Pros and Cons of Learning Baby's Sex

Some parents can't wait to learn the sex of their baby. Others are content to wait until their baby makes its grand entrance. Here are the pros and cons of finding out your baby's sex:

Reasons to find out:

• You only have to agree on one name.
• You can buy sex-specific clothes.
• You can decorate the nursery.
• You can better prepare for events after baby's birth, such as scheduling a bris (a Jewish circumcision ritual).
• You may feel more connected to your baby.
• It may make the baby seem more real.
• It helps assure you that everything is okay.

Reasons to wait:

• The surprise can be exciting.
• The last few weeks of pregnancy may be more bearable not knowing.
• You could have fantasies about a baby of either sex.
• It's the way people have been doing it for centuries.
• It might annoy your relatives!

But what if you and your partner can't agree? One solution is for one partner to learn the sex and not tell the other. Or find out together and keep it a secret from the rest of the world. Either way, you'll find out the sex of your child sooner or later, so stop worrying and enjoy your pregnancy.

Sources: Childbirth.org; Lawrence Platt, MD, President of the American Institute of Ultrasound Medicine

All content here, including advice from doctors and other health professionals, should be considered as opinion only. Always seek the direct advice of your own doctor in connection with any questions or issues you may have regarding your own health or the health of others.

• By Julie Weingarden Dubin and Karin A. Bilich