boy or girl - who decides?

We've all heard so many versions of how to get a baby girl/boy. I've collected so many versions from talking to pple and from reading some books.. Scientific version, old folks' version, colleagues' version, 推拿师's version, calendar's version and even mother's version.

So let me tell you what those versions are..

Scientific version
I think this is by far the most convincing version to me. This is X & Y chromosome theory. This is my understanding of it:

Women are made of XX chromosomes and Men XY. Since women only has X women cannot determine the gender of the baby, so the determinant is from the man. During intercourse, sperm will be released and sperms are either X sperm or Y sperm. Y sperms are the male sperms which are strong and fast swimmers but have a short life. X sperms, the female sperms, are not so fast swimmers but live longer. So whether you have a boy or a girl, depends on when you have intercourse, i.e. before or after ovulation.

Before ovulation: girl, why? During that time, the egg is not "out". So if you have intercourse and the sperms go on this race to meet their beau, the male sperms will swim soooooo quickly to the destination but ALAS! their beau is not there.. so they end up dead while waiting. The female sperms though slower, are able to survive longer to fertilise the egg..

Sounds logical right?

(no need to write the after ovulation version right la hor? :P )

Old Folks Version
Depends on the size and shape of the woman's kacheng.. hahaha.. that if they cannot have a grandson is solely the reason of the woman's incapability of bearing one!

Colleague's version
Depends on timing of the intercourse (not before or after ovulation) but in the morning or at night. I dont know which will result in which though! Oh there's another one, depends on who's on top!

Chinese Calendar Version
Some pple swear by this. It depends on the woman's lunar age and month of conception. Click the URL to find out more..

My own experience? Questionable. Cos I dont know the month of conception, how to know whether it's the last day of the month or first day of the following? I dont mark my diary lah.. :P

推拿师's version
During my confinement after I delivered Fu, I engaged a massage lady's service for post natal massage. A few times into our massage session, she told me that my next bb will be a girl.

I asked: how can you tell?
She: 我不会讲啦。。
(She said she's usually correct. )
Me: 怎么可能？ 都没有科学根据。。 应该是由 X 或 Y chromosome 来决定的嘛。
She: 对呀！可是也要看女方会吸收哪一个精子。

Of cos I was very doubtful and I don't know whether she can really tell or it's just merely coincidence, the next bb I conceived was a girl (Angel).

When I lost Angel, I again engaged her service. She told me, next time it's going to be a girl again. She's right again. So is it twice the coincidence? or can she really tell?

My Mother's version
I told my mum about two distant friends who have 3 daughters and no boys. My mum who has 4 daughters under her belt told me, "tell your friend not to be worried, she will have lot's of grandsons!"

Haha... my mum was so adament when I just was pregnant with Fu that it's going to be a boy. She said that she will have 4 grandsons to balance off her 4 daughters before she will have any chance of having a grand-daughter! I still remember her smug look when I told her Dr Kowa said it's a boy. haha..

My mum's words:
"叫你的朋友不要担心！ 她的女儿会帮她报仇的！" hahaha..

So eventually who decides? Seems like more of the version points to the woman. My final conclusion: God.