NWR: Baby's Sex?

emmaaa

I've noticed "Gender Reveal" parties being brought up a couple of time recently and while I enjoy them and think they're cute, I don't know if I would want to know the sex of my baby before he/she is born (not pregnant, just thinking). 

My reasons are: 1. Why would it matter? I'll love them the same. 2. I could reuse more of the clothes/toys/accessories for a second child if they were a different sex. i'll already have gender neutral things. 3. The excitement leading up to it would make it that much better. 

My hesitation? I am extremely impatient and hate surprises. So, I'm not sure if the whole not knowing thing would work for me. 

What did/would you and you H/FI/BF do and why? Thoughts?

emmyg65

We're planning to keep it a surprise. It'll be more exciting for us and it's a good way to avoid an avalanche of pink or blue stuff.

pinkcow13

I am leaning towards keeping it a surprise. I don't plan on flooding my kid with pink or blue things depending on the sex. Baby blue is my favorite color, so I think that will be the major color scheme regardless.  I LOVE surprises, BUT I am super impatient, so that is a volatile mix lol. 

VulgarGirl

I want to wait to find out. FI isn't sure, because she can (of course) see both sides.

From what I know about babies (which is admittedly very little, I'm better with toddlers), their needs are pretty much the same regardless of having a penis or a vagina. So if I dress my daughter in blue I'm pretty sure she won't sprout a penis and if my son has a dolly his won't fall off. At least, I think that's true.

SmileDamnit

I'd like to know. Me and surprises aren't great friends.

KeptInStitches

If I ever get KU, I don't have a strong desire to know the sex. I just don't.

ShallowSeas

FI and I both want to know the sex before the baby is born. I am too impatient to wait.

JennyColada

I am super excited to buy a bunch of gender themed stuff, so I'd want to know.

emmaaa

I'm so on the fence about it. At least I'll have a while (I hope) before I cross that bridge.

jdluvr06

We're adopting so it isn't an issue for us but I think I would want to wait.

KatWAG

H and I found out. For me, its the power of information. I want to know as much about this lil human as possible before he is born so that I can best prepare. It never occured to me to think about circumcision until I found out it was a boy. Now, I have educated myself and H and I made a decision.

AprilH81

I would want to know, primarily to focus in on names.  I would want the nursery to be somewhat gender neutral (not overly masculine or overly feminine) along with the car seat and other big ticket items so that they could be reused if we have a second child.

ElcaB

I will absolutely want to know the gender of my baby before I give birth. I don't get the, "I want it to be a surprise" thing --- it's a surprise either way, whether you wait five months or nine. 

AddieCake

Yes, I would want to know b/c there are some things I would want to purchase that are gender-specific. Most of the nursery decor I like is gender-specific, for example. 

Maggie0829

It is a surprise whether you wait till you push the baby out or find out in the ultrasound room.  So the whole "it will be such a surprise when we have our kid" thing just doesn't make sense to me.  You can also find out but not tell anyone until your baby is born.  This way you aren't impatient to know but it will keep you from being inundated with color coordinated things. 

But if I were to have a kid I would want to know because I would want to decorate the nursery accordingly.

Maggie0829

ElcaB said:

I will absolutely want to know the gender of my baby before I give birth. I don't get the, "I want it to be a surprise" thing --- it's a surprise either way, whether you wait five months or nine. 

You are in my brain!!

pinkshorts27

pinkcow13 said:

I am leaning towards keeping it a surprise. I don't plan on flooding my kid with pink or blue things depending on the sex. Baby blue is my favorite color, so I think that will be the major color scheme regardless.  I LOVE surprises, BUT I am super impatient, so that is a volatile mix lol. 

@pinkcow13

Are you me? This is me exactly. I want to be surprised, but I can't know there is a surprise coming because I am beyond impatient. 

And sorry when I changed my username I didn't realize there was another pink___, I guess I didn't quite think about it  

theartistformerlyknownas

To me, it's NOT that big of a surprise either way, unless they tell me I'm having a sea monster. I'm not all that surprised when I flip a coin and get one of two options. 

I'd like to know because I'm damn impatient. But I'd either try to keep it to ourselves, or surprise everyone by telling them at the shower - after registering for all gender neutral stuff, because we plan on having more than one kid so I'd want to be able to reuse it if "SURPRISE!" baby sibling is a different gender. I wouldn't have a separate gender reveal party, I think that's too AWish for me.

banana468

We did both. For DD we were "team green" and didn't find out. With this pregnancy we found out at 17 weeks that I'm having a boy.

I wanted to know more this time because DH wants a boy and I wanted the mental preparation of knowing whether or not we may try for a third. I loved both.

pinkcow13

@pinkshorts27 - Yea I am totally the same way! I am also super indecisive, so I'm sure when the time comes I'll change my mind a million times. Chances are, we will probably just elect to find out - I don't think FI would want to wait, and if he knows I need to know lol.

Haha, it's totally fine, now there are two of us pinkies on the site

vk2204

I am 24 weeks along and we did not find out, nor do we want to. I have never wanted to know, not for any specific reason, just because. My H wanted to find out until he heard a coworker talking about their experience and they said finding out the sex of the baby during birth is one of the most amazing, truest surprises you can have in your life that will be a good outcome either way. It just adds to that euphoric moment and nothing compares to it.

Maggie0829

lolo883 said:

To me, it's NOT that big of a surprise either way, unless they tell me I'm having a sea monster. I'm not all that surprised when I flip a coin and get one of two options. 

I'd like to know because I'm damn impatient. But I'd either try to keep it to ourselves, or surprise everyone by telling them at the shower - after registering for all gender neutral stuff, because we plan on having more than one kid so I'd want to be able to reuse it if "SURPRISE!" baby sibling is a different gender. I wouldn't have a separate gender reveal party, I think that's too AWish for me.

Being told you are having a sea monster would definitely be one hell of a surprise!

cupcait927

When FI and I have kids, we're going to find out.  I'm impatient first and foremost.

Also,this is going to be an unpopular opinion around here, but I can't wait to have a girl and buy every pink/polka dot/lace thing I can find. And if it's a boy, I'll probably go the blue route. I honestly don't think that by putting your small children into gender specific clothing that it's going to harm them or put them in a box later on in life. For instance, FI has an older sister. When she was a baby & toddler, FMIL put her in dresses and bought the pink clothes and little dolls. But as soon as FSIL gained a little independence/got a little older (like 5 and 6), she refused all dresses and wanted to be just like the boys. FMIL let her make her own decisions and FSIL chose boy clothes and went the more masculine route. She's still a girl and being dressed in pink dresses and given dolls as a young one didn't make her think she always had to play that role. Granted if my future inlaws hadn't been as accepting or tried to force it on her as she got older, that would be different and might've harmed her becoming who she is.

Long story short - I'm going to embrace buying all of the girliest things I can find if/when I have a girl because I love all of it. If she doesn't want it as she gets older, then that's fine and she can wear whatever she wants and make the decision on her own.

 ETA - Knotting while doing actual work is hard.

jdluvr06

For me it would be less about ruining the surprise and more that I am a horrible secret keeper. I wouldn't mind FI and I knowing but we wouldn't want to tell anyone else so we could avoid the explosion of pink and blue baby gifts. I just wouldn't be able not to tell anyone and neither would FI. We are so bad at keeping exciting things to ourselves.

Peaseblossom55

I would love for it to be a surprise but I don't have the patience to wait.  I'd like to be able to prepare a bit too, come up with some name ideas, decorate the nursey and all. FI & I have talked a bit about it and he seems fine with wanting to know. 

doeydo

Not planning on having kids and if I did I would most likely adopt, but I think I would want to know.  I would be secretly disappointed if it was a boy.

emmaaa

doeydo said:

Not planning on having kids and if I did I would most likely adopt, but I think I would want to know.  I would be secretly disappointed if it was a boy.

@doeydo Another reason for waiting for me. I would much rather have boys. So I guess, I'd rather it be as I'm giving birth to find out. I think I'd be caught up in the moment and not care as much. I don't know if that made sense.

Emmy1493

I would want to know. I am sure FI would, too.

I am also too impatient to wait!

bethsmiles

I know I'm too impatient to wait.

melbelleup

severmilli12 said:

FI and I both want to know the sex before the baby is born. I am too impatient to wait.

This. I hate surprises and I always spoil gifts for myself (like I already know what FI got me for my bday in 2 weeks because I checked his ebay history) I just suck at waiting for gifts... soooo yes, I want to know, ASAP. But, we're not having kids for another 3-4 years, will be getting a house and another dog before then

misscoffeeplease

We found out the sex of the baby because FI and I were so anxious. I give so much props to the parents who have the willpower to go Team Green. I know the reveal of when the baby is born is very exciting.