Did you find out the sex of your unborn baby?

[pospisil]

I couldn't wait to find out! I'm too much of a planner to not know something like that. And it was nice to be able to quit calling him "the baby" or "it". : )

 

[epcotprincess]

We waited.

It was an anguishing decision because we really wanted to know right then, yet we also thought the delivery room surprise would be amazing.

We decorated the room in Classic Pooh with a great mural. That room will stay the same and be the next baby's room, and our dd will get a pink or purple room when we make the transition.

I liked the fact that we got many practical items for our shower instead of clothing-- not saying every family will be this way, but our family really can't resist baby clothes and has a tendency to buy a lot of gender-appropriate teeny baby clothing if they know the gender in advance. Also, everything we received will be reusable for the next child.

I asked the doctor to let my husband announce the gender to me, and it was the greatest feeling in the world when they put her on my chest and he said, "it's a girl, honey... we have a daughter!" (I totally believe it can be just as emotional and fun if announced by an ultrasound tech, but this is just what I envisioned and what worked for us. It really is a surprise either way.)

Some other fun ways my friends have gone about it:

-One friend found out but didn't tell anyone, and then she and her mom decorated her whole shower in the appropriate gender, so when guests arrived, that's when they found out my friend was having a boy. It was great to see each person arrive and fill with joy at the news.

-One friend found out and never told anyone at all until after the birth, not even her mom!

-One friend found out and told people by delivering cupcakes. She asked the recipients to "bite in" to find out the gender-- she had injected pink frosting into each one.

-One friend didn't find out, and when the baby arrived, they greeted guests with small favor boxes of pink m&ms.

-One friend found out, but asked the ultrasound tech to write the gender down on a card she had brought with her. She and her husband went on a romantic picnic and opened the card together at sunset.


Honestly like I said, it's a surprise either way and great no matter what. For me, I realized that I will only be pregnant with my first child once, and I have the rest of her life to know she's a girl. I wanted that moment in the delivery room, because that's how I always envisioned my child's birth. I also knew I wanted a drug-free delivery and I thought perhaps the prospect of finding out the gender would keep me going when it got tough.

Good luck with your choice!

 

[MistressMerryweather]

I'm all natural regarding everything childbirth but I also hate surprises. So while it's pretty unnatural to know the sex of your baby before he/she is born, I can't help it. We only have one 20 weekish ultrasound(unless there is medical reason to have more) and if baby doesn't show themselves, I am so bummed. LOL
I wouldn't have an ultrasound just to find out the sex.
Ds 1, we found out, but dd 1 wouldn't let us(the surprise was awesome, but I still would have chosen to know). Ds 2, we found out and our 4th little one due this June is definitely a girl.

 

[NAB]

The first I didn't find out and the second one I did. Wish I hadn't, it really takes away from the excitement of the day. It wasn't the same as the first.

We had a boy and this second one was a girl. Which I wanted so bad and I think that is why I wanted to know at my last ultrasound.

 

[krcit]

We waited.

It was an anguishing decision because we really wanted to know right then, yet we also thought the delivery room surprise would be amazing.

We decorated the room in Classic Pooh with a great mural. That room will stay the same and be the next baby's room, and our dd will get a pink or purple room when we make the transition.

I liked the fact that we got many practical items for our shower instead of clothing-- not saying every family will be this way, but our family really can't resist baby clothes and has a tendency to buy a lot of gender-appropriate teeny baby clothing if they know the gender in advance. Also, everything we received will be reusable for the next child.

I asked the doctor to let my husband announce the gender to me, and it was the greatest feeling in the world when they put her on my chest and he said, "it's a girl, honey... we have a daughter!" (I totally believe it can be just as emotional and fun if announced by an ultrasound tech, but this is just what I envisioned and what worked for us. It really is a surprise either way.)

Some other fun ways my friends have gone about it:

-One friend found out but didn't tell anyone, and then she and her mom decorated her whole shower in the appropriate gender, so when guests arrived, that's when they found out my friend was having a boy. It was great to see each person arrive and fill with joy at the news.

-One friend found out and never told anyone at all until after the birth, not even her mom!

-One friend found out and told people by delivering cupcakes. She asked the recipients to "bite in" to find out the gender-- she had injected pink frosting into each one.

-One friend didn't find out, and when the baby arrived, they greeted guests with small favor boxes of pink m&ms.


Honestly like I said, it's a surprise either way and great no matter what. For me, I realized that I will only be pregnant with my first child once, and I have the rest of her life to know she's a girl. I wanted that moment in the delivery room, because that's how I always envisioned my child's birth. I also knew I wanted a drug-free delivery and I thought perhaps the prospect of finding out the gender would keep me going when it got tough.

Good luck with your choice!

Awwww, I love that story! Reminds me of when my 1st was born and they let me call my mom on the way to the recovery room. I was on a gurney stopped at the nurse's station and they dialed for me and when my momanswered I said "It's a girl, Mommy. I have a daughter." It was one of the greatest moments of my life

 

[disneydreamersx4]

My first baby they didn't do any tests to tell me and it drove me crazy not knowing. Second baby, just DH & I knew and didn't tell anyone. Third baby just I found out and DH didn't want to know so I only told my mom who lived 1500 miles away so no one found out. Boy was DH surprised when they said another girl. He was convinced it was a boy this time.

 

[Conservative Hippie]

I'm all natural regarding everything childbirth but I also hate surprises. So while it's pretty unnatural to know the sex of your baby before he/she is born, I can't help it. We only have one 20 weekish ultrasound(unless there is medical reason to have more) and if baby doesn't show themselves, I am so bummed. LOL
I wouldn't have an ultrasound just to find out the sex.
Ds 1, we found out, but dd 1 wouldn't let us(the surprise was awesome, but I still would have chosen to know). Ds 2, we found out and our 4th little one due this June is definitely a girl.

Me too - but my midwife required one ultrasound "just to make sure we know what we are dealing with," and I made sure with both of mine to have it done when the gender would be clear. With my son, though, I ended up having two more medically necessary ultrasounds.

 

[robinb]

Yes. I was an older mother so I had a CVS done when I was 8 weeks pregnant. I found out her gender with the rest of the good news that my DD had normal chromosomes. I liked knowing in advance. Of course, I hate pink so I had a lot of the "neutral" colors anyway. Three years later my DD's entire wardrobe was pink and purple .

 

[kacaju]

We did not find out with our 3 girls.
Here is why.

My dh is one of 3 boys, I am the only girl out of 4 kids. My inlaws had 5 granddaughters when I got pregnant with my first.

It was my parents first grandchild.

Everyone just *knew* I was having a boy.

My oldest is 17, If I was told it was a boy...and they were wrong, my FIL would have been deeply upset, seriously...he loved (he's been gone for 10 years now) his granddaughters, but really, really wanted a grandson.

It was just not worth it to me. I went on to have 2 more girls.

My brother, two years after my last had a girl.
Then 3 years later he and his wife finally had a boy. My MIL gave my nephew (not her grandchild) the baby blue hat she had made 21 years earlier for our first niece...this is how much my in laws expected to have a grandson! She held onto that hat all those years!!

 

[shaylyn]

I've done it both ways, and I can tell you that the excitement is the same

The first two we were surprised. Then we had three more (a boy and twin girls) and we decided to find out with each of those pregnancies. They even told us that our twins were girls at 13 weeks!!! (we had a GREAT u/s tech and cooperative babies )

Now I love knowing early. I think it helps me bond with the baby before they are born.

 

[diznygirl]

Found out for the first but not for he second. I agree that it's a surprise whenever you find out - at ultrasound or at delivery. How could knowing the gender possibly take away any of the excitement of the day you give birth? That's nonsense - it will be an exciting memorable day no matter what!

 

[MELSMICE]

We did not with our first. I was convinced I as having a boy but I was wrong...lol!

We did with our twins, but I told DH I would only find out if we kept the secret to ourselves. Everyone knew that we knew, however, we did keep the secret. Even from our parents.

The questions we got were so funny, including "will they wear dresses or tuxes to the prom."

Most disappointing question though was my MIL asking me if I was disappointed in what we were having. She's a little nutty at times.

BTW - we have 3 girls & the sonogram was right with our twins.

 

[disneychrista]

Didn't want to know with my first daughter. With my second (daughter) I would have said yes, if they had asked do you want to know, but they didn't at either ultra sound.

 

[Liberty Belle]

I found out with both my kids. With the first, we already knew. I mean, I was certain he was a boy, and he was. We wanted to make sure, though, because we had very little money and didn't want to waste anything, wanted to buy when we saw bargains, etc.

With the second, I couldn't tell and since we already had the boy stuff, I wanted to know if we needed to get girly stuff before the birth. Plus, my oldest son really wanted to know.

 

[N&B'smom]

We didn't find out in advance with either of our children. For me, it added an extra little bit of excitement during my labor and delivery...I was just waiting for THAT moment after all that hard work. It was WONDERFUL!

First one was a boy, second a girl.

(for the record, I'm a planner but I preferred to be surprised at that moment)

 

[DawnM]

I hate surprises and really am a planner. I found out!

Dawn

 

[TwinsinCA]

I wanted to know as soon as it was possible to know. (The unknown drives me *crazy* and pregnancy is filled with enough of that already!) Laying eyes on my babies for the first time was more than enough of a surprise to leave for the day they were born.

We had our first u/s at 18 weeks. Little did I know that morning that I'd come home not only learning I was having a daughter but that I was having *two* of them. Now THAT was a surprise!

 

[Mrs. Charming]

I couldn't wait.! ...and believe it or not, we found out DS was a DS at 11w 5d!

 

[laurie31]

We found out with both of ours. As someone said, it is a surprise when you find out, no matter when that moment happens. Our names were long and I got tired of saying both of them, so I was happy to find out - lol. I called DD#1 "Elizabeth-or-Christopher" and DD#2 was "Christopher-or-Catherine", and it was a mouthful. "Goodness, Elizabeth-or-Christopher is really moving a lot today," or "I bought a car seat for Christopher-or-Catherine." I couldn't stand calling her "the baby," although I do know people who pick a pet name for the baby, such a "peanut" and use that until they learn the gender. I was sure DD#1 was a girl, but I thought DD#2 was a boy. I was so shocked when they said she was a girl! I was HAPPY, but shocked!

Also, I didn't get that "It's a GIRL" moment at birth with either of them.

DD#1 got into distress at the end, and had to have O2 when she was born. No one said anything until she started crying, and then the doctor said, "Thank God!" under her breath, and that's when I realized she had been in trouble. (She was fine in a few minutes - the cord was around her neck, so the closer she came to birth, the more it choked her. She would have died if I'd chosen a home birth).

DD#2 was large for gestational age and was breech. She was an emergency C-section at 38 weeks and weighed 9 lbs 12 oz. We were not 100% sure of her gender, and I'd brought a boy outfit to the hospital just in case. I was really looking forwrd to having her gender announced, but when she was born the doctor said, "Whoa! That looks like a 10 pounder!" I feared I'd given birth to a bass instead of a baby - lol. I had to ask the anestheologist, "It's a girl, right?" and he said he didn't know, he couldn't see. Finally someone said, "Yeah, she's a girl." Big letdown! (the announcement, I mean. I was thrilled to have two girls!)

So whenever you find out it will be a wonderful surprise, and if you choose to wait until birth, be prepared NOT to get that "It's a XXX!" moment.

Have a wonderful pregnancy! It's so much fun to await a little new one!

 

[hereyago]

Yes, I did. I don't like surprises.