🌴Can you determine the sex of your child by calculation?

Recently, I have some of my patients coming to request for insight into gender selection. These are women who came from regions where having a male child is a big deal, so I have to answer the question how can it happen?

Well, time and time again I tell people whatever therapy and or method you want to use to determine the sex of your child, however accurate the calculations are it is a 50/50% chance because the ultimate chance belong to God. When you go to your gynaecologist for whatever method, one of the examinations you’ll have to do is folliculometry (follicular tracking).

These are the basic things you’ll need to know about follicular tracking:

In this simplest form of assisted conception. Some assistance is provided in monitoring the follicular growth, ovulation and timing of the intercourse. There is no stimulation of ovaries with any drugs and this is the most natural form of assisted conception.

Procedure

Normally a woman produces and releases one egg every month. If she has 28 to 30 day cycle, ovulation (release of egg from the ovary) occurs between day 12 to 16 of the cycle. In follicular tracking method, an ultrasound scan is arranged on day 10 of the cycle (day 1 is the first day of period). This scan will show the size of the follicle and the thickness and nature of the endometrium.

When the follicle reaches a size of 16 mm in diameter, one will be advised to use ovulation prediction kit (LH surge kit) which is available with any chemist. At the same time further scans will be arranged till the follicle reaches the size of 18 mm. When the ovulation prediction kit is positive (by showing 2 lines, it indicates the occurrence of LH surge to stimulate ovulation. The couple are then advised to have intercourse for the next three days starting from that day.

What will the follicle tracking ultrasound scan show?

Remember every scan is different and the image quality can vary due to several factors.

Who will benefit from this treatment?

• Women who have regular menstrual cycle (those who ovulate regularly).

• Women with unexplained infertility of a short duration (less than 2 years).

• Women under 30 years of age.

Advantages

• This is the simplest form of assisted conception.

• There is no drug treatment.

• There is no risk of multiple pregnancy (as there is no stimulation of ovaries).

• Inexpensive treatment.

Disadvantages

• The pregnancy rate is rather low (less than 10%).

• One has to be patient as it might take a long time to conceive by this method.