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The O+12 Method to Conceive a Girl
O+12 (pronounced "oh plus twelve") is a method for conceiving a girl. The method advises intercourse about 12 hours after ovulation to conceive a girl. Thus the name O (for ovulation) plus 12 hours. O+12 is contrary to the Shettles method, which predicts a boy will be conceived on the day ovulation. (Note to boy-seekers: O+12 is a method for attempting to conceive a girl only.)
O+12 Background
The O+12 method wasn't developed by a doctor, or published in a book. It was proposed by an Australian mother, a Shettles devotee who had six sons before stumbling on the idea that a girl might be conceived by timing intercourse just after ovulation, contrary to Shettles' advice. After giving birth at last to a daughter, she shared her method with other mothers, many of whom were successful in conceiving a daughter as well. Then the method reached the Internet, and here we are. Click here to read Kynzi's story.
O+12 Theory
The O+12 theory was developed by examining the "New Zealand Study" published in 1984. The study was carried out to test the Shettles theory, by carefully monitoring participants to determine the time of ovulation.
(Just think... the baby girls born in that study are now old enough to become mothers themselves, and perhaps are today wondering how to choose the sex of their baby.)
The researchers concluded that the results "clearly refute" the Shettles theory, because most conceptions that occurred 3 to 5 days before ovulation were boys, not girls, as Shettles claimed. Kynzi noticed that the only day on which more girls than boys were conceived was the day following ovulation.
In addition to the New Zealand Study, some information was evidently uncovered indicating that the ratio of female-to-male sperm was greater if a man abstained from ejaculation for a period of time.
The O+12 Key: Pinpointing Ovulation
Before getting into the detailed instructions for O+12, it's enough to say that a successful O+12 attempt depends on being able to pinpoint ovulation. Most of us have spent our entire lives completely unaware of the invisible drama of ovulation that occurs inside our body each cycle. Be prepared to spend some time learning about how your body works (you will be fascinated and enlightened!) and learning how to detect your body's subtle signals that ovulation is imm"inent. Your guide is Taking Charge of Your Fertility, and you mig"ht also want the OvuSoft Fertility Software to go along with it.
O+12 Instructions
The father must not ejaculate for at least 7 days before intercourse (and preferably longer).
That didn't say "no sex", it said "no ejaculation", so you better keep an eye on him in the shower. Try to get him to abstain from the first day of your cycle.
The reason for this is that since female sperm supposedly live longer, an "old" batch of sperm should have more female than male sperm (about 2% more, according to some data).
Have intercourse once only, 8 to 20 hours after ovulation.
Start counting the 8-20 hours when...
Any sharp O pain has subsided.
Your CM begins to change from EWCM to creamy or sticky.
Your cervix begins to become less soft and high.
Wait to have intercourse until you have seen your BBT shift up. (See the tips below for more information.)
Do NOT have intercourse again until you are sure you are no longer fertile.
Use a condom or wait until you are sure you are no longer fertile before having intercourse again, because that "fresh" batch of sperm will be more likely to have more male sperm.
You are past your fertile stage when you have had THREE high temperatures on your BBT chart.
Optional guidelines.
Along with O+12, many also try:
The girl diet
Supplements (calcium and magnesium, cranberry)
Douching before intercourse with a lemon douche (mix the fresh-squeezed juice of 1/2 lemon with an equal part of water, and insert with the empty bottle from a regular store-bought douche).
O+12 Tips
Pinpointing ovulation down to the hour is the key to O+12, and it's not easy. Most ovulation detection methods are just designed to determine the day of ovulation, which is generally good enough to achieve (or avoid) pregnancy. For O+12, we have to be ovulation experts.
Tip #1: Practice, practice, practice!
Track your ovulation indicators for several practice cycles. Many times, the time of ovulation can only be determined in hindsight. Practice cycles will give you confidence that you know when ovulation is occurring, and will also give you something to compare to when you're ready to make your attempt.
Tip #2: Use as many ovulation indicators as you can!
No matter how regular you are, or how many cycles you practice, each cycle is different. Gather as many clues as you can to determine the real moment of ovulation. Ovulation indicators include basal body temperature (BBT), cervical mucus (CM), cervical position (CP), saliva ferning, and ovulation prediction kit (OPK) testing. The great book Taking Charge of Your Fertility explains in detail how to use these methods to determine ovulation.
Tip #3: Watch your CM and your CP.
Your cervical mucus will usually change within hours of ovulation, changing from EWCM to creamy or sticky. Start counting the hours when your CM has started to change, and your cervix is not very high and soft.
Tip #4: Take your basal body temperature effectively.
Basal body temperature is a reliable method for detecting that ovulation is truly past, so make sure to take your temp carefully, and wait to have intercourse until you have seen your BBT shift up.
However, taking your BBT once per day can only tell you that ovulation has occurred within the last 24 hours -- and by then you may be too far past ovulation to actually conceive, because the egg only lives about 24 hours. You may want to try also taking a second BBT temp in the evening. It will not be as accurate as your morning "at rest" temp, but if you take it at the same time every night after the same routine you will be able to see a pattern. Taking your BBT in the evening in addition to the morning should help you detect ovulation within the last 12 hours.
Note that your body temperature will be different in the evening -- you can't compare your morning and evening BBT's to each other. You can only compare your morning temps with previous morning temps, and evening temps with previous evening temps.
Tip #5: Take note of O pain.
O pain (ovulation pain, or mittelschmerz) can be pinpoint the exact time of ovulation -- but it can also fool you, because a little random twinge you would have ignored at any other time can mislead you if you're looking for ovulation to occur. Not everyone has O pain, and if you do, it may not be in every cycle. O pain tips:
Chart any O pain you experience in your practice cycles, and note how it correlates with your other symptoms. You may notice that O pain occurs at about the same time of day that your previous period began.
Recognize the different kind of O pains: A dull achiness before ovulation, a sharp pain at ovulation, and crampiness after ovulation.
The pain should come from toward your side (not from the center) and may be only on one side.
Tip #6: Use OPKs as advance warning only.
A positive ovulation prediction kit is a sure sign that ovulation is going to occur, but it does not give you an accurate prediction of when; it might be anywhere from 12 to 36 hours. When you get your first truly positive OPK, begin watching your other ovulation indicators (BBT, CM, CP, O pains) to determine exactly when ovulation is occurring.
