How to Conceive a Baby Boy

For many years, couples hoping to conceive a baby boy have turned to the Shettles Method, a natural sex-selection theory developed by Dr Landrum Shettles. The method became popular through his book How to Choose the Sex of Your Baby and proposes that the timing of intercourse and several other factors might influence whether an X- or Y-bearing sperm fertilises the egg.

Although the Shettles Method remains well known, its claims have not been supported by good scientific evidence. In particular, research has found that timing intercourse in relation to ovulation does not have a practical influence on whether a baby is male or female. Couples should therefore regard the Shettles Method as a theory rather than a reliable way of choosing their baby’s sex.

Tracking ovulation can, however, be genuinely useful when trying to conceive because it can help identify the fertile window. The techniques described below can therefore still have a valuable role in conception planning, even though they cannot reliably determine the sex of your baby.

How to Conceive a Boy

The sex chromosomes of the egg and sperm determine the chromosomal sex of a baby. An egg contributes an X chromosome, while sperm can contribute either an X or a Y chromosome. An X-bearing sperm fertilising the egg usually results in XX chromosomes, while a Y-bearing sperm usually results in XY chromosomes.

The Shettles Method proposes that couples can influence which sperm fertilises the egg through timing and other aspects of intercourse. There is currently no reliable evidence that these natural techniques can significantly alter the chance of conceiving a boy or girl.

Calculating the Time of Ovulation

Timing ovulation is central to the Shettles Method. Dr Shettles suggested that couples hoping for a boy should have intercourse very close to ovulation because he believed Y-bearing sperm reached the egg more quickly than X-bearing sperm.

Scientific research has not supported this theory. A prospective study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that the timing of intercourse in relation to ovulation had no practical influence on the sex of the baby.

Knowing when you ovulate can still be extremely useful if your main aim is to become pregnant. The fertile window covers approximately six days ending on the day of ovulation, and regular intercourse during this period can maximise your chances of conception.

There are several ways to gain a better understanding of your fertile window.

1) Charting Cervical Mucus

Dr Shettles explains the details of charting cervical mucus in his book How to Choose the Sex of Your Baby. Cervical mucus can also be a useful fertility-awareness indicator in its own right.

As ovulation approaches, cervical mucus commonly becomes wetter, clearer and more slippery or stretchy, often compared with raw egg white. Monitoring these changes can help you recognise when you are approaching your most fertile days. You can read more in our guide to cervical mucus and your most fertile days.

While cervical mucus monitoring can help identify the fertile window, there is no good evidence that using it to time intercourse can influence whether you conceive a boy or girl.

2) BBT (Basal Body Temperature) Charting

Shettles also recommends using basal body temperature (BBT) charting alongside cervical mucus observations to help understand the timing of ovulation.

BBT is your resting body temperature. To chart it consistently, temperature is normally taken at approximately the same time each morning, before getting out of bed or beginning normal activity. A small sustained rise in basal temperature can occur following ovulation because of changes in progesterone levels.

Because the temperature rise happens after ovulation, BBT is generally more useful for confirming that ovulation has occurred and recognising patterns over several menstrual cycles than for predicting the precise moment when ovulation will happen.

BBT charting may therefore help you understand your cycle and fertile window, but it cannot reliably be used to influence the sex of your baby.

3) Use of Ovulation Predictor Kits

The final ovulation-tracking method discussed by Shettles is the use of ovulation predictor kits. These tests detect the rise in luteinising hormone (LH) that normally occurs shortly before ovulation.

An LH surge can therefore provide useful advance warning that ovulation is approaching. Always follow the instructions supplied with the particular ovulation test you are using, as testing procedures and recommended testing times can vary between products.

Ovulation tests can be particularly useful for couples who want help identifying the fertile part of the menstrual cycle. Fertility-awareness methods, including ovulation detection kits and cervical mucus monitoring, can help couples time intercourse when trying to conceive.

However, detecting the LH surge does not provide a scientifically reliable way to choose whether you conceive a boy or girl.

A boy needs an X chromosome and a Y chromosome

Women’s eggs contain an X sex chromosome, while sperm can carry either an X or a Y chromosome. When a Y-bearing sperm fertilises an egg, the resulting embryo will usually have XY chromosomes. When an X-bearing sperm fertilises the egg, the embryo will usually have XX chromosomes.

The Shettles Method was based partly on the idea that Y-bearing sperm are smaller and faster but less resilient than X-bearing sperm, allowing intercourse to be timed to favour one type over the other. This proposed difference does not provide a scientifically established basis for natural sex selection.

Studies examining intercourse around ovulation have not found the pattern that would be expected if the Shettles timing theory worked. In research where cycles resulting in male and female babies were compared, the timing of intercourse in relation to ovulation was similar.

Sexual Position

So what is the best sex position for getting pregnant? Shettles recommended deeper penetration for couples hoping to conceive a boy, based on the theory that depositing sperm closer to the cervix would favour Y-bearing sperm.

There is no good scientific evidence that a particular sexual position increases the likelihood of conceiving a boy. Specific intercourse positions have also not been shown to improve natural fertility. Couples can therefore choose positions based on comfort and personal preference rather than trying to influence the sex of their baby.

Sex & Orgasms

According to the Shettles Method, female orgasm might make conditions more favourable for Y-bearing sperm and therefore increase the likelihood of conceiving a boy. This is another part of the theory for which there is no reliable scientific evidence.

Orgasms are not necessary for conception to occur. Sperm can reach and fertilise an egg without the female partner having an orgasm.

It is also important to prioritise pleasure and enjoyment during sexual activity rather than making intercourse entirely about conception. Trying to follow complicated timing, position or orgasm rules can create unnecessary pressure for couples trying for a baby.

Not everyone is able to orgasm during sex, and there are many physical and psychological factors that can influence orgasm. Communicating with your partner and finding what is comfortable and enjoyable for both of you is more important than attempting to follow a sex-selection technique.

Can You Really Increase Your Chances of Having a Boy?

There is no convincing evidence that the Shettles Method or other natural techniques involving intercourse timing, sexual position or orgasm can reliably increase your chances of conceiving a boy.

One of the most important studies of intercourse timing and conception followed 221 healthy women across 625 menstrual cycles. The researchers found a clear fertile window for becoming pregnant, but cycles resulting in male and female babies showed similar patterns of intercourse in relation to ovulation. They concluded that timing intercourse around ovulation had no practical value for choosing the sex of a baby.

If you are trying to conceive, a more useful approach is to concentrate on identifying your fertile window rather than trying to select your baby’s sex. Professional fertility guidance suggests that intercourse every one to two days during the fertile window provides the highest reproductive efficiency, although intercourse two to three times per week produces nearly equivalent results.

Ovulation tests, cervical mucus monitoring and other fertility-awareness methods can help you understand when your fertile days are. They can improve your chances of timing intercourse appropriately for conception, but they cannot tell you whether you will conceive a boy or girl.

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