Can Taking a 19th Century Herbal Tonic Help You Conceive a Girl?

Are you trying to figure out how to conceive a girl?  Well, all the way back in 1873, a woman from Massachusetts, Lydia Pinkham, began marketing the herbal tonic she had been giving to friends and family for years. Lydia Pinkham’s Herbal Compound was originally the famous Lydia Pinkham’s Vegetable Compound, a patent medicine tonic used to treat “female complaints.” The tonic made the woman rich and even inspired a few famous drinking songs (ever heard “Lilly the Pink?).

Several years ago discussions began on various internet forums and in pregnancy chat rooms that taking the modern version of the compound could increase the chances of conceiving a girl. Since then quite a number of women have claimed that taking the tonic has indeed produced the desired result (a baby girl instead of a boy)

If it does work why would that be? There are a couple of things that do point in favor of the theory:

Acid – If tested with PH strips, the tonic is rather acidic with a PH of 2. It has long been held by many people, even the traditional scientific community that an acidic environment is more hostile to sperm and that only the hardier female sperm are likely to survive to fertilize an egg.

Estrogen levels – The tonic was originally marketed to women going through menopause and some of its ingredients are believed to balance estrogen levels. According to some a woman with lower estrogen levels is more likely to conceive a girl.

If you do decide to give the “LP” method a try take the tonic exactly as directed on the package and you may want to mention to your doctor that you intend to take this supplement to make sure there are no known reactions with any medications you are already taking.