Do Calories Count for Gender Selection?

Diet is an important part of natural gender selection -- in fact, it's consistently supported by research.  What's the most important part of your diet for natural gender selection?  The foods you eat count, but the overall number of calories you get every day also counts. 

What the Studies Show

Calories and overall nutrient levels can make a big difference in the gender of your baby.  Research studies like the Oxford study show that moms who have more sons eat more calories -- significantly more calories.  Women who had daughters ate significantly less calories than those moms having boys.  For sons, women were eating 2,400+ calories a day.  Women with daughters were eating closer to 1,500 - 1,800 calories per day.

Studies also show there's a strong correlation with overall nutrient intake.  Women who are getting more calories are getting higher levels of nutrients.  These are the moms most likely to have boys.  The moms getting lower calories and lower nutrients have girls.

The Trivers-Willard Hypothesis

There is a hypothesis that lends support to the conclusions drawn from the research above. The Trivers-Willard hypothesis suggests that in times of plenty, mothers are more likely to have sons.  In times of famine and stress, mothers are more likely to have daughters.

A lot of the work connecting this hypothesis to gender selection has been done via independent research from Atomic Sagebrush.  She's pulled together all these studies and hypotheses to create a workable plan for getting a daughter or son.   Her "high everything" and "low everything" diets are based on the Trivers-Willard hypothesis.

The reason why Trivers-Willard suggested the gender ration changed happened is boys require more calories from the moment of conception. They require more energy to get from brand new baby in its mother's womb to a grown man successfully having children. The theory is that during times of plenty, it's much more likely that the calories and the food is going to be there to help this little baby boy go from a tiny baby in his mother's womb to a grown man who is able to father his own children.

In times of famine, a girl (who requires far fewer calories throughout her life) is much more likely to grow and be able to have a baby. The Trivers-Willard Hypothesis states that these things happen for the perpetuation of our species.

Whether you believe in the whole evolutionary theory or not that's built into that is up to you to decide. The fact that boys take more calories and girls take less calories is true, however.

How to Get Your Desired Gender

What can you do if you want a boy? Eat all your vegetables! Getting more protein and more fat increases your calories throughout the day and gives you significantly more nutrition. More nutrients going in via a more nutrient-dense diet mean you're increasing your chances of getting a boy by increasing your nutrition. Again, eat your vegetables. Eat the protein. Shoot for 2,400-2,500 calories a day. Salt to taste. Make sure that you're getting good amounts of fat. Drink whole milk, preferably unprocessed whole milk. These guidelines make you more likely to get a boy.

You want to limit things in your diet if you want a girl. Eat the more carbohydrate-heavy and nutrient-skimpy diet because carbohydrates provide our bodies with sugar and not much else. Grain products can provide B vitamins, magnesium and a few other nutrients, but really, when it comes to nutrient density, animal products are what give us the best bang for our buck. Grains are hard to digest and relatively nutrient-poor.  Women hoping for a girl typically look to grain products and get a minimum amount of protein a day from plant-based sources like beans.

Atomic Sagebrush recommends that a women trying to conceive a girl get around 1,700 calories a day because that is a level where she can safely conceive a baby and it doesn't impact fertility, but has still been shown to favor a girl conception.


Photo by juhansonin

So You Want to Get Pregnant with a Boy

Do you find that every time you think of getting pregnant, you picture a sweet little boy?  Boys are a wonderful adventure -- they keep you feeling young just watching all of their energy!  In this article I'll cover some of the reasons to use natural gender selection for a boy, as well some basic techniques for conceiving a son.

Boisterous  and Beloved

You've probably heard countless parents say that they just want a healthy baby.  For many, that's true.  But many moms also long to have a sweet baby boy in their arms -- and that's totally normal!

Some mothers dream of the chance to parent both genders.  Many moms hope they'll have a boy first so their little girl will have a big brother to watch over her.

Women sometimes hope to give their husband a son, and have a son to carry on the family name even into adulthood.  Though times and traditions change, having a son is still a proud moment for families. 

Sometimes a woman had a tough relationship with her own mother and feels worried about having a daughter... it's normal to desire a son if that's the case.  Sometimes it seems like parenting a son is easier. 

Whatever the reason, many women would like to get pregnant with a sweet baby boy!

Techniques for Conceiving a Boy

Natural gender selection techniques can increase your chances of bringing home a baby boy.  It's important to remember that no natural sex selection method can 100% guarantee you'll get the gender you desire.  Be open to any baby that comes.  You can, however, increase your odds of getting a little boy!

Look to diet first.  Changing what you're eating (and even how often you're eating) can have a huge impact on your chances at getting a son.  Boys need more calories all throughout life.  Eating a diet that's high in calories and contains lots of nutrient-dense foods is a great way to try and conceive a boy.  This strategy is one of many "boy diets" and is based on the Trivers-Willard hypothesis.

Supplementation with vitamins and minerals is mostly geared towards increasing your level of nutrients.  Supplements may also help you make your body more alkaline, which gives an advantage to boy sperm.  Some supplements increase your fertile mucus around ovulation, which is also very good for boy sperm.

There are many other techniques to use when you try to get pregnant with a baby boy.  Timing intercourse, different positions, exercise, and other lifestyle factors can be included to really boost your chances at bringing home a little man!



Photo by Leo Wilson