But her efforts paid off quickly: Beck got pregnant on her first attempt. She and her husband are expecting a son in May. Beck has only positive things to say about the staff at her clinic and about head honcho Dr. Ericsson, who she says is very helpful. "I e-mailed him and also got to speak to him, and he was great at answering questions and giving feedback," she says. And here's more good news: The entire process cost Jill only $500.

Before her successful pregnancy at a reproductive clinic, *Anne Kent, a 38-year-old mother to four sons, spent $3,300 at a licensed Ericsson Sperm Center but never conceived.

MicroSort
In 1998, scientists at the Genetics and IVF Institute in Fairfax, Virginia patented a mechanical sperm sorter to help couples conceive a child of their desired gender. Women hoping for a girl may augment the process with Clomid. After the "Xes" and "Ys" are sorted, a procedure called fluorescent in situ hybridization, or FISH, stains individual sperm to determine the amount of the preferred type. Using the MicroSort technology, couples have a 90 to 92 percent chance of getting a girl and a 72 percent chance of getting a boy. The procedure is offered at the GIVF Institute and through collaborating physicians elsewhere. Each attempt costs about $3,200. On the average, couples take three tries to get pregnant.

The medical establishment has touted MicroSort as the crème de la crème of assisted sex selection technology. Because of the buzz and the high success rates, couples now face a six-month wait for MicroSort. Change to: In an article published on the Internet by The Medical Journal of Australia, Dr. Julian Savulescu worries that "there is a theoretical risk associated with ultraviolet light" and dye used to identify and activate DNA in sperm.

Since the technology is so new, little is known about possible risks to mother and baby. Couples who participate are part of a clinical trial; they're briefed on the experimental nature of the program and must sign an informed consent waiver before they proceed.

In an article published on the Internet by The Medical Journal of Australia, Dr. Julian Savulescu worries that "there is a theoretical risk associated with ultraviolet light" and dye used to identify and activate DNA in sperm. Bearing in mind that MicroSort is his rival, listen to Dr. Ericsson explain the difference between his method and MicroSort:

"[Unlike MicroSort], our technology does not use a machine nor do we stain the sperm. Our isolation process is based on the ability of sperm to swim with different degrees of velocity. This process is shorter and more sperm of higher quality are recovered for insemination."

One Woman's Experience With MicroSort
It is estimated that as of December 1999, 75 MicroSort babies were born, with many more on the way. *Karen Warren, a 29-year-old mom to three boys, is expecting her MicroSort bundle in August 2000.

"I am just your ordinary suburban soccer mom and never thought I would ever find myself in this position," she says. "After having three boys, I just thought I would never get the opportunity to experience the joys and tribulations that come with raising both sexes. MicroSort and their medical technology has at least given me a chance of having that little girl I dream about."

Warren will not learn her baby's sex until her ultrasound. "I am fully aware that this could be another boy and would have never considered MicroSort if I only wanted a girl and not another child," she says.

Although she was fortunate enough to conceive on her first try, Karen admits her high-tech experience caused "some rocky times" in her marriage. "You are spending a lot of money for only a 15- to 20-percent chance of getting pregnant," says Warren. "There was the issue of taking Clomid [to boost the odds of getting a girl], because it increased the risk of twins, we did not opt for it. That was all I thought about for months."

Warren gives the Genetics and IVF Institute, where MicroSort is performed, a big thumbs up. The staff members were friendly and the typical patient was very much like her, "someone who already had two, three or four boys and this was going to be their last child."

She admits she felt stressed out waiting to hear if lab tests would green-light an insemination attempt, but says the actual IUI "was very easy – nothing more than having a pap smear. It was amazing seeing my husband's sperm being separated and being [placed] into me."

When asked what women considering MicroSort should know, Karen says this: "It's a long process from the time you pick up the phone and make that first phone call until the time you are actually inseminated, probably about a six-month wait now. Also, it can be very stressful on your marriage, and you should make sure your husband is in this with you 100 percent. Be prepared that it probably will not take on the first try, and the cost could reach $10,000 after three to four tries, which is the average it takes to get pregnant."

Even though she doesn't yet know if her MicroSort journey will deliver the daughter she craves, Warren finds fulfillment in taking charge of her dreams. "If it does not work and I have another son, then that's fine, and I guess it really was not meant to be," she says. "But at least I know I did everything I could."

*Names have been changed for privacy reasons.

Want to see more?

• Boy or Girl: Should You Choose the Sex of Your Child?
• Low-Tech Ways to Choose Your Baby's Gender
• One and Only: How to Know When – and If – You Should Try for Another Child
• Talk about it!