Mumbling, whispering, praying. "Let it be healthy, let it be healthy," is the mantra of any pregnant woman facing the results of the 20 week sonogram....
Mumbling, whispering, praying. "Let it be healthy, let it be healthy," is the mantra of any pregnant woman facing the results of the 20 week sonogram. It's the one that measures the limbs, checks the vital organs and, very often, reveals the gender. And for all those whose prayers are answered and can report back to family and loved ones in a cloud of joyful relief, the question that tends to follow is, "Do you know what you're having?"
In fact, most pregnant women have more than one story of being questioned and sometimes even accosted by everyone from their parents to random strangers begging the question, "So, boy or girl?" Some individuals will even go so far as to make their own gender predictions and since more often than not these predictors of the baby's gender are based on the shape of the belly, the opinions are rarely appreciated. And it seems the only thing that frustrates these fortune-tellers (frustration they may well deserve) more than being told their gender prediction is incorrect is being told that, boy or girl, even the soon-to-be mother doesn't know.
Every parent has an opinion on whether to discover the gender of their baby in advance, just as every parent who does opt for early discovery then must argue over whether to publicize that information. Along with conversations about the best strollers, infant baths and preschool programs, the best boy or girl ratio in a family and the lengths a parent can and should go to achieve that ratio certainly garners its share of opinions. Obviously, for some, the issue of a baby's gender goes beyond personal preference. In families where gender-related genetic diseases are a concern, the issue of gender selection intersects with the mantra of health. Regardless, the question of what creates a balanced family, and how far parents can and should go to conceive a boy or conceive a girl, is a hotly debated topic.
For some, personal preference is justification for skewing the odds. A quick internet search will offer tons of DIY suggestions for how to conceive a boy or how to conceive a girl. These suggestions include everything from diet modifications, and ovulation timers, to positioning tips. Depending upon whether you prefer a boy or girl, these methods profess that the gender of the baby can be determined by a variety of environmental, nutritional or biological factors. These gender selection methods for a boy or girl are not without merit and certainly come backed with testimonials lauding their methods for conceiving a boy or girl.
And yet, no gender selection methods that do not specifically implant sperm with the chromosomes for a boy or girl are foolproof. How to conceive a boy or how to conceive a girl may be affected by other factors, but in the end, only the correct combination of X and Y chromosomes can guarantee a baby's gender. Gender selection methods to conceive a boy or girl be based on timing or diet. In today's high-tech world, gender selection has entered the realm of science, one that is nearly exact. A little research beyond the DIY will yield an abundance of science-backed information, research studies and medical evidence pointing to safe and effective gender selection methods.
Clearly, not every parent will take their preference, no matter how ingrained it is, to the realm of implantation. However, with the new crop of gender selection techniques to conceive a boy or a girl abounding, the new question may not be "What are you having?" but "What do you want?"
Utilizing his extensive experience and expertise with in vitro fertilization, Dr. Silverman is now offering patients in vitro fertilization along with preimplantation genetic diagnosis (IVF/PGD). IVF with PGD is extremely effective for family balancing because only embryos of the desired gender are transferred to the mother's uterus.
