for women and by four for men. Whose remainder is greater will be the floor. And an amendment: if the mother is a carrier of a negative Rh factor, then the result will be exactly the opposite.

Of course, there are no laboratory tests that can detect and evaluate the “freshness” of blood. There is also no scientifically proven pattern for the birth of children of a certain gender using this method. However, it is impossible not to note the objective value of this method - it is completely harmless to the body!

Accuracy of the technique

As pregnancy progresses, the accuracy of diagnosis increases. Compare:

• at 7–8 weeks it is possible to correctly determine the baby’s gender characteristics with 95% accuracy;
• at 9-10 weeks - 97%;
• at week 12 - 99%.

Among the diagnostic techniques for determining the gender of a child, a blood test can most reliably and safely obtain this information. Plus, diagnostics make it possible to identify genetic abnormalities in advance (such as hemophilia and Kleinfelter’s disease, which are dangerous for boys, and Shereshevsky-Turner disease, which is typical for girls). Having received timely information about the presence of problems in genetics, parents can decide to continue or terminate the pregnancy.

"Sprinters" and "marathon runners"

However, no matter how skeptical we may be, there are a number of observations that are statistically confirmed. These include calculating the timing of sexual intercourse relative to ovulation. Ovulation is the release of a mature egg from the ovary as a result of rupture of the follicle - the vesicle in which the egg was located. Then the egg enters the lumen of the fallopian tube, where the process of fertilization occurs - its fusion with the sperm.

Spermatozoa differ in their properties. Sperm carrying the male Y chromosome are more mobile than those carrying the X chromosome, and therefore are able to reach the egg first. So Y sperm would seem to have an advantage. But, once in the acidic environment of the vagina, Y-sperm become unstable and quickly die, opening the way for their slower X-counterparts. It turns out that sperm with an X chromosome are more viable due to the structural features of the membrane and can “sit” in the fallopian tube waiting for ovulation for up to 3 days. Spermatozoa with a Y chromosome are incapable of waiting at all.

However, the closer the day of ovulation, the more alkaline the vaginal secretions become, and the likelihood of Y sperm surviving is higher. Based on this, theories arose that claim that during sexual intercourse that occurs 1-3 days before ovulation, less durable Y-sperm die and the egg is more likely to be fertilized by an X-sperm, that is, a girl will be born.

And if sexual intercourse immediately precedes ovulation or occurs immediately after it, then, most likely, a boy will be born, since the more mobile and faster Y-sperm will quickly “reach” the released egg.

The condition for this calculation is the exact determination of the date of ovulation. There are several ways to do this: simple tests to determine ovulation, examination of cervical mucus, measurement of basal temperature, and the most reliable - folliculometry.

The method of measuring basal temperature is the most accessible, simple and quite reliable. The principle of its operation is to construct a temperature curve. To do this, you need to measure your rectal temperature every morning, without getting out of bed, and mark it, drawing a kind of graph. You should start from the first day of the cycle, which corresponds to the first day of menstruation. Approximately in the middle of the cycle, the even temperature line suddenly drops sharply - this is the day of ovulation. The next day, the line goes up just as sharply - this corresponds to the beginning of the second (luteal) phase of the menstrual cycle.

The method of studying cervical mucus is based on the fact that on the day of ovulation, the mucus is maximally saturated with estrogen and becomes abundant, stretchable, and viscous. When the mucus dries on glass, it crystallizes, and under a microscope you can see bizarre patterns - the “fern symptom”. Similar changes occur with saliva. At the pharmacy you can buy a small device to determine the approximate date of ovulation, onto which you can apply saliva and observe the appearance of the “fern”. It should be borne in mind that the fern effect appears not only on the day of ovulation, but also in the days closest to this date.

However, in modern life, the most common way to determine the day of ovulation is folliculometry - monitoring the maturation of the follicle using ultrasound. In this case, the process of follicle maturation is monitored by day, and the reliability of ovulation is confirmed by the presence of the corpus luteum - a formation that appears at the site of the burst follicle.

Calculation features

In principle, the method is as follows: if at the time of the child’s conception, the mother’s blood was renewed before the father’s, then a girl will be born and vice versa.
As you can see, the method itself is quite simple and allows parents to plan the gender of their future baby, but there are several factors that most either do not know about or forget to take into account when calculating. In addition to the fact that in the strong and weak half of humanity, blood renewal occurs at different times, it can also occur under a number of the following circumstances:

• Blood transfusion.
• Donation.
• For blood loss that may occur as a result of injury, childbirth or surgery.

If before conception one of the parents encountered one or another circumstance, this must be taken into account when calculating, otherwise one may not even hope for the effectiveness of the technique. If, for example, one of the parents donated blood as a donor, the count must be carried out exactly from the day when the procedure that affected the update was completed.

Another no less interesting point concerns the Rh factor of the expectant mother - if it is negative, then sex determination is carried out a little differently. In this case, the decisive vote is given to the one whose blood was renewed faster. If you do not delve into all the nuances, it may seem that it is quite difficult to understand everything, but you can always use special tables or tests that can be found online on the Internet.

The result is guaranteed!

So are there really no reliable ways to give birth to a girl or a boy? Eat. Science does not stand still, and in medicine, high technologies are periodically introduced into general clinical practice. One such breakthrough discovery is fetal preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD). This technique began to be used in 1990. Now it is carried out as part of the IVF program - in vitro fertilization. This is a method of assisted reproductive technology in which conception occurs outside the mother's body. The egg is fertilized by a sperm “in vitro”, i.e. in the laboratory, and then transferred to the uterus.

PGD ​​allows you to determine the sex and conduct genetic testing of the embryo before it is transferred into the uterine cavity and, accordingly, even before pregnancy occurs. Couples who have a high risk of transmitting a hereditary disease become “candidates” for this study.

But, despite the fact that this technique is widely used, today it does not meet the requirements of couples ordering a specific gender of the child, since it is used only to prevent the birth of children with gender-linked diseases. This extremely complex and expensive procedure is intended for genetic control of the fetus, and sex determination is only a “side effect” of this manipulation. Even the latest high reproductive technologies do not provide a 100% guarantee of results, and sometimes this procedure can cause complications. Therefore, preimplantation diagnostics of the embryo is carried out only if necessary and is not intended to satisfy idle curiosity or whims.

Perhaps the gender of the unborn child is one of the most common topics discussed during pregnancy.
From ancient times to the present day, couples have been actively looking for a way to “order the stork.” The desire to have a child of a certain gender is quite natural, unless it acquires obsessive traits and develops into a negative attitude towards a child of the “undesired” gender. To date, there is not a single reliable scientifically proven method of conceiving a fetus of a certain gender. And is it necessary? After all, the consequences could be catastrophic for all humanity. The question of the sex of the future baby is very complex - and at the same time simple. As it should be, so it will be. The birth of a child, the coming of a new person into the world is a True Miracle, and we must treat it with respect and awe. You just need to direct your efforts to planning your pregnancy with the goal of giving birth to a healthy and happy child. Boy or girl – does it really matter? Tags: cir in the media

Advantages and disadvantages of the technique

Like any method, determining the sex of a baby by blood renewal has both advantages and disadvantages. Moreover, the effectiveness of its results has not been tested in practice. Genetic studies have not been conducted on whether the “age” of the blood affects the speed of sperm movement.

Table: advantages and disadvantages of the method of determining the sex of the baby by updating the blood of the parents