How To Have A Baby Boy Naturally - Today Show

Have you been dreaming about having a son for as long as you can remember? Did you pick out names, think about a themed nursery, or talk about how you would raise him? Regrettably, we have some insight to share: There’s no way to guarantee a boy if you’re conceiving your child naturally.

Yes, there are enough superstitions and old wives’ tales to fill your child’s bookshelf, and they might sound promising, but they’re not scientifically sound. Though, it’s understandable that you could be wondering if there’s any way to affect the gender of your baby. 

Scientists and experts tell TODAY.com that there is no natural way to select the sex of a baby — not through supplements, vitamins, sexual positions or manifestations.

“Myths such as these are not grounded in science,” a spokesperson from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) tells TODAY.com. “A fetus’s sex organs don’t start forming until the 9th to 12th week. There are no proven methods that will provide accurate information on the sex before that time.”

When you want to have a boy (or a girl) ...

There’s a phenomenon that sometimes comes along with having a baby, and it’s one of the less welcome experiences. Gender disappointment is very real and genuine, experts say, and it’s not something to feel shame around.

Psychologist Emma Levine says it shouldn’t affect how you view yourself as a parent, and that it “is certainly not a reflection of your capacity to love and care for your child.”

Instead, count gender as just another area of parenthood in which you’ll have zero control. And, if your baby is not the sex you were expecting (or hoping for), experts say the best thing to do is acknowledge your feelings. 

Boy or girl?

Dr. Mark Dow, laboratory director of the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at Johns Hopkins Medicine, tells TODAY.com that whether you have a boy or girl is pretty random.

“In general, there is a very slightly higher number of males than females born in the U.S.: about 105 boys to 100 girls,” says Dow, adding, “The sex of the baby is completely determined by the father.” 

Men produce sperm that carries either X or Y chromosomes, Dr. Dow adds. “One of these sperm will contribute to the egg, which is always X. XX babies are girls, XY are boys.”

And, short of medical intervention, there’s not much you can do about it.

Can you choose a baby’s sex through IVF?

According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, a test called preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) can screen for genetic abnormalities with embryos created through IVF. As the website states: “PGT can ensure that the embryo selected for transfer has the correct number of chromosomes, thereby reducing the chances for a failed IVF cycle and reducing the chance of miscarriage.”

The test was designed to look for a condition called aneuploidy.

Dow explains to TODAY.com that the testing doesn’t determine the sex chromosomes in the embryo, but you can see what's there. And since this is happening in an embryo that is still outside of a body, technically, parents could choose which embryo they want to implant based on sex. He notes that some hereditary diseases are linked to one particular sex, so that’s one medical reason why parents would want to choose to implant a female or male embryo.

Johns Hopkins Fertility Center does not encourage sex selection through embryo testing, says Dow, “but ultimately we do believe in patient autonomy.”

An ACOG spokesperson tells TODAY.com the organization “opposes all forms of sex selection not related to the diagnosis of sex-linked genetic condition.”

The spokesperson directed TODAY.com to the American Society of Reproductive Medicine’s Ethics Committee Opinion from 2022 which states that using preimplantation genetic testing for sex selection is “an ethically controversial practice.”