Are you going to find out the gender of your baby pre-birth?

[Lisashepp]

I AM!!

I know a lot here are against ultrasound, but I am comfortable with a few during pregnancy (just nothing in excess ya know?). I just can't wait! 5 more week and 2 days

I don't care which gender we are having, a girl would be a lot easier then a boy because then I wouldn't have to battle my dh about leaving our son intact. DH has always made it clear that our sons will be circ'd so a girl would just be easier. Also I never had a sister, and dh never had a sister so it would be neat to watch my dd and a new baby girl develop into sisters!!

Boys are fun too, just one battle I don't want to have to fight.

ETA: knowing the gender will either prepare me for or relieve me of the pressure of convincing my dh that out son should stay intact. If we find out it is a girl, then no worries, if it is a boy then I know I need to arm myself and start working on dh.

[mehndi mama]

Nope. I don't believe in the use of ultrasound for non-emergency reasons. Too many iffy findings.

BTW, those Fetal Foto places, and things like that, are not regulated by any radiological inspection board, and there is no knowing if they are operating at too-high frequency levels.
(I just posted a thread about ultrasound on the pregnancy board)

[Boobs]

I'm another mama that feels an ultrasound or two is okay. DH is going to find out the sex, but I'm not!! It's his first baby and I found out with dd. I really want the surprise, but I don't want to take the choice away from him either. SO, here's hoping he can keep the secret!!

[kater07]

No, we aren't finding out. I am only having 1 U/S and that is against my desires, but DH wants to know about the organs being normal and the spine. So we will have 1 U/S to determine if the baby is healthy, then no more.

I just don't believe in U/S unless there's a medical reason for having one.

[Mama2Chloe]

Yes we are. I did with Chloe and I also am not against a couple during the PG. I am a planner by nature and the surprise would be more stress. We are just hopeing for a healthy, happy baby so the sex is a win-win situation. DH is on-board with the decision to leave the baby intact if we have a boy. I will have some disagreements with my family, but I'm up to the challenge. My older sister just a boy and didn't circ so she has paved the way for me. We'll find out the sex at 20 weeks with my OB ...should be beginning of Oct I think.

[happymamajenni]

We are also finding out as we did with out dd. I like to plan ahead for the sex and when you are buying clothes for the future off of clearance racks it helps to know the sex you're buying for. Plus, I love to call it by it's name before it's born, and my daughter will have time to practice saying the name too. I had four ultrasounds last time (not including the one while I was in labor to determine the position of the baby), and so far one this time.

[Orange]

If they can tell during our one and only u/s then I want to know. I'm too much of a planner!

[shannon0218]

We will be finding out as well. It's odd, I'm normally the type that would like the surprise, but somehow I have real trouble calling the baby "it" and really want to call him or her by name or gender, KWIM??
Multiple U/S's are mandatory for me anyway as I'm heparin to prevent inter-uterine growth restriction. So they have to keep a close eye on the placenta to ensure there are no clots starting to form there and that baby is growing as planned. After so many losses, I so want to bond with this baby and feel that knowing the sex and calling him or her by name will help me with that.

[wtchyhlr]

i can't decide....
*i* would love to know, but i have a horrible fear that if we know and let people know we'll either end up with piles of pink frilly dresses, or little boy blue suits. its almost easier to not find out.

[mehndi mama]

Also, when you don't find out, you can use nifty snappy comebacks to the question "Do you know what you're having?" like "A baby" or "A Chimpanzee" or "I think it might be a litter of puppies this time " Really irks the people who ask

[Free Thinker]

I can't wait to find out! I'm counting down the weeks (7 more)! We found out w/ DD, and I think finding out is what is best for us. If this is a boy, then I need to re-do DDs room (pink flowers and butterflies). Ialso don't have many clothes for a boy, but if it's a girl I don't need to buy anything. Ther are already so many suprises at the birth (size, hair, just seeing your amazing baby!!!) that I think a little suprise in the middle is a pick-me-up from the MS days I was sick 20 weeks w/ DD, and I"ms till sick at 13 weeks w/ this one

[Christi]

We didn't find out with Gareth. It was so fun having it be a surprise. I didn't have and ultrasound with him until just before his due date because I was measuring a lot bigger then the week before. But this time around I'm thinking about it. I really think I'm having a girl and I really want a girl so I kind of just want to know. If I have another boy that would be great too. I'm already set up for a boy. I can't decide. My best friend is getting rid of all her baby girl things and I want to buy them from her if I'm having a girl. Her girls were both born in the winter and she has a lot of great clothes. Dh isn't opposed to finding out.

[wtchyhlr]

Originally Posted by mehndi mama

Also, when you don't find out, you can use nifty snappy comebacks to the question "Do you know what you're having?" like "A baby" or "A Chimpanzee" or "I think it might be a litter of puppies this time " Really irks the people who ask

I have actually already told a couple of people who asked "what are you having" with a completely straight face "we're hoping for a baby, but puppies could be fun too"
You're right, its funny.

[shannon0218]

You can find out and refuse to let anyone know what it will be. I do like to see peoples reactions to stuff like that. I do it with the dogs all the time. I have german shepherds which you would think would be easily recognized but because they are european working lines, they don't look like the traditional and ones black, the other a black sable. People always ask "oh my God, what is that" I usually turn around and very calmly say "Oh, this is a DOG" in my best Mr. Rodgers voice.

[TwinMom]

I use the puppy line all the time but usually just get blank faces. We won't be finding out the sex, though we did with all the others. I'm not planning on any ultrasounds at all. I am pretty anal about lists and planning, so it's a little hard for me to not think about it, but I think the surprise will be worth it in the end.

[sadkitty]

Well, our naturopath suggested an ultrasound @ 20weeks to get a more accurate due date. I highly doubt it will be any more accurate though seeing as how those things can vary so widely. But I mentioned it to Dh and he instantly asked if we might find out the gender at that point. Now I really don't want to do it!
:
I think its horrible to decide what my child will wear based on its genitals and I really don't want the inherently sexist gifts that will undoubtedly surface if word leaks out that the babe has a penis or whatever.

I've tried sooo hard to raise my daughter in as gender neutral a way as possible and I don't want the second one's chances undermined before its even born.

My favorite answer to the "do you know what you're having?" question. A BABY "yeah but what kind?" Well, I'm hoping for human but Dh really misses his dog..."

[mehndi mama]

Your naturopath is a dork if he thinks he can get a more accurate due date based on a 20 WEEK ultrasound. Dating is only accurate very early.

[Periwinkle]

No, we are not going to find out the sex of our baby. With my last pregnancy (twins) being so over-monitored and clinical, we are looking forward to taking a more natural route this time.

OT but just wanted to point out, when talking about whether someone is a boy or girl (or male or female), you're talking about the SEX of the baby. The word GENDER refers to their qualities, as in masculine or feminine. So if someone asks "What's your baby's gender?" you can respond "Feminine!" (or "masculine") I think we all shy away from saying s-e-x because, well, it's s-e-x, but it's the right word in this case.

[letabug]

when ds was born it was a surprise for me but dh had a photo from an ultrasound that said it's a boy, he was in Iraq and wanted to option of knowing what it was. He carried the ultrasound pic and a pic of me in his helmet. I don't know I might want to know what this one is but I am leary of having all kinds of ultrasounds my doc wants me to have to detect junk. I think an ultrasound is better than a amnio...but I told him even if something is wrong I would never abort the baby if it was a certin death thing I would deliver and deal with that, so he may drop the whole ultrasound thing...we'll see. I know I can refuse but DH is almost persuaded into doing what the DOC says!

[jorie]

Not going to find out the sex of the baby but may or may not have another U/S. When I was preg in Jan, I had decided not to have an U/S or anything with that preg, but then I lost the baby. So when my NP offered to do a quickie with the office portable at my first appt. ~6wks I caved. It was so reassuring to see the baby and heartbeat! I'm weak, I know! I don't know if I will have a "real" one. I mentioned skipping it to my husband, but he wants to if my dr offers/orders it. The clinic where ds was born and where had the above mentioned ~6wk U/S, routinely does one at like 20 wks to check for spina bifida and other organ defects. Dh wanted it only for that reason. He is VERY against finding out the sex (Last time he said "finding out the baby's sex before it is born is so anticlimatic that you might as well put it back!" Hey, that is a one way trip, buddy! ) I'm not sure about the dr here. I'm not going to ask for one and if she doesn't do it as part of routine care, our insurance won't pay for it anyway, so I may or may not have another.