Although no single position can guarantee your baby's gender 100 percent, Dr. Shettles claims his methods are "best supported by scientific evidence" and have a success rate of 80-85 percent for couples who are trying for a boy.
The Shettles Method is based around the theory that the X and Y sperm have different characteristics, and that you can influence the reproductive environment to favor one or the other.
The male Y-sperm are said to:
- Be faster swimmers and smaller than the female X-chromosome carrying sperm
- Have a shorter lifespan than the X-chromosome-carrying sperm
The female X-sperm are said to:
- Be slower than the Y-sperm
- Be better able to withstand the acidic vaginal environment and more resilient than Y-sperm
To up your chances of conceiving a baby boy
1
Do it doggie style
Dr. Shettles recommends this position to couples hoping to conceive a boy. Why? The doggie style allows for deeper penetration, and so when the sperm get deposited closer to the cervix, this gives advantage to the faster swimming Y-sperm.2
Choose a position that makes you orgasm
Female orgasm causes the cervical fluid to become even more plentiful and alkaline, and thus more hospitable to the sperm, which especially favors the faster swimming Y-sperm.3
Have sex on the day you ovulate
Abstain from sex at least four days leading up to ovulation, and then do the deed on the day of ovulation, says Dr. Shettles. (You can use an ovulation kit to pinpoint when you ovulate.) The egg is release at ovulation waiting for the sperm, and since Y-sperm are faster swimmers, the theory is that they’d reach the egg first.4
Have your partner drink some coffee just before intercourse
Dr. Shettles believes consuming caffeine half an hour before sex would give sperm -- especially Y-sperm -- a boost.Related: Increase your odds of conceiving a girl
