For parents with preference, more want boys than girls, but 60 per cent say they don't care

PARENTS are overjoyed to just have a healthy bub, but new figures show a leaning towards bouncing baby boys.

A major snapshot of Australian families shows a third of men want a boy as their first child, compared to 19 per cent of mums-to-be. Only 6 per cent of men and 16 per cent of women wanted a girl first.

But 60 per cent of men and women have no preference in the gender of their child.

The report, by the Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, says 35 per cent of men and 27 per cent of women in 2008 wanted a gender balance - one boy and one girl.

Psychologist Sally-Anne McCormack said she believed that for most couples any desire for a particular gender was subconscious.

"For males, although this is something that is changing, it may have something to do with keeping of the family name," she said.

Kealba's Renata Furst, who is 27 weeks pregnant, said she had no real preference.

"As long as they are healthy, I really don't mind," the 27-year-old said.