What are the odds?

Anyone like statistics? Genetics? Well, have I got a post for you! Have you ever wondered what the odds really are for conceiving one gender over another?? Its not 50/50 like many believe! One day, while pondering over whether this mom of two boys could ever wish to have a daughter, I came across a great website - Ingender - that discusses all things related to gender selection.

So I want to have a third child (one day), and it'd be really nice to have a girl. I ADORE my two boys, but it'd be fun to experience a girl too! Plus, I have all types of heirlooms I could pass down to a daughter! And I'd really love to have a little girl with my curly brown hair and those big brown eyes my boys have...

Anyway. After it was confirmed that we were in fact having a second boy, I began to doubt my chances of ever seeing pink. You see, my husband is one of 5 children - the first four of which are boys! That in and of itself may not be all that suspicious, but when you look at the extended branches of his family tree - its starting to look like this clan tends to produce a predominance of one gender.

Well, my friends, all hope is not lost!!!!! According to a survey done of over 6,000 American families, there is globally a slightly higher chance that any child conceived will be a boy - 51% of all babies born in the U.S. are males.


Apparently, though, the odds change with each successive child! Look at this chart to the right - this shows the odds of having a boy after each girl. So, if you have two girls, the odds of having a boy for your third child is only 46%. Yet, if you have three girls, the odds of a boy is nearly 53% for the fourth, according to the actual statistical data.

Its different for the odds of having a girl too. If you have one boy, then the ods of the second being a girl is 50%. But if you have two boys (like me!), the chance that the third will be a girl is 47.7%!

Now, looking at the overall data, it shows that there is only a 14.9% chance that a 3-child family will be all boys and 12.1% of all girls. Those aren't bad odds, I'd say! But it does seem to suggest that there may be a genetic component with regard to having males, as the odds increase for having another boy the more you have. The same isn't true for girls, though, as you have a better chance at having a boy after 3 girls than you do after 2 girls.

Interesting stuff, huh??? Of course, I'll be happy with whatever God gives me; and I know better than most that a healthy baby is all that matters. But a girl would be icing on the cake :) We can talk about ways to make that more likely another day, he he he (starting with convincing my husband to have another!).