Bethany*, a 30-year-old homemaker in Illinois, could be the Shettles Method poster mom. Bethany and her husband assiduously followed the techniques outlined in Shettles' book when they conceived each of their five children. With four out of the five, they got pregnant on the first try; only one baby took two months to conceive. And most impressive, this couple achieved the desired gender with all of their kids: Lindsey, Hayley, Makenna, Camden (the only boy) and Amrin.

To conceive their daughters, Bethany and her husband made love on the third and second days before she ovulated. They also used the missionary position, which Shettles asserts "makes it less likely that the sperm will be deposited directly near the opening of the cervix, where the secretions are most alkaline and would thus favor the male-producing sperm."

In the 1997 edition of his book, Shettles discounts his previously recommended "girl" tip of douching with vinegar and water. However, Bethany used this acidic combination when she conceived her girls. While it's unclear if the douching helped, it obviously didn't hurt.

Bethany and her husband conceived their son, Camden, on the day she ovulated. They used the "rear-entry" position, which Shettles maintains places the sperm closest to the cervix, where the secretions are the most alkaline, and thus boy-producing. To boost the alkaline content of her fluids even further, Bethany douched with baking soda and water.

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