We thought long and hard about whether to find out the sex of our baby at the 20 week scan. To begin with we thought that it would be nice to have a surprise. To ring people and say ‘It’s a…!’ rather than ‘he/she is here’ seemed much more exciting.
After a few weeks of watching One Born Every Minute we changed our minds. I watched several deliveries where they did not know the sex of their baby. By the time they had gone through their ordeal they were so relieved that their baby had finally arrived that finding out the sex was an after thought. I know that this is not the case in every situation but, judging by the fact that I didn’t even know that Bob was on my chest, I am sure that it would have been the case in mine!
We decided that we would find out the sex but we would keep it a secret from everyone so that we could announce it when Bob was born. We managed to keep the secret for about a month. I blame my Dad. He was so keen to know that I had to tell him. He kept ringing me to tell me that he had seen a doll/fire engine but that he couldn’t buy it, as he didn’t know if he was getting a Granddaughter or a Grandson. When our parents knew we didn’t see the point in keeping it from everybody anymore.
In hindsight I am so glad that we found out. Before I knew the sex my pregnancy seemed very surreal and I felt quite disconnected from my baby. Maybe nicknaming her ‘The Blob’ didn’t help! ;0) (See How Bob Came To Be.) When we found out that we were having a girl everything seemed real! I suddenly felt connected with my daughter and it was wonderful to be able to decide on her name and buy gender specific clothes and toys. I also think that it gave my husband more time to get used to the idea that we were having a girl. When he first found out, he was shocked and a bit scared. Being 1 of 3 brothers he initially thought that he would have been more comfortable with a son but by the time that Bob arrived, he couldn’t wait to hold his daughter in his arms and he was already picturing walking her down the aisle!
20 week scan picture
I’m glad Bob didn’t look like a duck (on our scan my daughter looked like Jack from Nightmare before Christmas).
We didn’t find out the sex with our first but did with our second. It was odd not only because we knew but because it was a boy and we had agreed years ago that any son would be named after my father-in-law everyone knew we were having a boy and his name – then I was induced so everyone knew when he was arriving too! We had no surprises.
I bet that was scary! Glad she didn’t look like him when she was born!
yey! Congrats! xxx
Thanks but this is Bob’s scan picture. I’m not pregnant again! x
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