Is it possible to choose if you have a boy or a girl? What determines the sex of the baby? Can it be known before pregnancy?

These are frequently asked questions among those who are planning to have children. Although there are many myths about how to influence the sex of the baby naturally, reproductive medicine offers alternatives that allow us to know the sex chromosomes of an embryo before transferring it to the uterus.

Who determines the sex of the baby?

To understand it, first you have to talk about chromosomes.

Chromosomes are structures found inside cells and contain DNA, that is, the genetic information that we inherit from our parents. Normally, human cells have 46 chromosomes, organized into 23 pairs.

One of those pairs corresponds to the sex chromosomes, known as X and Y. In most cases, their combinations are related to sexual development as follows:

• XX: It is usually associated with female sexual development.
• xy: It is usually associated with male sexual development.

During fertilization, the egg provides an X chromosome, while the sperm can provide an X or Y chromosome. Therefore, the sex chromosome provided by the sperm usually determines whether the embryo will have a combination XX or xy.

Can you choose the sex of the baby naturally?

Recommendations circulate on the Internet on eating certain foods, having sex on specific days of the menstrual cycle or using certain positions to try to have a boy or a girl.

However, There is no solid scientific evidence that these methods allow you to reliably choose the chromosomal sex of the baby. None of these recommendations guarantees which sex chromosome will provide the sperm that fertilizes the egg.

Therefore, if you are looking for information on how to choose the sex of the baby, it is important to distinguish between popular methods that have not proven to be reliable and medical techniques that allow you to study embryos during a fertility treatment.

How can you choose the sex of the baby through procedures?

In vitro fertilization (IVF) is an assisted reproduction technique in which the eggs are fertilized in a laboratory. The resulting embryos develop over several days and, when applicable, can undergo genetic testing before being transferred to the uterus.

Some of these tests allow you to analyze the chromosomes of the embryo and identify their sex chromosomes. With this information, it is possible to know which embryos usually have a combination xx and which one xy combination. When sex selection is available within treatment, this information allows you to choose which embryo to transfer to the uterus.

This process requires an IVF and corresponding genetic testing. It is not something that can be done through natural insemination or through changes in food or sexual habits.

What genetic test allows us to know the sex of the embryo?

One of the tests used in assisted reproduction is the PGT-A, acronym in English from Preimplantation Genetic Testing for Aneuploidy. This study analyzes whether the embryo has alterations in the number of chromosomes.

Normally, human cells have 46 chromosomes. When some are missing or there are too many chromosomes, there may be an alteration known as aneuploidy.

The PGT-A allows evaluating the number of chromosomes of the embryo and can provide information on sex chromosomes. Its main objective is to identify certain chromosomal alterations.

What should you keep in mind before choosing the sex of the baby?

If you are considering this possibility, there are some important aspects that you should know:

• the procedure: Selection by genetic testing requires an in vitro fertilization treatment.
• Genetic information: The tests allow us to analyze certain aspects of the chromosomes, but they do not detect all possible diseases.
• The embryos available: The options depend on the embryos obtained and the information provided by the studies carried out.
• The possibilities of treatment: Identifying an embryo with a certain chromosomal combination does not guarantee that it will be implanted or that the pregnancy comes to term.

Knowing these aspects allows you to make informed decisions and understand what assisted reproduction can offer in each case.

Do you have more doubts about this?

Here you can receive guidance on assisted reproduction techniques, genetic testing, and options available as needed.