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L Gosling

Publications and source records attributed to L Gosling.

4 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1984

A prospective study of the preselection of the sex of offspring by timing intercourse relative to ovulation.

The relationship between the sex of offspring and the time interval between coitus and ovulation/fertilization has been prospectively investigated in 33 pregnancies using the rise in luteinizing hormone in the early morning urine, the peak cervical mucus symptom, and the shift in basal body temperature as indicators for ovulation. Reference to the peak cervical mucus symptom showed a significant association of conception of a male child with longer intervals (greater than 2 days) between coitus and fertilization (P less than 0.03). However, while a similar trend for male conceptions was evident when the duration of sperm survival was determined by reference to each of the other two indicators of ovulation, the relationship was not significant. The results clearly refute the theory that intercourse close to ovulation favors male conceptions. While the findings are consistent with the contrary theory, it may be premature to conclude that a male child is more likely to be conceived if coitus takes place several days before ovulation.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

An evaluation of teaching cervical mucus symptoms to ovulating infertile women.

Women (n = 113) with ovulatory menstrual cycles but complaining of infertility were instructed in the observation and charting of cervical mucus symptoms. At the completion of 3 teaching cycles, 80 subjects (70.8%) had successfully charted at least one cycle with an ovulatory mucus pattern (10 subjects became pregnant). Sixty-two (54.9%) of the women continued for a further 3 cycles of investigation during which, around the time of ovulation, an assessment was made of the mucus at the cervix. On the basis of this assessment subjects were classified as either Group 1: charting ovulatory mucus symptoms with 'fertile type' mucus observed at the cervix - 48 subjects (10 became pregnant); Group 2A: charting uninterpretable mucus symptoms but 'fertile type' mucus observed at the cervix - 8 subjects; or, Group 2B: charting uninterpretable mucus symptoms and mucus of poor quality observed at the cervix - 6 subjects. The study shows that infertile ovulating women can be taught to observe and chart their mucus symptoms. Such charting is useful in identifying the fertile period of the cycle for timing of intercourse and for timing of postcoital tests and cervical assessment. It is also useful in identifying the small number of women (5.3%) with an apparent deficiency in mucus production. Whether the 20 subjects (17.7%) who became pregnant were assisted in this objective by their charting of symptoms is unclear.

Body Temperature↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Characteristics of natural conceptual cycles occurring in a prospective study of sex preselection: fertility awareness symptoms, hormone levels, sperm survival, and pregnancy outcome.

A prospective study of sex preselection provided the opportunity to characterize the fertile menstrual cycle. We describe from 91 natural conceptual cycles, or sub-groups thereof, cervical mucus symptoms, basal body temperature (BBT) changes, hormonal characteristics, and the outcome of pregnancy. The cervical mucus symptoms defined a potential fertile period of 10 days' average length, with the "peak" mucus symptom occurring at a mean of day 15.5 of the cycle. A fertile period of 9 to 10 days was also indicated by pregnancies resulting from single acts of intercourse between -6 and +3 days from ovulation. The BBT chart was biphasic in 73 of 76 cycles. The duration of the LH surge as observed in early morning urine samples averaged five days, with the peak occurring 1.4 days after the onset. Considerable inter-subject variability was seen in the LH excretion levels. Hormone measurements of peripheral plasma during the luteal phase showed the first detectable presence of hCG between day 7 and day 13 after conception. Progesterone concentrations in the midluteal phase exceeded 20 nmol/L and tended to be higher than in a comparison group of nonfertile cycles, whereas the estradiol concentrations were similar in fertile and nonfertile cycles. The birth sex ratio favored males when intercourse preceded ovulation/fertilization by two days or longer. While this association was statistically significant, the number of pregnancies involved is too small to conclude that the relationship is real.

Adult↗