Why Some Women Can't Carry a Certain Gender...

[bluedreams]

I was just wondering if there was any truth to this? Is there any type of disorder women have where they are unable to carry a certain gender? There has been evidence that male fetuses raise miscarriage risk. I was just wondering if there is any testing for this.

I found an article that stated this…pretty interesting.
“… researchers came up with a hypothesis stating that a mothers’ immunization against male HY antigens during the first pregnancy is responsible for the further miscarriages. Only male fetuses produce these HY antigens. They are part of the reason a male develops into a male in the uterus during gestation. During a pregnancy with a male fetus, HY antigens are produced by the fetus and eventually make their way into the mother’s circulation. The mother’s immune system, recognizing these proteins as foreign, will start to produce antibodies against the HY antigens. Later on in other pregnancies, the lingering immunity could cause the mother’s body to reject the fetus. This immunity has been demonstrated up to 22 years after the birth of a boy.”

However, this article talks about firstborn sons having a negative effect on women with secondary recurrent miscarriages. Since the article mentions a woman’s immune system fighting off the fetus, I wonder if this has anything to do with some women not being able to carry a certain gender. Maybe it's just all a coincidence???

[Cinss]

It is interesting and while i dont know i do have a friend who had a blood transfusion as a child so she had lots of problems keeping pregnant. She had antibodies that would attack the fetuses and cause her to misscarry 8 times. Funnily enough she has 3 daughters.

[Princess of Pink]

Makes me wonder...my blood group is A- so I have had a few Anti-D injections during pregnancy and after birth and M/C. I know Anti-D is a blood product because back in 1997 Australia was running short and had to import some from another country that didn't screen the Anti-D for HIV, so I had to sign a waiver to have the injection when I had a bleed during pregnancy. I wonder if I maybe got an antibody from one of those injections...I have had 5 miscarriages, 4 of which the heart just stopped beating at 8-12 weeks. I don't know their gender?

[Butterfly Spirit]

Makes me wonder...my blood group is A- so I have had a few Anti-D injections during pregnancy and after birth and M/C. I know Anti-D is a blood product because back in 1997 Australia was running short and had to import some from another country that didn't screen the Anti-D for HIV, so I had to sign a waiver to have the injection when I had a bleed during pregnancy. I wonder if I maybe got an antibody from one of those injections...I have had 5 miscarriages, 4 of which the heart just stopped beating at 8-12 weeks. I don't know their gender?

I'm A- too PoP! They gave me a Rhogam shot (which is a blood product) with my first ER visit and a few hours later I was cramping and wiped away some mucus plug. :(
Not sure if it had anything to do with it. But I know my babe was a girl.
My blood was 546 when they tested so it was doing fine! If I could go back I would have never gone to the ER.
I'm sorry for all of your losses hon! :(
:sadflwr::sadflwr::sadflwr::sadflwr::sadflwr:

[Waiting4Daisy]

Deleted.

[Butterfly Spirit]

I have had the Rhogram here in Scotland for all 3 of my pregnancies - all boys. But I think ours are still screened, I'm not sure? I had it 3 times while pregnant with my first, and just the once with the other boys. I am rhesus O neg.

Thanks for sharing! Yes, I've had it much later in my pregnancies too, I am just hoping that having it so early didn't do anything harmful. I was about 5 weeks, and I didn't know they gave it that early ever.
I did forget to mention to them that DH is also A-
They have given it to me just incase each pregnancy, but is that unnecessary?

[atomic sagebrush]

I have a thorough explanation of this issue here in this essay: http://genderdreaming.com/forum/science-behind-gender-swaying/824-you-cant-carry-baby-gender.html

the article talking about HY antigens is just speculation/hypothesis. It's intriguing but it's just a theory. As far as we know only the rare genetic conditions (discussed in the essay above) can make it more difficult for a person to carry a boy, and NOTHING that prevents anyone from carrying a girl.

[Waiting4Daisy]

Deleted.

[bluedreams]

I have a thorough explanation of this issue here in this essay: http://genderdreaming.com/forum/science-behind-gender-swaying/824-you-cant-carry-baby-gender.html

the article talking about HY antigens is just speculation/hypothesis. It's intriguing but it's just a theory. As far as we know only the rare genetic conditions (discussed in the essay above) can make it more difficult for a person to carry a boy, and NOTHING that prevents anyone from carrying a girl.

Thanks for the article. There doesn't happen to be a pattern in my family. There's a mixture of gender. It's very interesting though. Even though this is my 2nd child I would still like to get tested as I want to try for a boy. I'm just very curious because some people who have 4 or 5 of the same gender and then try to sway for the opposite end up having miscarriages. Also when I read posts on women going HT for GS, there seems to be more abnormal embryos of the DG.

[atomic sagebrush]

Many people have remarked upon that but we're not totally sure if it's true or not. There are women who have equal numbers or who get more of their DG as well. If it is true, we're not sure why. It may have something to do with the husband's sperm or the woman's environment while her egg is developing (something that can be changed), not her genetics. Also, different doctors use different protocols and HT protocols have been shown to sway gender

Michelle Duggar had 6 boys in a row and then has since conceived 5 girls - if she had gone HT during the periods she was conceiving one gender over another, for all we know she might have had more abnormal embryos of the other gender at that point but she clearly was able to conceive the opposite, it's just that her body (or Jim-Bob's) was geared up to produce the other right then.

Re miscarriages - Again, this is something that many have noted but we aren't sure if it's true or not. I ~personally~ believe that some of the sway tactics advised by some of the other sway sites are not healthy and are contributing to increased rates of miscarriage (a situation I am hoping I can rectify on here because I have done away with the dangerous stuff whenever and wherever I can). So the swaying itself may be causing the miscarriages and nothing whatsoever to do with the gender of the baby conceived.

[RedCanoe]

Thanks for sharing! Yes, I've had it much later in my pregnancies too, I am just hoping that having it so early didn't do anything harmful. I was about 5 weeks, and I didn't know they gave it that early ever.
I did forget to mention to them that DH is also A-
They have given it to me just incase each pregnancy, but is that unnecessary?

I've had this shot a bunch too, as I have had spotting/bleeding in every pregnancy and I have a negative blood type and DH has a positive blood type. You're supposed to get it anytime you have spotting/bleeding, after an abdominal injury, miscarriage, at 28 weeks routinely and after birth if LO has positive blood type. It's effective for 12 weeks. I've been given it in very early pregnancy due to bleeding, so I don't think that's strange. It does no harm to the baby and even though it's a blood product it's supposed to be very safe. It's not only screened but also processed in a way that kills HIV, Hep etc. The risk is theoretical only. So I don't think the shot did you any harm. BUT, if your DH is the same blood type as you, you don't need it (not even at 28 weeks). Next time just let them know that DH is A- and you can safely refuse it.

[sixhappysons]

I've been told SO MANY TIMES that I can't carry girls (usually by complete strangers!). I've carried 8 boys and had 1 mmc, 1 blighted ovum and several chemical pgs. My ex even went on to have a DD with his GF after we had 3 boys!!!

I'm not sure what I believe.:confused:

[glory]

I did forget to mention to them that DH is also A-
They have given it to me just incase each pregnancy, but is that unnecessary?

Nope not necessary, but they give it to you just in case (read that as, we don't know who the dad is, so we will do it just in case!) I am O- and so is my dh and I had to get the shot last pregnancy cause of late bleeding, even though I told him dh was O- also.

I don't know if this has been disproven, but I read somewhere that there is a rare thing that some women can have and they can't carry boys, but there is no equivalent for girls... like I said, it was a while ago and with technology things always change.

[atomic sagebrush]

Nope not necessary, but they give it to you just in case (read that as, we don't know who the dad is, so we will do it just in case!) I am O- and so is my dh and I had to get the shot last pregnancy cause of late bleeding, even though I told him dh was O- also.

I don't know if this has been disproven, but I read somewhere that there is a rare thing that some women can have and they can't carry boys, but there is no equivalent for girls... like I said, it was a while ago and with technology things always change.

Yes, that's right glory. Some women have one bad X chromosome and so 50% of their sons will have a genetic disorder, but the other half will be normal. Girls have two X chromosomes so they always have a backup and can be carriers but not sick. This is explained more fully in the link I posted. :)

[nuthinbutpink]

Yes, that's right glory. Some women have one bad X chromosome and so 50% of their sons will have a genetic disorder, but the other half will be normal. Girls have two X chromosomes so they always have a backup and can be carriers but not sick. This is explained more fully in the link I posted. :)

Yes, this is what you used to be able to use MS for- if you are a known X-linked disorder carrier. You would then sort for a girl. Not an option in the US anymore.

[atomic sagebrush]

I've been told SO MANY TIMES that I can't carry girls (usually by complete strangers!). I've carried 8 boys and had 1 mmc, 1 blighted ovum and several chemical pgs. My ex even went on to have a DD with his GF after we had 3 boys!!!

I'm not sure what I believe.:confused:

Johnny Cash had 4 daughters. June Carter had 2 daughters (by two different men). They fell in love, got married, and had a son. I know it really, really feels sometimes like we "can't" carry a certain gender but with the exception of the X-linked conditions (who still can have healthy sons half the time), the best science seems to show that we can carry both genders.

[lindi]

That's really interesting that IVF protocols sway gender!

[atomic sagebrush]

lindi, that's actually what the "swim ups" and the Ericcson sperm spinning is based on. Some doctors in the early days of IVF realized that for some reason, certain techniques of sperm washing and certain fluids used in the preparation process, seemed to yield more boys than girls in the IVF process.

[Mum23boys]

I just found this and ive always wondered about it as my mum has 3 daughters and had 2 miscarriages of boys and my aunt (her sister) has 3 boys and has lost 3 daughters ... i so far have 3 boys and do wonder if perhaps thats juts my gene makeup ? Im told by a consultant at the hospital that its the mans side that determines the sex so if the hubby comes from a long line of men u will be more likely to have boys .... my hubby, his dad and his grandad all come from large families of boys - over 4 generations there were 2 girls so I may well be doomed unless i husband swap :-)

[atomic sagebrush]

I just found this and ive always wondered about it as my mum has 3 daughters and had 2 miscarriages of boys and my aunt (her sister) has 3 boys and has lost 3 daughters ... i so far have 3 boys and do wonder if perhaps thats juts my gene makeup ? Im told by a consultant at the hospital that its the mans side that determines the sex so if the hubby comes from a long line of men u will be more likely to have boys .... my hubby, his dad and his grandad all come from large families of boys - over 4 generations there were 2 girls so I may well be doomed unless i husband swap :-)

Mum23, I hope you are able to read the link because it explains that as far as modern medicine knows, EVERYONE can conceive and carry both boys and girls, but that there are some women who have a harder time carrying boys because one of their X chromosomes is bad so half their sons will suffer from a genetic disorder. This is very rare and there is NO known condition or disorder that prevents a woman from conceiving and carrying girls. None whatsoever.

The consultant at your hospital is 100% wrong. There was one theory that claimed that as fact but it has never been proven as anything other than sheer speculation. Much stronger evidence supports the idea that there are factors in the woman's body that sway gender.

[Persuing Lacey]

I was just wondering if there was any truth to this? Is there any type of disorder women have where they are unable to carry a certain gender? There has been evidence that male fetuses raise miscarriage risk. I was just wondering if there is any testing for this.

I found an article that stated this…pretty interesting.
“… researchers came up with a hypothesis stating that a mothers’ immunization against male HY antigens during the first pregnancy is responsible for the further miscarriages. Only male fetuses produce these HY antigens. They are part of the reason a male develops into a male in the uterus during gestation. During a pregnancy with a male fetus, HY antigens are produced by the fetus and eventually make their way into the mother’s circulation. The mother’s immune system, recognizing these proteins as foreign, will start to produce antibodies against the HY antigens. Later on in other pregnancies, the lingering immunity could cause the mother’s body to reject the fetus. This immunity has been demonstrated up to 22 years after the birth of a boy.”

However, this article talks about firstborn sons having a negative effect on women with secondary recurrent miscarriages. Since the article mentions a woman’s immune system fighting off the fetus, I wonder if this has anything to do with some women not being able to carry a certain gender. Maybe it's just all a coincidence???

I have done some research on this theory. Its called HY restricting alleles. Google it, its an interesting read for those of us who have boys, and miscarry girls.

[atomic sagebrush]

My understanding is that HY restricting alleles will cause ALL subsequent babies to be lost after a firstborn boy. Here's what Dr. Braverman has to say (for those that don't know, he's an RE with a lot of expertise regarding immune issues and infertility.)Various ?s for Dr. Braverman | Recurrent Pregnancy Loss (http://www.preventmiscarriage.com/Discussion-Forum/Questions-for-Dr-Braverman/Various-s-for-Dr-Braverman.aspx) and Late recurrent miscarriages | Prevent Miscarriage (http://www.preventmiscarriage.com/Discussion-Forum/Questions-for-Dr-Braverman/Late-recurrent-miscarriages.aspx)