While eating nutritiously for a healthy pregnancy, you may find yourself wondering if there's more you can do for your baby in terms of your diet. If you and your partner are interested in trying to conceive a girl, you might consider adding certain foods to your diet or avoiding some foods. Consult your physician before drastically altering your diet to make sure you're getting the right nutrients.
Cheese
It may be an old wives tale, but the BabyCentre website recommends eating cheese if you're trying to conceive a girl. BabyZone reveals that proponents believe foods high in calcium can encourage female-producing sperm to fertilize the egg. The Osteoporosis Advice website notes that a variety of cheeses have high levels of calcium, from 174 mg of calcium for 25 g of American cheese to 287 mg of calcium for 25 g of Gruyere cheese. Once you're pregnant, cheese can provide your fetus with the calcium it needs to help build strong bones and teeth, and provide you with enough calcium to supplement your own bones and teeth, reports the March of Dimes. Pregnant women need approximately 1,000 mg of calcium per day.
Yogurt
Another food high in calcium you might consider adding to your diet to influence the gender of your baby is yogurt. Osteoporosis Advice reveals that a 200 g cup of plain or coffee yogurt offers you 400 mg of calcium. You can even satisfy your sweet tooth while eating to have a girl--240 mL of frozen yogurt provides 240 g of calcium. No scientific proof exists to support the idea of eating calcium to encourage the conception of a girl, but research published in the September 2008 issue of Environmental Health Perspectives indicates that calcium during pregnancy can benefit women by reducing lead levels in their bloodstream, which can protect the fetus.
Spinach
Foods high in magnesium may also trigger female-producing sperm to fertilize the egg, according to BabyZone. The Fruits & Veggies Matter More website indicates that spinach contains high levels of magnesium but is low in potassium, another condition of eating to conceive a girl. Additionally, eating spinach provides folic acid, vitamins A and C, and iron, all nutrients pregnant women need to nurture a healthy fetus, reports the American Pregnancy Association. It's also high in calcium, an added bonus when attempting to influence the gender of your baby. As with yogurt and cheese, no evidence exists to indicate that eating foods with magnesium can influence gender in the womb.
References
- BabyCenter: Calcium in Your Pregnancy Diet
- BabyCentre: Choosing Your Baby's Sex: The Folklore
- BabyZone: How to Conceive a Girl
- EurekAlert: Calcium During Pregnancy Reduces Harmful Blood Lead Levels
- American Pregnancy Association: Essential Nutrients & Vitamins for Pregnancy
- March of Dimes: Vitamins and Minerals During Pregnancy
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