For most couples who are starting a family, determining the gender of the new baby is a very important aspect of planning a family, just like recording basal body temperatures and charting fertile days. When trying to find ways to conceive a baby girl, there are various methods available, both scientific and natural, each one is said to increase the chances of conceiving a girl.

Although many couples claim that natural methods are effective, these have not been clinically proven. On the other hand, scientific methods of gender selection are under heavy ethical debates. Following are some of the more popular natural and scientific methods available.

The proper timing on when to have an intercourse is probably the most studied method when trying to influence the gender of your baby. It is actually premised on three principles:

1. That the male sperm swim and have a shorter lifespan than the female sperm;
2. That sperm can live inside the body for 3 to 5 days; and
3. That the egg can last for only half a day to one whole day.

Taking these factors into consideration, scientists believe that having sexual intercourse about 3 days before ovulation should be sufficient time for the male sperm to die before the egg becomes available. The task of fertilizing the egg is then left to the slower, but longer lasting female sperm.

One of the more popular ways to conceive a girl is by having a shallow penetration. This makes it possible for the sperm to be deposited in the more acidic areas of the vagina, which is more favorable for the female sperm.

Shallow penetration likewise neutralizes the speed of the male sperm. In contrast, deep penetrations place both the male and female sperm in more sustainable environments, just next to the cervix. The relatively shorter distance to cover favors the short-lived male sperm as this gives it sufficient time to fertilize the egg before it dies out.

Orgasms, according to reports from the Center for Genetics & Society, can affect a baby's gender. Female orgasms are said to reduce the acidity in the vagina, which supports the male sperm. The female sperm prefers the more acidic vaginal conditions. An orgasm results to contractions, and these allow the dipping of the cervix into the pool of sperm in the vagina where the quicker male sperm are most likely to be in front.

Basically, there are two methods that scientists use to influence the gender of a baby. These are the in-vitro fertilization and the MicroSort method.

In in-vitro fertilization, the egg is taken from the mother's body. It is then fertilized and implanted, and enables scientists to conduct genetic testing on the embryos to determine the gender. The male embryos are discarded while the female embryos are implanted. In MicroSort, scientists sort the sperm to eliminate the male sperm and use the remaining female sperm for insemination.

Both methods are very expensive and are currently under heavy debates on ethical grounds. However, these methods are considered safe and very effective.

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Want to find out how to conceive a girl naturally? Here is the best way to conceive a girl without medical assistance by using completely natural methods. Read more about how to give birth to a daughter.