Is it a Boy or a Girl?
By patgalca
@patgalca (18481)
Orangeville, Ontario
January 17, 2016 7:48pm CST
What is the deal these days with everyone wanting to know the sex of their baby before it's born? Honestly, I didn't want to know the sex of my babies before they were born. I don't remember whether it was an option. They probably wouldn't say unless I had asked. My husband's nephew and his wife were told they were having a boy. What a surprise when a little girl popped out! So technicians and doctors can get it wrong still. So why bother?
I'm sorry but this really bugs me. What surprise is there at the end of the nine months? Some people will even tell you what name they've picked in advance so again, no surprise.
Stewing over names for boys and girls is so difficult. So what? It's part of the process. But they want to know what color to paint the room - uh, neutral? Clothes to buy? Again, neutral. Green is safe, so is white or multi-colored.
There are 5 babies being welcomed into our family next year (3 on my side, 2 on hubby's). We know my niece is expecting twin girls. My nephew plans on announcing the sex of his baby soon. The guy is so excited about this baby he won't be able to keep it to himself. Hubby's nephew, expecting their second, probably won't say anything after being wrong the first time. Not sure whether his niece will announce it. It is also her second baby. I can't remember whether we all knew in advance as that was 8 years ago.
And so they have this new production out of revealing the gender - The Gender Reveal Party. It's cute the way they do it, especially when the parents take the results to the bakery without looking at it and are surprised themselves when they cut into that cake. So, that's fun.
Call me old fashioned but I'd rather find out when the baby is born. What say you?
13 people like this
9 responses
@JudyEv (382107)
• Rockingham, Australia
18 Jan 16
When my mother had her first baby in 1938, she had a boy. But almost immediately the doctor said 'wait, there's another one' and she was then delivered of a girl. Imagine that happening nowadays - going in to have one baby and coming home with twins! :)
1 person likes this
@patgalca (18481)
• Orangeville, Ontario
18 Jan 16
@JudyEv @paigea You'd be surprised. Check out some YouTube videos. Most parents do know they are having twins but there is the odd case where they don't (probably not good health care system). There was a video of a couple who knew they were having twins but didn't tell a sole. When the babies arrived they video taped everyone's reaction to seeing two babies. It was hilarious and heartwarming.
2 people like this
@ShyBear88 (59342)
• Sterling, Virginia
25 Jan 16
Ultrasounds these days are nearly 90 precent correct. It really depends on how the placenta is laying because it make it look like a girl or boy part depend on where that is.
Personally I have three kids and I found out which each of them where. Why is simple I wanted to call them by there nap before they where born not wait another 20 weeks to find out. I hated saying baby all of the time. As soon as we knew we where having a girl then boys we had there names. In my heart I felt each of my kids genders before the gender scan and I was correct with them all. I have good gut feeling on those. There are many people that just don't want to know. But its so hard finding gender neutral clothes these days. I hate the color pink so we got lots of purple for my daughter.
1 person likes this
@ShyBear88 (59342)
• Sterling, Virginia
26 Jan 16
@patgalca lol. I can tell know after having three kids what is what on a screen. I've had tones of ultrasounds with each of them since I"m kind of in the middle risk why. I enjoy seeing the little grow inside it's like a big mystery.
@purplealabaster (22085)
• United States
18 Jan 16
I found out with both of mine. I wanted to know, because I felt that it strengthened my bond with them. Instead of referring to them as "the baby", I could actually talk to them (yes, I talked to them as they were bouncing around in my belly) and use their name, which to me made it more personal.
I do not like all the "boy" versus "girl" colors and clothes, though. I do not think that a girl needs to have everything pink, especially since I really do not like the color pink, nor do I think that a boy needs to have everything blue. I actually prefer the gender neutral stuff as to try to avoid shoving a steroe-type on them from birth.
1 person likes this
@purplealabaster (22085)
• United States
18 Jan 16
@patgalca I had girls, and I dressed them in sports themed clothes, so people just assumed that they were boys.
@thesids (22180)
• Bhubaneswar, India
18 Jan 16
Thanks to many who would never want a baby girl and will get the girl fetus aborted, now they have made a law and today, in India, gender determination before birth is illegal.
Our only child, a baby girl, was born on Dec 13th 2015. I had a desire to have a girl as I have only one brother and grew up in a house where the only lady was mom. We missed many things just because we did not have a sister.
Anyways, back to topic, I think it would have been more fun if I knew we would be blessed with a girl. I would have purchased a lot of things much before she was born and maybe even asked the landlady to color the room with a girly color. But that never happened. I have no problems whether they allow us to know the gender or not before birth. Our child will always be dear to us.
On a second thought, I think it is better to not know the gender of the baby before birth. The things that I did in haste that day and the next, I could never have experienced those. They definitely gave me more self confidence.
1 person likes this
@LovingMyBabies (85923)
• Valdosta, Georgia
18 Jan 16
I wanted to find out with mine because I didn't want my girls being dressed in neutral stuff and people guessing they were boys. I hated that!
Plus I also wanted to have a name picked early instead of calling the baby "it". Lol.
1 person likes this
@patgalca (18481)
• Orangeville, Ontario
18 Jan 16
I couldn't get a picture of my first baby's ultrasound. I was told they didn't do that there. It's too bad because she was doing what we called the Tomahawk Chop in the womb. I do have one of my second baby with her thumb pointing towards her mouth. Oddly enough she never was a thumb sucker, but my first one was.
1 person likes this
@IvySaysHi (4603)
• United States
18 Jan 16
I'm not one to let surprises be surprises and it is wonderful knowing what the baby is. Technology has come such a long way its almost impossible for the gender to be mistaken. Also it is a lot more fun to shop for a specific gender in my opinion
@Morleyhunt (21741)
• Canada
18 Jan 16
Find out at birth. I did not want to know.
1 person likes this
@RonElFran (1214)
• Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania
18 Jan 16
I, too, think knowing the gender before birth takes the pleasurable suspense out of having a baby. I wonder if there's a practical reason, or do people do it just because it's now possible.
1 person likes this
