Forums >Off the Beaten Path>Running and Fertility
Dad, Runner, Programmer
TL;DR: My wife and I are trying for a boy after 3 girls and are wondering what experience male runners have of conceiving boys while running high miles, and whether you think running has any affect on fertility.
I'm hoping to get some more insight from you runners with children. My wife and I have 3 daughters who are naturally our pride and joy. That being said, we are actually considering have a 4th because we are insane. Of course we'd be happy with a healthy child be it a girl or boy, but it would be nice to have a boy as that would be a completely different experience.
Before having our third girl, my wife started reading about what options there were for doing things to favor having a boy. I know some of you might think that this is all junk and it's mostly 50/50 no matter what you do. But there are some scientific studies that suggest there are certain factors that favor boys being conceived vs. girls. We half-heartedly attempted some of the suggestions she found and we once again had a girl.
When she was conceived, I hadn't started running yet, but started during her pregnancy and have continued ever since, slowly increasing my miles over the last 3 years. I am training for the Marine Corps Marathon and I'm looking to hit at least 70 miles per week for that. Soon after that, we are thinking of trying.
Once again, my wife started reading about trying for a boy and of course she has come across a few articles talking about fertility rates in male runners. Here is an example of one such article although if you Google, you can find a bunch:
http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/general/running-and-fertility-the-facts/2805.html
So now some questions for you folks. How many of you runners out there have conceived girls and what kind of mileage were you doing? Do you think there is any real credence to this stuff or are we over thinking all of it and it's just a flip of a coin no matter what? My wife is near convincing me to lower my miles to less than 30 a week for the months that we are trying to conceive. In the past, the moment we've decided to start trying, my wife gets pregnant almost instantly. That may not be the case now that she and I are 35 but who knows. I guess I'm just curious to hear other opinions from other runners I don't know. We haven't discussed this with anyone we know and pretty much none of my family or friends read this forum so I think we are relatively safe.
If you got through this wall of text, congratulations
2015 Goal:For now, keep running!
Moving to Texas did it for us.
But, only ten years after the birth of our first son. Beginning runner at that time.
and 3 years of infertility testing, artificial insemination and the whole gauntlet of tests, procedures. (high mileage for me at the time 40-50 miles a week)
The more scientific fact, I've noticed regarding boys versus girl babies, is the father. Less hair, boy, full head of hair, girl baby. (but, you seem to have completely missed that one already)
Get off my porch
I have 4 girls but at least two of them were conceived when I was hardly running at all. I also have 2 running buddies who run higher mileage than me and have all boys.
I think individual differences and just random luck play a bigger part than any running mileage, personally.
Once we found out we were having a 4th (not planned) I was full on rooting for another girl at that point. Just seemed easier with sharing rooms, clothes and really at that point throwing a boy into that mix would have been cruel (to him.)
Runners run
There seems to be a pre-disposition for a couple to have either all boys or all girls. we know at least 10-12 couples with either 2 girls or 2 boys, and only 2 with a boy and a girl. My wife has 4 sisters and have cousins that have 5 boys. Same deal with my mother's siblings 6 girls and one boy. Don't know why or if in fact this is true just an observation.
I have 4 girls but at least two of them were conceived when I was hardly running at all. I also have 2 running buddies who run higher mileage than me and have all boys. I think individual differences and just random luck play a bigger part than any running mileage, personally. Once we found out we were having a 4th (not planned) I was full on rooting for another girl at that point. Just seemed easier with sharing rooms, clothes and really at that point throwing a boy into that mix would have been cruel (to him.)
From a practicality standpoint, there is no question that it would be easier if it was a girl, but this decision to have a fourth isn't feeling especially practical. I don't know if I think it would be cruel if it was a boy. My wife thinks he would just be especially sensitive being raised with 3 older sisters. I'm not sure what I think, but the idea of throwing a boy into the mix sounds a bit crazy, and I've always been drawn to crazy.
#artbydmcbride
I've read that the girl sperms are the distance swimmers, and the boy sperms have the speed but not the stamina. So positioning is the crucial factor.
Back in about 1982, Don Kardong responded to an inquiry about running improving sex: common sense suggests you should stop running, have sex, then resume running.
Honestly, I'm not sure it has any impact. If you can find some data to support tilting the odds based on heavy endurance work or the lack of same, then you can skew your training to "peak for your event", as it were.
"I want you to pray as if everything depends on it, but I want you to prepare yourself as if everything depends on you."
-- Dick LeBeau
I do not know
I would guess there could be a coorelation
I also think their might be a stronger coorelation between being shitface drunk and the % chance of girl or boy.
Long dead ... But my stench lingers !
Tell me about it... I have 4 sisters.
Weird. Before I started running we had two boys, a few years later, we were trying for a girl, and what do you know, we have a baby girl. I was running 50-60 miles a week around when she was conceived. Of course, its a 50/50 shot, so it doesn't really prove all that much.
5K 20:20 9/17/11 13.1 1:36:58 6/12/11 26.2 3:34:19 9/23/2012
Feeling the growl again
Among a relatively large group of former college running teammates...who mostly continued to run a lot after college....at first it seemed we had a predisposition to have girls. But now that the sample size of babies is larger it's about 50/50.
"If you want to be a bad a$s, then do what a bad a$s does. There's your pep talk for today. Go Run." -- Slo_Hand
I am spaniel - Crusher of Treadmills
A Saucy Wench
Maybe you just need to get your wife to run more. I had a girl first when I was mostly sedentary and then I started running. Then I had a boy.
I have become Death, the destroyer of electronic gadgets
"When I got too tired to run anymore I just pretended I wasnt tired and kept running anyway" - dd, age 7
sperm already swim like they are shitface drunk.
http://news.yahoo.com/sperm-act-bumbling-drunks-way-egg-190722297.html
not bad for mile 25
how do we find the ‘Usain Bolt’ among the millions of sperm...
jfa
I don't know if I think it would be cruel if it was a boy. My wife thinks he would just be especially sensitive being raised with 3 older sisters. I'm not sure what I think, but the idea of throwing a boy into the mix sounds a bit crazy, and I've always been drawn to crazy.
I'm a product of such thinking as my parents had 7 girls and me. I'm in the middle of the order so I think they were trying to even things out. My Dad wasn't concerned about me being sensitive, he was convinced that I would be gay. My wife thinks I'm more sensitive than a lot of guys, whatever that's worth.
I think if you provide the love and caring that a child needs, they will adapt to their siblings despite the order or sex.
Good luck and enjoy your efforts, whatever they may produce!