If you could pick the sex of your baby, would you?
SO YOU HAVE two boys and are desperate for a girl. And you know that sex selection (the ability to choose the sex of a future child) is now technically possible. Something that used to be left to nature is now in our hands. But do these methods open the floodgates to creating “designer babies” ?
JACK OR JILL?
Find yourself dreaming of pink frilly dresses? When you fall pregnant, you may expressly (or quietly) wish for a certain gender. But it isn’t actually up to the woman to choose the sex of the baby. All women’s eggs carry the X chromosome, but sperm carries either an X (girl-making) or a Y (boy-making) chromosome.
“Therefore it is the sperm that determines the sex of the offspring,” says Cape Town fertility specialist Dr Sascha Edelstein. The girl-making sperm is large and slow while the boy-making sperm is light and fast, meaning they are fragile and live shorter. If the Y-bearing sperm penetrates the egg, then the baby is a boy (XY). If the X-bearing sperm penetrates, then the baby is a girl (XX).
There are several techniques to improve the chance of conceiving a child of a specific gender. These include interventions such as artificial insemination or in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) and natural sex selection using home-grown methods such as diet and timing of intercourse.
THE SEX SELECTION BUSINESS
この記事は Your Pregnancy の April/May 2018 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です ? サインイン
この記事は Your Pregnancy の April/May 2018 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です? サインイン
COVID & your child
Symptoms, treatment, vaccines and a rare condition called MIS-C is on our minds when it comes to The Virus these days.
EYES WIDE OPEN!
Breastfeeding and night wakings? Experts shine a light on a possible connection.
RAISING A BRAT? TIME FOR A RESET!
It happens, even with the best of intentions. Sometimes we go overboard trying to show our love – and then things backfire.
Prioritise REST!
The fatigue of pregnancy serves to remind you exactly what miracle your body is performing, so it’s essential to listen to it. Here’s what you can do to get through these low times.
CRYING CLUES
Discover the meaning behind your baby’s cries.
Pushing isn't all you need to do!
There are four main factors that affect the length and intensity of labour. They are known as the four P’s and work together to make each woman’s labour unique.
We're all NERVOUS about it!
Sure, it can seem scarier than labour, but with these simple tips to bathing your newborn, you’ll soon be a pro.
FOUR-FOOTED FAMILY MEMBERS
Your children and your pets – everything you’ll need to know to be a happy family.
Here's to HAPPIER beach days!
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
TALK SO YOU'RE HEARD!
Feel like your child just doesn’t listen to you? There are some techniques you can use to improve your chances of getting through.
