If you want tips for conceiving a girl, both science and folklore offer parents some suggestions, and this help is much needed, since nature shows a statistical bias against girls. Only forty-nine girls are born for every fifty-one boys.

Science

Parents can increase their chances of having a girl with two medical techniques that are used to help prevent undesirable genetic conditions. If you are considering in vitro fertilization, pre-implantation genetic diagnosis can detect the gender of the embryos before implantation. Different sperm sorting techniques can also be used to help determine gender, which is decided by the male genetic contribution, before implantation in the mother via either in vitro fertilization or artificial insemination. In reality, these techniques are used far more often to try to screen for and avoid certain genetic traits than to try to determine fetal gender.

Controversial evidence also suggest that engaging in intercourse before ovulation rather than during or after ovulation could decrease the odds of having a boy. According to another controversial 2008 study, women looking to have girls may also want to avoid consuming breakfast cereals around the time of conception, as these products seemed to increase the odds of having a boy.

Folklore

When it comes to conceiving a girl, folklore may be able to offer more wisdom than science. Many people believe that increasing the acidity of the female reproductive tract may help with the conception of a girl. The theory is that male-coded sperm is weaker than female-coded sperm and less likely to survive the inhospitable environment long enough to fertilize the egg. If you want to increase your acidity, proponents of this method suggest you eat acidic foods, like coffee, fermented cheeses, and grains, and avoid alkaline foods like bananas, chocolate, and potatoes. Frequent douching is also recommended to increase vaginal acidity.

If you're trying to conceive a girl, it's also suggested that the woman try to avoid having an orgasm, as female orgasm increases vaginal alkalinity. Others believe that the type of intercourse that leads to conception greatly influences fetal gender. It's believed that the missionary position is most likely to produce a baby girl.