To find out, or not to find out?!

melsue18

I'm starting to waver on finding out the baby's gender! Initially my husband and I both said, let's wait and find out, but now I really want to know! Those of you who found out, was it still a magical experience hearing it's a boy or it's a girl! at the doctor's office? My husband says it's my choice...agh! 

EmilyLove25

Hello, you probably already did this, but make sure you read through the pinned post where we discuss finding out the sex of our babies. I found out with DD via a 14 week ultrasound, and it was a magical experience for me... but it would have been if she had said boy too. I think for me it helps make the experience more "real." Honestly though, that happens when you have 12 week or later ultrasounds regardless because the baby looks so baby like This time I found out at 12 weeks via blood work and two seconds after finding out the baby was not at risk for various serious diseases. So it was different... I have to say I was shocked when she said boy (which is irrational of course, as you have a 50/50 chance), but I immediately had a feeling that is hard to describe and certainly magical in the sense that you are finding out more about this human who will be part of your life forever. All that said, I am a planner and not a huge fan of surprises, so I think it fits my personality to know early. It might not for you!

supercoolstephy

I just found out mine via bloodwork. I did the same last time. Last time did not feel magically, but I can never see a darn thing on the ultrasounds so I wouldn't know if a boy part was or wasn't present in the US. This time felt really magically for me. I am a planner like @EmilyLove25 and I need to know that everything is ok, so I saw that part in the genetics and was happy and then was so filled with joy when I saw the gender. 

BelhurstBride

We didn't find out with our girls, and loved being Team Green. 

This is our last and I want to know. I'd like to be able to start cleaning out the house now, rather than with a newborn.

GraceUponGrace09

WAIT!! Lol, totally my opinion but I love loved the surprise and the moment when he was born was so special! 

I kinda think this comes down to your personality type. I love suspense and surprises so it really fit me. Plus I'm a super simple/borderline minimalist person so I didn't feel like I had to do a lot to get ready. A few clean boy/girl outfits, white onesies, and a few blankets and I was good. 

However, I think this time we'll find out. DH really wants to and I got my way last time. 

supercoolstephy

@GraceUponGrace09 I'm the total opposite. I hate surprises and suspense... and roller coasters and scary movies haha. So I'm one that HAS TO KNOW ASAP. I totally agree though, it will likely come down to your personality type on how well you will handle going 40ish weeks without knowing. I'd lose my mind not knowing.

steph30032

For me, with my first pregnancy, it was such a magical experience finding out at the 20 week ultrasound. We're planning on doing it again this time when I finally hit 20 weeks. I was soooo excited to find out and knew going in there that day, that we'd go home know it was one or the other. And it was such an exhilarating time. It was funny because we were looking at the ultrasound while the lady was doing it, and DH and I both saw it was a boy even before the lady figured it out. It was so obviously a boy. And DH and I both just lost it. We were so giddy. We would have been happy either way, but as previous poster said, it really made it feel that much more real for me. And it was great being able to talk to my belly and refer to the baby by name. Also it was so nice to be so prepared. I had such a hard recovery after the birth that I couldn't imagine having to go out and buy more gender specific clothes and supplies and stuff at that point. It was nice to just have tons of boy clothes ready (I was even able to buy sizes for later on. I had stuff stocked up all the way to 12 month sizes) and have a boy bedding and boy paint color for the nursery. I mean i know you can buy gender neutral clothes, but it's so hard (I've tried). It was so great just being able to pick out tons of boy clothes. I just love being prepared. But to answer your original question, it was one of the most magical days of my life. No exaggeration. I remember he exact date we found out he was a boy and I remind my husband on that day every year that it is the anniversary of the day we found out. Lol

KLake42

It was wonderful for me to find out, just with a phone call, as a result of blood test.  I'd be happy either way, but it made it more real to me to know that they're girls, and to know what we'll be naming them.  

We might not tell everyone around us, though.  We really don't want a cascade of pink and frilly things, and we prefer greens and yellows for the nursery already.  If we do tell, we will ask that anyone who wants to buy stuff, to try to find things that emphasize the sciences (since girls are so often dissuaded from science/math studies in school, we want to encourage science at home), so stuff with rocket ships, planets, dinosaurs, etc., are all fair game, and it's cool with us if the girls wear "boy" clothes.  Blue is one of my favorite colors anyway-- goes with my eyes!

(I'll still put them in the *occasional* frilly princess outfits, just not all the time.)

Cricket99

We didn't find out with DS and I have to say that the moment he was born and DH shouted out that it was a boy and started crying was magical. We didn't expect a
boy at all, and it was amazing. This time, it's our second, and last, so we will be finding out, but not telling anyone until baby is born. We have super nosy families that love to give unsolicited advice on names, so them not knowing the sex keeps them so distracted that they forget to drop their awful names on us

ETA: we are also like @KLake42 and really don't want the cascade of pink ruffled clothes if this one happens to be a girl. Pink is totally not my thing. My mother in law is rather over enthusiastic and I can only imagine the amount of pink I will get if this bean does in fact end up being a girl. Ugh.

darkrose88

I have actually not found out yet, and won't until 20 weeks, but I really want to know.! I'd actually happily find out today if I could, but DH wants to wait because we'd have to pay for the extra u/s. Ironically though, I am trying to keep everything we buy gender neutral just because if we have baby #2, and it is a different sex, I don't want to buy brand new baby sheets, blankets, etc. 

jakobaby

Sigh. This is my dilemma. I don't want to know because I want that 'It's a ______' experience, but I do want to know because I'm curious. DH wants to know and is adamant that we are finding out. We found out at 20 weeks with DS. I'm kind of annoyed because we previously agreed we were not finding out for our last one.
I also want to drive DH's family members crazy by not finding out. I had a doctor appointment today and my MIL wanted to know the HR so she can start guessing the sex. She also told me that we should consider the name Cole or Colette *eye roll*.

caseyw8784

@klake42 and @Cricket99 - i know that feeling! we know that we are having a boy and a girl, and i have a feeling that the girl is going to be engulfed in pink frilly things if i let others have their way. My SIL (who is as southern as you can come) has already started texting me picture of different styles of bows and according to my brother has already started making some! It's definitely going to be interesting, cause i'm not a pink/frilly/lace/bow kind of girl...

Ready4theParty

I am a planner.  I loved knowing what we were having ahead of time.  The magical part of it for me is hearing the baby cry for the first time.  I literally hold my breath after that last push until she cries.  But honestly I worry about that "detail" getting lost in the shuffle.  Maybe it's because we always find out ahead of time but with both girls the Dr announced "baby is here" and never said it was a girl.  We were able to do skin to skin right away with DD1 but with DD2 they cleaned her up and took her vitals.  That might of had more to do with her having meconium in the waters prior to her being born, as well as her pooping as she was being born.

kelk5

The way my doctor told us was magical to me. She had DH read the results and tell me what we are having. It was nice because everything else in the pregnancy is me telling him what's going on and how I'm feeling.  I'll never forget the misty eyes with big smile DH had when he said we're having a little girl.  It was a very special moment. 

I'm also on board with emphasizing science and math with our little girl. My favorite color is green so having a girl, I plan to accent green with purple (also happens to be my favorite color combo) but I also want to include as many different colors as possible, except probably orange. DH and I both look terrible in orange so I'm thinking there is a high probability that orange will also not look good on our baby. 

tdevlindrye

I had planned to give my son my father's name as a middle name. My father passed away in 2014 and it was really important for me to be able to honor him like that. So, for that and other reasons, DH and I very very very much wanted a boy the first time around. I found out he WAS a boy by updating the genetic testing website one morning right after I woke up and was still in bed. I instantly started bawling and I'm not usually much of a crier, even being pregnant. Like, hard to breath bawling. I called DH at work and told him and I could tell he was tearing up too. It WAS 100% magical!!!

melsue18

Thanks ladies! DH and I talked and I think we are going to find out! I am such a planner and can't wait!