Boy or girl?

Can timing sex around ovulation choose a boy or girl?

Checked against the sources listed on this page. Not reviewed by a clinician. Last updated 5 November 2026. How we check.

Myth

No. Methods like Shettles (sex close to ovulation for a boy, earlier for a girl) weren’t supported when tested.

Timing does affect whether you conceive, because the fertile window is about 6 days. It doesn’t change the roughly 50:50 odds of a boy or girl.

References

  1. Wilcox AJ et al. Timing of sexual intercourse in relation to ovulation. New England Journal of Medicine, 1995

Related weeks

Week 2

More boy or girl? myths

Myth

Does carrying high mean a girl and carrying low mean a boy?

No. The shape and height of a bump depend on your muscles, body shape, how many pregnancies you’ve had and the baby’s position, not the baby’s sex.

 Myth

Does a heart rate over 140 mean it’s a girl?

No. Studies comparing early heart rates in boys and girls found no meaningful difference. Heart rate depends mostly on gestational age.

 Partly true

Does bad morning sickness mean you’re having a girl?

There’s a small statistical link between severe sickness and girls, but it can’t predict the sex of any one baby.