True? early ov=boys, late ov=girls

[calico]

I thought I read this in one of the in-gender study links, that early ov (short follicular cycle) usually results in boys and the opposite results in girls. Has anyone found this to be right? I have a pretty reg cycle, 26-28 days and I tend to ov on/between day 10-14 with a 14 day luteal phase. Would that be considered early or late? Hoping to conceive a girl later this year. Thanks!

[mydream]

I have never heard of that to be honest. But wishing you much luck!

[Another princess]

I thought I read this in one of the in-gender study links, that early ov (short follicular cycle) usually results in boys and the opposite results in girls. Has anyone found this to be right? I have a pretty reg cycle, 26-28 days and I tend to ov on/between day 10-14 with a 14 day luteal phase. Would that be considered early or late? Hoping to conceive a girl later this year. Thanks!

My cycles sound just like yours and I have both a boy and girl. X

[clarabell]

Think I have a long cycle, about 35 days O about 18 and I have three boys. Not sure about his one?

[nicoler]

I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that this theory was proven untrue...

In my own case, I O'd on day 17 and have a boy.

[zanacal]

There is at least one study which suggests this may be the case. However, I always O'd on day 14 and that's how I got 3 boys. While swaying (and messing my cycles up!) I O'd on day 12 and conceived a girl!

[dramabird]

I ovulated on day 15 for my first son and day 20 for my second. So I certainly wouldn't consider either of those early ovulations.

[Chicky]

I ovulated on days 20 and 21 for my two boys

[rainbowflower]

there is a study that showed that girls are conceived from OV that is, on average, a few days later than for boys:
http://humrep.oxfordjournals.org/content/12/3/611.full.pdf

[atomic sagebrush]

This is one of those topics where there is something there in terms of the science, but SOOOO many exceptions that no one needs to stress over it whatsoever.

I strongly suspect that it's more likely that people with regular cycles tend to have more boys, and people with oddball cycles (or in months when you have oddball cycles) are more likely to have girls. However, this "rule" is complicated by people with PCOS who often have very long cycles and have more sons due to higher testosterone levels.

Basically, the reason why the cycles are short/long can't be overlooked - if your cycle is suddenly long because dropping estrogen levels making it harder to ovulate or very short because your body has stoped making excessive testosterone and has begun focusing more on progesterone and estrogen, then both those scenarios can mean you're more likely to conceive a girl. On the other hand, if your cycle is long because you have PCOS (even mild and undiagnosed) and you are making scads of testosterone that is interfering with ovulation, you would be more likely to conceive a boy.

These hormones are very complicated so please let me know if this is not clear.

[auroara78]

I O'ed exactly on day 14 with both my boys, but had an early O this preg, on day 12! Still hoping the baby is a girl since it wasn't my usual day 14!

[myGirl]

there is a study that showed that girls are conceived from OV that is, on average, a few days later than for boys:
http://humrep.oxfordjournals.org/content/12/3/611.full.pdf

I tried to read this study and it is very difficult to comprehend. However, the study states:

"less penetrable mucus selects for Y spermatozoa and that such selection decreases as mucus
penetrability improves" .... and longer follicular phases basically have more days worth of penetrable mucus which removes this advantage that Y sperm have [to paraphrase]


Am I wrong, or is the study saying that more boys are conceived when there is LESS EWCM? Like as in sticky, "less penetrable" mucus favors boy conceptions?? Doesn't this fly in the face of what we believe here?? Am I reading this wrong??

[bambinolla]

I had a late ovulation with my last conception (CD19) and had a boy, so I think its not a hard and fast rule.

[atomic sagebrush]

I tried to read this study and it is very difficult to comprehend. However, the study states:

"less penetrable mucus selects for Y spermatozoa and that such selection decreases as mucus
penetrability improves" .... and longer follicular phases basically have more days worth of penetrable mucus which removes this advantage that Y sperm have [to paraphrase]


Am I wrong, or is the study saying that more boys are conceived when there is LESS EWCM? Like as in sticky, "less penetrable" mucus favors boy conceptions?? Doesn't this fly in the face of what we believe here?? Am I reading this wrong??

That's just one theory and we have found much more data pointing the other direction.

[atomic sagebrush]

I had a late ovulation with my last conception (CD19) and had a boy, so I think its not a hard and fast rule.

:agree: totally.

[nini]

very interesting... I used to o around CD 17, but after my 2nd son was born, I only ever od around CD22 or 23. I conceived my dd on CD22 and this baby (gender unknown) on CD 23. I was actually worrying that like atomic mentions my cycles were long due to high testosterone/mild pcos, eventhough this was not confirmed when I asked my OB (she only scanned my ovaries though, I think this is not enough to outrule a mild PCOS? I also have really spotty skin). Anyway, I wonder if this theory is much more relevant if you O earlier or later than usual... rather than ovulating late or early in general?

[atomic sagebrush]

Nini, you are right in that lack of cysts on ovaries does not totally rule out PCOS but it's still a good indicator that you don't have it. If you had PCOS tho, you would have a LOT more symptoms than just a few pimples...many people get pimples but don't have PCOS.

I think it's more the long cycles due to lack of estrogen = pink, long cycles due to LOTS of testosterone = blue but also agree that if your cycle changes when swaying, that can be a lot more meaningful than if your cycle has always been regular or long.

[nini]

I wonder if the delay of my ovulation cles was due to breastfeeding for long periods of time (ie high progesterone, low estrogen). My ds1 was 8 when ds2 was born, so there my hormonal levels were "normal" again. My cycles returned immediately after birth, but were long.... due to breastfeeding?. I breastfed him half way through my pregnancy with dd. After dd, my cycles didnt return until she was 9 months old (so I guess progesterone was even higher?) I stopped feeding her about 8 weeks before I fell pregnant with this baby, again the long cycles remained, so maybe I was still in the breastfeeding mode? I have basically been pregnant and/or breastfeeding for 3.5 years now (christ...) I know that alone wont let me have another girl, but I am clinging on to every little hope ha ha....

[atomic sagebrush]

I wonder if the delay of my ovulation cles was due to breastfeeding for long periods of time (ie high progesterone, low estrogen). My ds1 was 8 when ds2 was born, so there my hormonal levels were "normal" again. My cycles returned immediately after birth, but were long.... due to breastfeeding?. I breastfed him half way through my pregnancy with dd. After dd, my cycles didnt return until she was 9 months old (so I guess progesterone was even higher?) I stopped feeding her about 8 weeks before I fell pregnant with this baby, again the long cycles remained, so maybe I was still in the breastfeeding mode? I have basically been pregnant and/or breastfeeding for 3.5 years now (christ...) I know that alone wont let me have another girl, but I am clinging on to every little hope ha ha....

I wouldn't hang my hat on that as a sway tactic! A lot of women actually have low prog when they are BF and have to supplement with prog to get pg and sustain a pg. Nursing makes high prolactin, which is NOT progesterone, they are two different things.

Breastfeeding may very well sway pink a little bit, but it's not because of progesterone.

[fresas]

I don't have anything helpful to add except that I think PCOS is such a b**ch.

;)

[nini]

I wouldn't hang my hat on that as a sway tactic! A lot of women actually have low prog when they are BF and have to supplement with prog to get pg and sustain a pg. Nursing makes high prolactin, which is NOT progesterone, they are two different things.

Breastfeeding may very well sway pink a little bit, but it's not because of progesterone.

Wow, thats interesting, I had no idea, thanks for sharing

[Coccinelle33]

I ovulated days earlier with my dd than with my boys. So not true for me. I was actually hoping for a early ovulation this time like with her. So far so good! Actually im ovulating a day earlier right now!

[atomic sagebrush]

Early OR late ovulation can mean more girls. Any time your hormones are different than when you conceived your boys, you may ovulate at a different point in your cycle. (the exception being PCOS which often has late O but still tends to = more boys conceived.)

Sorry I keep repeating myself but I think people are not reading the whole thread before commenting.

[KnockYourBallsOff]

I o'd on CD 22 of a 32 day cycle w/ all 3 of my boys. With this one, I o'd on CD 18. Don't know gender yet. But, it def. wasn't true for my boys....

[sweetpea]

This is an interesting thread! :agree:

FWIW, I O'd on CD17 and CD18 with both my boys. I've charted for 6 years, and that's always been when I tend to O.

[fun family]

all my boys are from late Os.

[atomic sagebrush]

all my boys are from late Os.

There are a couple different reasons why a person might O late and the reasons why one O's late are what does the swaying, not the actual length of the cycle itself. PCOS can cause late O and long cycles, but also tends to sway blue.

[KnockYourBallsOff]

^^And what about stress Atomic? With all 3 of my boys I was PSYCHO charter, CM checker, DTD everyday, twice a day....perhaps delaying o....and raisning T levels? That's neither here nor there...just a though.

[atomic sagebrush]

^^And what about stress Atomic? With all 3 of my boys I was PSYCHO charter, CM checker, DTD everyday, twice a day....perhaps delaying o....and raisning T levels? That's neither here nor there...just a though.

Ah, excellent point and one I had not considered. Yes, I have also seen several people who got so focused on Oing for TTC, esp. when using timing methods, that they ended up delaying their O for days due to stress. These people were probably sky high in T levels.

[atomic sagebrush]

Fresas could you eat the LE with 1300-1500 calories with a lot of simple carbs and sugar and still lose weight? I have been still losing weight so far with upping the carbs and sugar when I eat 1200-1400 calories a day, but I am always scared it is going to stop and I will gain weight. My face has stayed very clear, so I am hoping I am okay with eating all these carbs and that losing 32 pounds helped with regulating my insulin.

People with full blown, diagnosed PCOS should not do the simple carbs and sugar - still working on the PCOS Diet thread (temporarily sidetracked by exciting pg news, apologies!!! :p) and should instead stick with complex carbs - small amounts of whole grains provided they tolerate them, and fruits, and vegetables, in addition to increasing protein to 50-60 g.

Losing weight ALWAYS helps with insulin resistance. Even if you lose a single pound it helps!! Losing 32 lbs is fab and you should be very pleased JJ!!

[Aqua]

I had heard of this, but it was opposite for me. The cycle I got pregnant I had late OV, still turned out boy.

[Allegra]

I really hope there's some truth to this.. My cycles were shorter around time i concieved DS. Now we TTC girl and cycles are 4-5 days longer so that ovulation is delayed.