Are you pregnant? Eat a high-calorie diet if you want a boy

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Science has yet to come up with an algorithm or exact formula when it comes to helping couples conceive babies with a particular gender of their own choosing. Ideas, however, on how to solve this breeding quandary abound. And though most experts are simply sneezing at these ideas, it does not mean they have been sleeping on it, either.

According to a news article from Marie France, British researchers found out in a 2008 study that women who are into a greater calorie diet, and a wider variety of nutrients, such as potassium, calcium, vitamins C, E and B12, have a higher chance of giving birth to a boy.

The research involved 721 pregnant women with their first child who were asked to give details on their eating habits before conception and during the first moments of pregnancy. They were given a questionnaire regarding their intake of 150 foods and the amount consumed. They were also asked to note everything they ate each day through a diary.

The study suggests that, ideally, women should increase their calorie intake to 400 calories a day before conception.

But, even if most experts would say that there is no conclusive medical evidence to support most theories on how to increase the chances of having either a boy or a girl, there is also no harm in trying out some of the ideas from some old wives' tale. According to BabyCentre.co.uk, there is a good chance of conceiving a boy if,

• the couple have sex during ovulation when the male sperm are thought to swim faster and reach the egg first.
• the woman will have orgasm before her partner, as this releases an alkaline fluid, thought to be more male-sperm friendly than the vagina's natural acidity.
• there is deep penetration during sex, such as from behind (doggie-style).
• the male has a high sperm count because male sperm are not as strong as female sperm, and so the higher the count, the more chance there is of a male sperm reaching the egg first.
• the couple makes love at night.

Increasing the diet of certain food may also boost the chances of having a boy, wrote LiveStrong. For instance, eating a diet high in sodium could be of help according to the book "What to Expect Before You're Expecting," by Heidi Murkoff and Sharon Mazel. Consuming high-salt food like pickles, deli lunch meats and canned soup may change the composition of the fluids that could lead to easier fertilization of the egg by the male sperm.