This blew me away. And if it’s true, how cool would that be!

Sperm that carry the Y chromosome are said to use energy faster than those that carry the X chromosome. Energy utilization is said to be due to the speed at which the sperm swim. Supposedly, sperm Y is fast or contains fewer mitochondria, while sperm X is slower or carries more mitochondria. Mitochondria are the energy-producing cellular components that are absolutely necessary for life.

Sperm contain, and can only produce, a limited amount of fuel for their journey. If one type of sperm swims faster than another, the consequence of that, of course, is a faster arrival, but also a faster expiration.

That said, if a woman knows her cycle and when she ovulates, the odds of predicting the baby’s gender may be in favor.

Sperm can reach the fallopian tubes in about 20 minutes to 2 hours. Sperm are viable for about 4-7 days inside the woman. [This is dependent upon numerous factors – one main factor being the consistency of her cervical fluid.]

Since sperm that carry the X chromosome live longer, gender can be predicted.

How ??

Let’s give an example of how this prediction of the baby’s gender or sex determination would work.

You want – a girl.

You know that Sue ovulates 15 days into the cycle. You know that you must deliver sperm no earlier than 4 days before ovulation. In this way, the Y-carrier sperm will likely expire and the X-carrier sperm will remain viable. When the egg is released about 5 days after intercourse, the X carrying the sperm will be in the fallopian tube waiting. Ms. The sperm on the X chromosome touches the egg and a girl has started!

The critical and perhaps not-so-obvious advice: don’t repeat intercourse again for a week! Make sure it has been fertilized with the ‘mature sperm’

To sum up:

If you want a girl Aim for earlier sex before ovulation, at least 4 days before she ovulates.

If you want a boy Aim for subsequent intercourse before ovulation, say about 1 day before she ovulates.

Do Older Sperm Mean Less Healthy? This is not known; however, it is not the genetic material that dies immediately. It is the motility or movement of the sperm that is limited and so are the fuel reserves.

How do you know when Sue ovulates? She traces her cycle by temperature. In the morning, you take your temperature even before you get out of bed. Don’t drink alcohol the night before or have erratic hours, such as staying up late at night. The temperature log will show a slight normal variation of approximately +/- 0.2 points. When there is a “spike” in temperature, she has ovulated. The bullish peak is usually about 0.4 to 0.6 point of a degree. It will stay stable for a while and then gradually decrease. If the temperature does not drop, you are pregnant!

Now, is this prediction of the baby’s gender scientifically proven? I’m not sure but I doubt it. The viability of the sperm is proven. The difference in speed and viability of the x vs y chromosomes is tested. So the information presented here is postulated and assumed based on those data.

Why not give it a try? Predicting the gender of the baby can only be fun! And if it works, how cool would it be?

We need to investigate this. Seriously. I don’t think it is such a difficult study to do. Does anyone want to try it out and let me know how it turns out? 😉

In health,

Ben