Month 4 Moms: Redux!

Hello again friends! I loved M4M so much, It's become a Blog-O-Hollic installation. *cheers & applause* Joining us today is Rachael McAdams, a SAHM of twins slash writer (not to be confused with the Notebook-toting, Gosling-smooching actress of the same name). Today, she talks about the big baby guessing game! 

Baby Gender: To Find out or not?

It is one of the biggest debates today when a couple is expecting – do you find out the gender of the baby or not? There are arguments on both sides of the debate that make sense.

Many couples want to find out the gender of their baby so they can plan everything; gender-specific clothing, agree on a name and have the nursery ready for their baby.

Many more today, however, are opting to not find out the gender of their baby, despite today’s advanced technology. There are a wide variety of reasons as to why more and more couples are opting for the delivery room surprise. Here are five reasons why it is a good idea to wait.

1. As advanced as technology is today, it isn’t foolproof. It is not unusual for a technician to share the gender of a baby and wind up to be incorrect. Many times a technician or a doctor will say they are “90 percent certain” because there is always a chance they will be wrong. 
2. Not knowing brings out everyone’s inner-fortune teller. We have all heard the different tell-tale signs – if you carry like a basketball, it is a boy; if you carry “all around” it is a girl; carrying high vs. carrying low. There are also plenty of fun games like the wedding band on the string, the analysis of cravings; the list goes on and on. This can be lots of fun at the baby shower! If you keep everyone guessing, your loved ones can even have a “guess the baby” themed baby shower! Let everyone know right from the beginning the theme of the shower by mentioning it in the shower invitations. Tiny Prints has great baby shower invitations to help set the mood. Research some of the different ways to guess a baby’s gender and use them at the shower. Fun shower ideas can be seen on SnugAsABugBaby.com’s blog.
3. Not knowing avoids the gender stereotyping that often happens when family and friends start making purchases. This will keep you from getting 40 frilly pink dresses that will wind up only taking up space in the closet or dresser. Many couples often say by the time their baby arrives when they knew the gender of the baby; they had seen enough blue or pink for a lifetime! 
4. Staying on the theme of “gift giving” for the new parents and baby, when family and friends do not know the gender of the baby, they will focus on gifts that are the most useful and important items that will be needed by the family. When family and friends know the gender of the baby, they may receive more, while adorable, unnecessary gifts that are not on the baby gift registry. A great place to set up a baby registry is Fawn & Forest. 
5. Finally, there are few true surprises in life today. Not knowing the gender of a baby before birth is one of those few blessings you will experience in this life. So just enjoy one of life’s true mysteries!

Here's a little info on today's guest blogger: Rachael is new to the SAHM community, but she has been a writer for years. She enjoys writing about various subjects, but especially enjoys providing advice to new moms. Rachael is also an avid runner, and enjoys photography and cooking when she's not chasing around her twins. If you'd like to follow Rachael, you can find her on twitter @livealittleNYC 

Thanks so much Rachael for joining! If any of you lovely lovely B-O-H readers would like to contribute to next month's M4M:Redux post, shoot me a message or email!