How to Test PH for Conceiving a Baby

Vaginal pH is one of the folk wisdom methods of determining if you'll have a boy or girl. The idea behind testing your vaginal pH is that a more acidic vaginal environment favors a girl and a more alkaline environment favors a boy, notes BabyZone. The fact is, according to the Baby Center website, that unless you undergo an expensive sperm sorting or in-vitro fertilization procedure, you're odds of having a boy or a girl are still 50/50. Still, some who have tried this and other folk remedies swear by them. Because testing and slightly altering your vaginal pH through diet isn't dangerous, it falls sunder the "might help, can't hurt" category.

Tear off a 3- to 4-inch piece of pH paper or remove one pH test strip from its container.

Use one hand to gently separate the labia. Use the other hand to insert the pH paper or pH strip into your vagina.

Press the paper or the paper side of the strip to the side of your vaginal wall for a few seconds, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Remove the pH paper and immediately use the guide on the side of your pH product's packaging to determine vaginal pH.

Check your pH regularly and compare results over time. Your body naturally maintains a pH of around 7.36 out of 14, which is slightly alkaline, according to BabyZone. Aim to get your pH slightly lower for a girl and slightly higher for a boy.

Tips

There are no exact vaginal pH recommendations for conception because this method hasn't been scientifically verified.