Who's Peeking and Who's Not?

[tannersmommy]

Wondering which of us are planning to find out the gender of the baby prior to birth.

Peek or No Peek: We don't peek. :

Why or Why not: Love to be surprised. Don't like to do additional tests, including ultrasounds, if they aren't necessary. With DS we only had one ultrasound at 8 weeks because the OB insisted on doing it to "set the due date."

[jessjillbolyer]

For sure PEEKING here!! I can't hold out and wait there is just no way. I like knowing ahead of time. Just me.

[TattooedMama]

Definitely not peeking, although it does get harder when you have 2 of one gender and would like one of the other LOL (a girl!)
I had one ultrasound with ds#1 for dates because I had a very irregular cycle coming off the pill. With ds#2 no ultrasounds at all and with #3 not planning on any either.
It will KILL my family and friends though, they don't understand my objection to ultrasound or my resolve to not find out. To each their own!

[PortraitPixie]

Peeking here!

reason: I'm a big ole' impatient wimp!

[Carrie Posey]

We just talked about this neither of us had any desire to peek with ds but we both want to know this time. With ds we had a strong feeling that he was a boy and with this one I HAVE NO IDEA..... SO we'll see, right now way before we could even tell, we are saying yes we want to know but we may change our minds.

[Thalia]

not peeking

Not peeking because:

1. We want to be surprised--it's fun!
2. We want to avoid testing unless it is medically necessary.
3. The u/s is not always correct! We have friends who have 1 girl and 2 boys. They were so excited to find out they were having another girl, only to find out when the baby was born that the ultrasound was wrong and they were having yet another boy. I would find having to "shift gears" suddenly like that very hard to do!! I'd rather wait to find out for sure.
4. If we are going to get clothes as gifts, I prefer the ones that are gender neutral. I just think they're cuter (and more hand-me-downable than gender specific stuff).

[swtpesq]

Definitely peeking - just can't help myself! Patience has never been my greatest virtue (nor DH's).

~Christina
EDD#1 1.9.07

[gribbit]

Not peeking. We didn't with dd as well. we like to be surprised.. Drives our family crazy though..

michelle

[The Lucky One]

We peeked with both of our ds's and this time we will NOT be peeking, although the suspense is already killing me (I'm an anal Type-A about these things ).

Reason is because this is most likely our last baby and since we peeked the other two times, this is our last chance to do it the 'old-fashioned' way. If I can stand the suspense, I could not imagine a more terrific suprise!

[mama2ashlynn]

Originally Posted by jessjillbolyer

For sure PEEKING here!! I can't hold out and wait there is just no way. I like knowing ahead of time. Just me.

:

[earthie_mama]

We are not peeking. I also am not doing any unnecessary testing,esp not ones that haven't been proven to be safe. Also I already think I know it's a girl.....I had a dream when pg with my DS(after "feeling" he was a boy, and on top of that peeking) and in this dream was a little baby girl. My dream came a few more times and each time I thught, what in the world?? Then, the last time I realized that my baby girl was my second baby, and my DS was a young toddler. Well, now that I've actually gotten pregnant, and figured my DS will bhe 19 1/2 mos at delivery, I have a tendency to 'believe' my dream. I also dreamt of twins both times before I got pregnant, thats how I knew I would get pregnant.....

[*~Danielle~*]

We will be peeking. Whether we get surprised at the ultrasound or birth, either way it is a surprise! Sometimes they can't tell with the ultrasound, but if they can, we will want to know.

The ultrasound doesn't bother me but we will not be getting any other invasive testing done.

[gr8tfulmom]

We will probably peek. With my first 2 I didn't and with T I couldn't stand not knowing when we were strongly pushed toward an U/S for other reasons anyway (I measured big, he was big, cya policy, etc.) and we were checking out the rest of him we both said "yeah, tell us already!"

[mamallama]

Nope, no peeking here. I peeked with my first, didn't with my second, and won't this time.

I've read that there's a element of bonding that is enhanced by not knowing the sex beforehand. I can't remember whose theory this is, so I can't give a proper citation, but when I read it for the first time it really made sense to me.

The idea is that knowing the sex midway through the pregnancy can set parents up for expectations that may or may not be true. It's a natural thing to daydream and envision what the new baby will be like. When the picture includes a sex, it becomes much more specific. If the baby doesn't match up to the expectation (it has a prominent birthmark, it's a screamer, it's more red and wrinkly or coneheaded than expected....) bonding can suffer in a more pronounced way than if the picture had been less complete to begin with.

Since there's so much we don't understand (or isn't widely acknowledged) about the psychological elements of childbearing, I can't really support or dispute the theory. I just go with my gut.

Maybe it's hooey

[meggles]

We're not sure yet, although we're leaning towards waiting until the birth. I have a very difficult time being patient, always peeked at Christmas presents when I was little, etc. I'm trying to gear myself up for this nine month long surprise!

[mommy2boys]

We aren't sure yet. We didn't know with my first and one of the best moments of my life was when he came out and they said it's a boy. It was incredible. With my second ds we found out and while it was nice the moment was nothing like the first.

I kind of want to know so I can prepare and get ready before hand. We just haven't decided yet.

[tempestjewel]

Undecided here...

We found out with DD because I had a level 3 ultrasound and she spread her legs for a full on view at about 28 weeks, so we were pretty certain- we could see the internal and external structures.

With this one I feel kind of torn about it. I'm another type A who loves to know these things, but at the same time I think it would be neat to just once not know. I already have boys and girls baby clothes lined up either way, so there just doesn't seem to be as strong of a "reason" for peeking. Plus, now that we are a co-sleeping family on a small budget, I don't exactly need to get a "nursery" ready. Oh the ignorant things you do the first time around...

[ninafrijol]

We won't be peeking. We didn't find out with our ds and even though it was hard to wait, we were sooooo surprised and excited (I thought he was going to be a girl the whole pregnancy). It's worth it to wait.

[didkisa]

Originally Posted by Thalia

Not peeking because:

1. We want to be surprised--it's fun!
2. We want to avoid testing unless it is medically necessary.
3. The u/s is not always correct! We have friends who have 1 girl and 2 boys. They were so excited to find out they were having another girl, only to find out when the baby was born that the ultrasound was wrong and they were having yet another boy. I would find having to "shift gears" suddenly like that very hard to do!! I'd rather wait to find out for sure.
4. If we are going to get clothes as gifts, I prefer the ones that are gender neutral. I just think they're cuter (and more hand-me-downable than gender specific stuff).

Our reasons, too!

[monocyte]

Not peeking!

We do early u/s and then no other unless needed.