“Speechless” Before 11 Methods Used by Ancients to Have a Son

It’s no surprise that bizarre methods for conceiving a son have emerged throughout history.

A harsh truth, but one that must be acknowledged, is that for thousands of years, families have predominantly “valued sons over daughters”, placing higher importance on male offspring. This belief has been prevalent not only in Asian families but also in European countries like England and France, where attempts were made to control the gender of unborn children in hopes of having sons.

For instance, King Henry VIII wanted a son to ensure a royal heir, while merchants often preferred to avoid having too many daughters due to the high dowry costs. It’s no wonder that bizarre methods for conceiving a son have appeared throughout history.

1. In 18th Century France, men could remove their left testicle to conceive a son

According to some surviving texts from this period, men who wanted a son often drank cola to enhance their chances, but some took even more drastic measures. An 18th-century French text suggested that to ensure a son, men should remove their left testicle, claiming that it was the source of female offspring. Therefore, by eliminating it, they could conceive a son.

Of course, this ridiculous theory was completely erroneous. Men who underwent such drastic measures must have felt deeply disappointed and angry.

2. Catching rabbits to conceive a son

Trotula, a 12th-century medical text, offered some interesting advice for women wishing to conceive a son: “Let the husbands go hunting and obtain the uterus of a wild rabbit, dry it, crush it, and mix the powder with wine to drink.”

Folklore can indeed be quite frightening…

3. Ancient Romans suggested tying up a testicle

Roman natural philosopher Pliny the Elder once advised men to tie up a testicle if they wanted to control the gender of their child. However, Pliny was not referring to humans but to sheep; tying the right testicle of a male sheep would produce female offspring, while tying the left would produce males.

This method is somewhat similar to the first one but less barbaric. Pliny never recommended this method for humans, but it’s likely that many ancient Roman men followed it anyway.

4. Ancient Egyptians sought out women with green skin

Their pregnancy tests were equally strange; when a woman with green skin became pregnant, she was required to urinate on barley. If the barley grew, it meant she was carrying a boy.

5. Hiding a spoon under the bed if you want a daughter

Most gender selection theories focus on conceiving sons. Throughout history, sons have been viewed as more desirable and valued more than daughters. King Henry VIII imprisoned his second wife, Anne Boleyn, for giving birth to a daughter, despite the child later becoming Queen Elizabeth I, one of England’s greatest monarchs.

However, a fresh perspective emerged when, among 1001 ways to conceive a son, someone finally wished to have a daughter. A woman wanting a daughter should place a wooden spoon under her bed. To increase the chances of having a daughter, she should also place a pink ribbon under her pillow.

6. Eating bread to determine the gender of the baby

Another bizarre hypothesis suggested controlling the baby’s gender by eating different parts of bread. To conceive a son, parents should only eat the end of the loaf, while eating the middle would result in a daughter.

If you accidentally eat the middle of the loaf, don’t worry; there’s another method claiming that men who drink coffee right before intercourse have a higher chance of conceiving a son, as coffee stimulates the sperm to swim faster.

7. Victorians advised women to diet if they wanted a son

The Victorians had some strange beliefs about gender, and gender selection was no exception. Women wanting a son were advised to follow a strict diet. However, recent scientific studies indicate that women with a higher-calorie diet have a slightly increased chance of conceiving a son.

8. Positioning the bed to face north if you want a son

Until the 17th century, many believed that wind direction or even the orientation of the bed could control the gender of the baby. According to advice from the Talmud in Hebrew, a couple should place their bed facing north or south to conceive as desired. Moreover, the theory claimed that a north wind at the time of conception would lead to a son, while a south wind would result in a daughter.

9. Sons only develop on the right side of the uterus

According to a theory from the 16th century, women should lie on their right side after intercourse to ensure that the sperm would swim to the right side of the uterus. Ancient beliefs held that the uterus had seven compartments: three on the right, three on the left, and one in the middle. Sons could develop on the right side, while daughters would be conceived on the left. But what if the sperm swam to the middle? Someone clearly forgot to account for that scenario.

10. Afternoon intercourse for daughters, nighttime for sons

A 19th-century theory suggested that the time of day would determine the gender of the baby. Girls were more likely to be conceived in the afternoon, while boys were conceived at night. This theory even warned future parents to pay attention to the calendar: girls were to be conceived on even days of the month, while boys on odd days.

11. Eating bananas to conceive a son

An old wives’ tale claims that eating bananas increases the likelihood of giving birth to a son. Perhaps due to the shape of the banana, women in ancient times firmly believed it was strongly associated with males. In 2008, a scientific study confirmed that women who ate bananas had a slightly higher chance of conceiving a son.

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