How do I conceive a baby girl?

This question was originally asked on Quora. Following is my first-hand experience.

There is a lot of chance involved in which gender your child will be, and much can be said for loving the child no matter what … NO MATTER WHAT! That being said, I really wanted boys. Knowing my own personality quite well by the time I approached conceiving at the ripe old age of 35, I knew I wanted boys. This was pre-Internet, and I wanted the latest research. I didn’t head for the library. I went to Barnes & Noble and sat in the parenting and childbirth aisle for a whole day. I scoured everything. Here’s what I learned:

1. The sperm that produce boys swim faster than the sperm that produce girls, however, they don’t live as long.

2. Timing the introduction of the sperm to the egg was critical for the desired outcome.

3. Female orgasm produces an environment in which sperm can travel faster and live longer. So, if the female has an orgasm before the release of the sperm, this favors the birth of boys.

4. Knowing the exact time of ovulation was necessary for this plan to work. I learned that I could tell when I was ovulating by watching for a mucous plug to be released from the cervix. This mucous plug was sort of the consistency of apple jelly and might have a tan-ish color. It wasn’t very big - less than a teaspoon in volume, but it was quite sticky.

Now here’s the part that’s tricky to explain. Let’s call the day the plug is found Day 1 - this is the day the egg is released from the ovary. If I have sex on this very day, it’s pretty much 50/50 on the gender of my baby. The egg is traveling south, and all the sperm traveling north … the odds are good that both male and female producing sperm will still be active.

If I have sex on Day 2, the egg will have traveled south a good bit and will encounter the fast swimming and more active male sperm first. My odds for producing a boy child were much better.

Since you want to have a girl, this may need a few months of watching the signs for ovulation. Introducing sperm at the earliest possible moment (like the day before ovulation) would allow the female swimmers to reach the egg soon after its release. The male sperm would be less likely to swim that far and last that long. It is possible that if the female resists having an orgasm, this could also tilt the odds towards having a girl.

By the way, I have two healthy boys.

Why is classic rock still so popular whereas genres like disco, grunge, new wave have come and gone?

Never underestimate the power of the largest demographic population yet to be born in the Western world … the Baby Boomers. Not only do we love the music we grew up with, we have shared it with … or indoctrinated, if you wish … our children into the love of this music since they were en utero.

And our children are motivated to continue the trend. My young adult sons recognize the look of joy and pride on my face when they correctly identify the song playing on the radio. They consider it their mission to teach their peers about Woodstock and the Monterey Pops festivals, about the Beatles, Joe Cocker, Guns N Roses, Led Zepplin, and Lynyrd Skynyrd, to name just a few.

The group who came of age during the 80s are running a close second, and they love their Duran Duran, Prince, The Bangles and The Cure. While I appreciate that music, it will never hold the hormonal and primal charge that the era just preceding it does for me.

How much milk does a lactating woman produce in a day?

The best answer is however much her baby needs.

Personally, I didn’t pump very often, so I never saw a quantitative amount of breast milk. I did tandem nurse my newborn and my 2-year-old, and there were days when I felt like I rivaled the most productive Jersey Cow.

Since I don’t know the reason for the question, I can’t really provide more helpful information. I will add that there are days when it seems like the baby is drinking less than usual.

There could be any number of reasons for this:

1. The baby has just completed a growth spurt,

2. the baby doesn’t like the taste of something mother ate yesterday, or

3. perhaps mother is releasing some toxins from her body fat causing a less desirable taste.

The remedies for these issues are pretty simple:

1. This would be a good time to pump a few bottles to freeze just in case it’s needed when mother has to be away from baby for a short time.

2. Eat something with garlic in it. Remarkably enough, garlic makes breastmilk taste very sweet, and a baby who was thought to be on a “nursing strike” will suddenly go on a “feeding frenzy.”

3. Drink more water and get more rest. A nursing mother is doing enough work just producing food for another human being.

I hope this helps. More than anything - trust your motherly instincts.