Couples today can choose whether or not they want a boy or a girl definitively only through in vitro fertilization and embryo sampling that can definitely say whether an embryo is male or female.

In vitro fertilization, however, is extremely expensive and there are ways you can increase your odds of having the sex of the child you want that are considerably cheaper and have a higher percentage of working than throwing caution to the wind.

Remember that the sex of the child is not determined by the mother but is instead determined by the father.  The father carries X (for female) and Y (for male) sperm and the gender of the baby is determined by which sperm reaches and penetrates the sperm first.  There are fifty one boys born for every forty nine girls so the odds are on your side of having a boy.

There are several methods used to determine the gender of the baby.  One is called the Shettles Method and is based on the fact that male sperm move faster than female sperm.  In order to have a male child, you need to have intercourse no sooner than 24 hours before ovulation and no later than 12 hours after ovulation.

This usually requires an ovulation test kit although some women can check their cervical mucus to see if they are ovulating.  Deep penetration during intercourse will drive the sperm closer to the cervix so that the more aggressive male sperm can get a head start on fertilizing the egg.

There is another method, called the Whelan Method.  This method rebuts the previous method and states that you should have intercourse early in your cycle and up to the point of ovulation.  Those that have intercourse just early in their cycle have a 68 percent chance of conceiving a boy.  While these two methods are in direct conflict with each other, each couple needs to decide, perhaps by reading books on these two methods, on which method to use to achieve having a boy.

The woman can also lie down after intercourse with a pillow supporting her buttocks and pelvis.  This helps the more aggressive Y chromosome sperm get into the cervix, the uterus and the fallopian tubes, increasing the chances of having a boy.

For those that believe in ancient Chinese medicine, there is always the Chinese conception chart.  This is a method of selecting the gender of the child based on the age of the mother and the month of conception.  Such conception charts can be found at several sites on the internet and are said to be up to ninety percent accurate.  This chart dates back to about 700 years ago and was found in a tomb in China.

Evening primrose oil is a dietary supplement that is believed to increase the production of high quality cervical mucus—great for the fast moving male sperm to travel up through to fertilize the egg.  Tablets of guaifenesin, used for nasal and chest congestion, are also taken in the five days before ovulation in order to thin the cervical mucus and allow for male sperm to travel faster.