I was intrigued when I read this post at ParentDish by Kristin Darguzas, which reports on a study with results that seem to show that stressed out moms-to-be are more likely, 5% more likely in fact, to give birth to baby girls. Darguzas was looking at this article that discusses the results of the study conducted by a university in Denmark.

Apparently women who reported higher levels of stress at the beginning of their pregnancies ended up giving birth to girls, while women who generally felt relaxed were more likely to have boys. I know it sounds odd since the x or y chromosome in male sperm determines the sex of a child. The report mentions that it may be difficult for male embryos to implant when stress hormone levels are high or that stressed women may be more likely to miscarry male babies.

Perhaps the most important point made in the piece is that babies born to stressed-out moms are more likely to have a range of problems later in life, such as diabetes and high blood pressure. So if you're hoping to have a baby but just can't relax it may be a good idea to talk to your doctor about ways to relieve some stress.