Recently, I was asked if the Shettles Method is an effective way to "choose" or influence the gender of your baby. According to the Shettles Method theory, "boy" sperm are faster but don't live as long, so intercourse within the 2-3 days up to the day of ovulation should result in a boy. Intercourse more than 3 days before ovulation is supposed to result in a girl, since "girl" sperm supposedly swim slower but live longer. I decided to review some pregnancy achievement charts to test the Shettles Method theory. I make no claim that this is in any way a scientific study, just a fun review of 5 charts! In these charts, I have put a blue box around the supposed fertile week (6 days prior to "peak day" for the longest sperm are believed to survive+1 day for possible multiple ovulations). The hearts indicate intercourse.
On Chart 970701-23, there is only 1 incidence of intercourse during the entire fertile week. That cycle day was also the cycle's Peak Day, the last day that this woman observed more-fertile cervical fluid, a day that is highly correlated to ovulation. According to the Shettles Method, intercourse on Peak Day should have resulted in a boy, however, a girl was the result! (Note that the temperature began to rise prior to Peak Day, so in this case, ovulation
may have occurred earlier than Peak Day. In this case, the Shettles Method may be right!) Technically speaking, score thusfar... Shettles: 0/5
Chart 970701-31 again shows only 1 incidence of intercourse during the fertile week. This occurred 4 days prior to Peak Day. The Shettles Method predicts that this cycle should result in a girl. A girl was in fact the result!
Score thusfar... Shettles: 1/5
Chart 970701-37 is the third chart with only 1 incidence of intercourse during the fertile week. This one incidence was 5 days before Peak Day. Shettles Method predicts a girl. The result? A girl!
Score thusfar... Shettles: 2/5
Chart 970701-42 again shows only one incidence of intercourse during the fertile week. This incidence was 3 days prior to Peak Day. The Shettles Method would lean toward a boy on this one. The result? A Boy!
Score thusfar... Shettles: 3/5
Finally, Chart 9700701-55 shows 4 incidences of intercourse during the fertile week. The third incidence is the day before Peak Day and last one is the day after Peak Day--another possible day of ovulation, especially if there were multiple ova released. Shettles Method predicts a boy. The result: a BOY!
Final tally... Shettles Method: 4/5
Not bad!!! Considering that one usually thinks the chances to be 50/50... 4 out of 5 is pretty good! And...the girl whose conception is pictured on the first chart may well also be accurately predicted by the Shettles Method, if ovulation occurred before Peak Day, as it may well have.
On the other hand, since many couples cannot predict exactly when ovulation will occur due to irregular cycles, the Shettles Method isn't a particularly helpful tool to be used to "choose" baby's gender. However, as a predictor of an already conceived person, the method certainly might be helpful! What do you think? Send your pregnancy achievement charts along with your baby's actual gender and I'll analyze them and put them on this blog (anonymously, of course). Let's see if the Shettles Method theory holds up to further scrutiny!
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