This pregnancy has been a different experience because we chose to find out the sex of our baby this time around. With both of the girls we had no idea what they were before they were born.
When I found out I was pregnant with Calli I couldn't WAIT to know if she was a boy or a girl. I made an ultrasound appointment in January when I was sixteen weeks pregnant, only to go in and find out I had to schedule an ultrasound at in the radiology department of the hospital (it would have been helpful if she had told me that on the phone when I scheduled it!). The doctor was nice and took a peek anyhow, but couldn't tell if she was a boy or a girl. I set up my ultrasound appointment in the correct place on Valentine's Day when I was twenty-one weeks along. I was so excited and couldn't wait; I just knew this was going to be the best Valentine's Day ever! After taking the baby's measurements, the ultrasound technician spent a good ten to fifteen minutes searching for those elusive parts that tell you BOY or GIRL. Well Calli being Miss Calli decided to hide them behind my belly button and we left the appointment not knowing. I was devestated and sobbing in the car as we left. I couldn't believe that I would have to go my whole pregnancy without knowing what she was (oh the tragedy, right!). At my next doctor's appointment the following week I asked the doctor if she could possibly take a look and she was so nice and said she would, but there were no ultrasound machines available. I made sure to book my appointment four weeks later with her again and ask. It seemed to be fate that day when we were put into a room with an ultrasound machine. She started it up and there was our baby on the screen - but again, in the wrong position. I was twenty-six weeks pregnant and all I could do was laugh. It seemed that she really did not want us to know that she was a girl! By that point I was okay with it and even started to embrace the fact that we were having a surprise delivery. I was on pins and needles just waiting and was so anxious to find out. We joked that after all the ultrasounds I had and all the times she hid from us that she would come out with her hands covering herself, still not letting us see!
When that wonderful day came, two days after my due date, it was extra exciting. It really does give you that extra incentive to make it through the pain, knowing that you are going to have the most wonderful surprise after all that is over. Everyone knew the baby was a surprise and when it was finally time to push the nurse relayed my wishes to the doctor when she walked in: I wanted my husband to be the one to tell me BOY or GIRL. Well, baby came out, doctor held her up and before Richard could utter a single word I squealed "it's a girl!" It's a moment that makes me smile just thinking of it. IT WAS THE BEST!!
We had so much fun with that we decided the second time around we weren't going to find out either (but this time it would be on purpose and OUR choice). At my twenty week ultrasound (which really happened at about seventeen weeks) we told the technician we didn't want to know the sex of the baby. She was quite taken aback, like we were the only people in the world who wouldn't want to know what their baby was! I know it's pretty uncommon nowadays, but it still happens. And besides, there was a time before all this technology could tell us and we would have no choice BUT to wait. She even went so far as to look and tell us that the baby had it's legs crossed. I was thankful for that because I would have been very upset had she said something after us telling her not to.
So again, the big day came, this time eight days after my due date. The labor was quicker and all the nurses thought it was so neat that we had a surprise baby. It wasn't quite as fun as Calli's because when they broke my water they saw that there was meconium in it so they knew they were going to have to take the baby right away and make sure it was okay. I remember her coming out and then the doctor suctioning her mouth and us just sitting there. I wanted to know so bad, but the suspense was also so fun because I knew after it was over, that was it! Finally the doctor told us "it's a girl!" Later he said that he didn't know we didn't know or he would have made it more special.
This time around, I did want to know beforehand. Having two girls and having these last two spaced so close together, we wanted to know if we were going to have to be buying a bunch of new clothes and things or if we could be using the hand-me-downs again. The day I found out that he was a boy was VERY bittersweet (emphasis on the BITTER part). I was *supposidly* seventeen weeks along (turns out I was really fifteen weeks) and was having an ultrasound to check for markers of Down syndrome. The first technician was doing her scan and I mentioned that I did want to know when she got a chance. He was moving a bit but she got him in a good position and paused the screen shot and I said "is that what I think it is??" Yep mama, you are having a little boy! I was in shock. I tried to just focus on that as she did the rest of her work and pray that he would be a HEALTHY little boy. The next technician confirmed it was a boy again so I left pretty dang sure we were having a boy. We'll put another emphasis on the BITTER part because Richard didn't get to be in the room to share the moment of finding out we were having a son. The office didn't allow kids, which we didn't know until we got there so he had to wait in the car with the girls. (My amniocentesis also confirmed that it is a boy in there so there is no wondering if maybe the ultrasound is wrong!).
Anyhow, I know I have not delivered my UNsurprise baby yet and I know there are many things to look forward to about his birth. I know seeing him for the first time will be a surprise and finding out what he looks like is a surprise. But I think it is truly special to wait and have that surprise at the delivery. Having it both ways now I can tell you that having an ultrasound technician tell you doesn't even compare to finding out in the hospital. I know some people say they are too impatient, but really I always think it is only a few months longer to wait. And it is so worth it. I wish we would have waited and I always encourage moms-to-be to wait. There is no surprise like it in the world!
No comments:
Post a Comment