Fertility Tips: How to conceive a baby girl

I treat a ton of fertility in my practice so I know firsthand that making a baby is not always as easy as it seems. After seeing so many women struggle with infertility you realize that a healthy baby is truly the most important outcome of a pregnancy; not the sex, birthdate, or hair colour of your new born. That being said, it’s baby making season, and so many of my patients have been asking me for the secret of how to conceive a baby girl, naturally. While there’s no 100% guaranteed method that will make sure you end up with a baby girl, these are my recommendations based on scientific research and my clinical experience that may help to improve your odds:

Timing Conception

Research suggests that you can improve your chances of conceiving a baby girl through strategic intercourse timing. This theory is called the Shettles Method and it boasts a 75% success rate. Discovered by Landrum B. Shettles in the 1960s, this strategy suggests that couples have sex two to four days before ovulation in order to increase their chances of having a girl. This is due to the fact that sperm carrying the male chromosome swim faster, but survive for shorter periods of time than their female carrying counterparts which are more resilient, but swim slower. By timing intercourse a few days prior to your peak day (this will involve some monthly ovulation tracking and a good understanding of your cycle) you increase your chances of conceiving a baby girl since you’ll have more of the slower and more resilient ‘female’ sperm left to fertilize the released egg.

Eat More Fruits & Vegetables

According to one study, eating more fruit and vegetables can improve your chances of conceiving a girl. Vegetables that are high in calcium & magnesium, such as spinach, nuts and broccoli, will give you the best results. Conversely, a high salt & high potassium diet has also been shown to decrease your chances of conceiving a girl. Try cutting out processed meats, salty cheeses, bananas, avocados (sorry ladies) and processed food while you are trying to conceive a baby girl. One study examining diet found that 80% of pregnant women who increased their intake of calcium & magnesium rich foods while decreasing their salt & potassium intake gave birth to healthy baby girls. 

Herbal Medicine Strategies

Try sipping on some spearmint tea. Spearmint is a natural 5-alpha reductase inhibitor which means that it decreases the amount of androgens (male hormones) in a women’s system. Mint tea can be helpful when conceiving a baby girl as it’s believed that mothers with lower levels of circulating male sex hormones are less likely to conceive a baby boy. Your partner can also drink spearmint tea to potentially reduce the amount of male sperm cells being produced. Mint is a category A herb meaning that it’s considered safe in preconception and pregnancy.

Vitex supplements can also be a helpful tool in the preconception period to improve your odds of conceiving a baby girl. Vitex (aka chaste berry) has been used by herbalists and naturopaths for decades to normalize female hormones and prepare for fertility. This herb may help increase your chances of having a girl since it naturally increases the amount of female sex hormones in the mother.

Increase ‘Yin’

In traditional Asian medicine there are specific foods used to increase ‘Yin’ in the body, which corresponds with the female sex. Increase your dietary intake of the following foods for 3 months prior to conception: apples, asparagus, eggs, clam, crab, duck, honey, kidney beans, lemon, mango, oysters, pear, peas, pineapple, pomegranate, string beans, organic tofu, tomato, watermelon, yam. 

These foods are considered more ‘yang’ or male, and should be avoided when possible: basil, chestnut, cinnamon, cloves, dill & fennel seed, garlic, ginger, lamb, lobster, nutmeg, pistachio, raspberry, rosemary, sage, shrimp, anise, thyme and walnut.  

If you have more questions, or if you live near Oakville and are interested in a customized fertility support program you can book your first visit online here.

If you’d like to work together and you’re not a resident of Ontario*, or if you do live in Ontario and you’d prefer an online consultation you can book online with Dr. Sarah here. 

References:

• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21987941
• https://www.rbmojournal.com/article/S1472-6483(10)00549-3/pdf
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23136064

This information is not intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your Naturopathic doctor or primary care physician. Do not use the information in this document for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease. Always speak with your Naturopathic doctor before taking any nutritional or herbal supplement, or using any treatment for a health problem. If you have or suspect that you have a medical problem, contact your health care provider promptly. Do not disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking professional advice because of something you have read online.