One study shows that stress sways girl by 75% !

[Inky]

Researchers Find Stressed Women More Likely to Conceive a Girl - Yahoo! Voices - voices.yahoo.com (http://voices.yahoo.com/researchers-find-stressed-women-more-likely-conceive-10243305.html?cat=5)

I was surprised to see this study as I hear over and over that stress sways boy. It's a fairly recent study (within the last year). It suggested that it's related to cortisol (which can also cause stubborn fat, which may be why most chunky women I know are moms to girls even though being super thin is supposed to sway girl . . . which has always been opposite for me lol.)

[fairyfrog]

If that were true I would have all girls. Maybe my boy power is just too strong. lol

[atomic sagebrush]

It depends on the kind of stress and your mind/body's response to it. The kind of project-oriented, control freak type of stress sways blue. Stress where you are feeling overwhelmed, victimized, or if your body gets run down as a result of stress, sways pink.

Both heavy and very thin women can have girls or boys, more about that here: http://genderdreaming.com/forum/gender-swaying-discussion-ttc-boy-girl-home-swaying-info/3187-big-girls-little-girls-baby-girls-boys.html

[Inky]

I'm not talking big girls, though. Just chunky girls. Everyone I know who has just a few extra lbs on them, it seems most of them have girls. I'm not talking obese or even fat (though I understand obesity sways girl). Just chunky. Being very thin never swayed girl for me, though. Both times I was my very thinnest (and barely eating anything at all--like maybe 500 or less calories a day, which I know isn't healthy at all...) I got pregnant with boys. I know nothing is set in stone, I just find it interesting. Especially because before now I've never heard that it depends on the type of stress--I've only heard that stress=boys.

[wannagirl21]

This is so interesting, I know tons of women with different bodies and different lifestyles and eating habbits and after readding the essay I am wondering why? just why? some women I know don't have boy's or a girl. For instance a girl I know both of them are very laid back not stressful ppl at all and are slim and don't take in that much calories etc. and they have boy's. Another girl my sister is bigger then me bigger boned eats horrible white bread, junkfood, ton's of candy, and eats out but only eats maybe one to two meals a day and after the essay I am so shocked she doesn't have two girls but instead she has two boy's. Sooooo confusing and makes me question swaying, or at least the diet part.:hair:

[atomic sagebrush]

Some kinds of stress lower testosterone, other kinds that involve winning and success raise it.

I don't have all the answers unfortunately. Wish I did.

I think we need to look at swaying thru the lens of the Trivers Willard hypothesis - moms in declining condition are more likely to have girls, moms in good/improving condition are more likely to have boys. The things we do like losing weight and eating a lower nutrient diet are tools that we use to get into that declining condition - these things DON'T sway in and of themselves, they're just ways to send a message to your body. if your body doesn't get that message and you stay in good condition despite those things, you're still going to have boys. And you can't just look at someone and say, oh they're obviously in good condition and should have boys, because there are things that cannot be seen with the naked eye that may be swaying.

[XXPlease]

Wait I'm confused if declining conditions sway girl and good/improving conditions sway boy wouldn't losing weight sway boy if you were overweight to begin with?

[Rainbow baby]

Mmmm I agree with Atomic, about the different types of stress, they didn't mention the one we are trying to control at all the big T word lol. I wonder how cortisol and adrenalin effect testosterone?
I found QUICK QUOTE.
"Misconceptions
Because both testosterone and adrenaline are associated with strength and vigor in some regard--testosterone because it leads to increased musculature and adrenaline because it increases the contractile strength of muscles temporarily--it's common to assume that the hormones work together. In reality, notes Dr. Thibodeau, testosterone is a steroid hormone that exerts long-term effects over development and physiological function. Adrenaline, on the other hand, has short-term effects, and does not show cooperation with testosterone."


Read more: Adrenaline & Testosterone | LIVESTRONG.COM (http://www.livestrong.com/article/264111-adrenaline-testosterone/#ixzz2DzGF8Ioe)

[Rainbow baby]

Oh god back to confused! It is way to complicated for my head !!

[LacePrincess]

Wait I'm confused if declining conditions sway girl and good/improving conditions sway boy wouldn't losing weight sway boy if you were overweight to begin with?

Not exactly. Extremes on both ends seem to sway pink. So, very obese and very thin trends towards more girls because at the extreme ends of the weight spectrum you see declining fertility conditions. Remember, lower fertility = more girls. Think of it like a bell curve - anyone 'average' and 'normal' weight will trend towards more boys.

If you're overweight, you're probably still in the middle unless you are getting into obese territory....in which case for a sway it's probably better not to lose the weight yet. However, if you're only in the 'overweight' category then weight loss would signal decline of resources (good food) and a sign of scarcity and hopefully signal 'girl' to your body.

Personally, I had all 3 boys when I wasn't exercising regularly and was in the slightly overweight category (BMI of 25-27). I'm now a regular exerciser and much fitter and normal BMI, so hopefully it'll make a difference for me. You never can guarantee anything though.

[rainbowflower]

stress hormones can decrease fertility, perhaps that's why it sways pink