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When you first hear the news of your pregnancy, a million questions run through your mind. One choice that bothers quite a number of parents is whether or not to find out the gender of their baby. In some countries like India, opting for a gender reveal is banned due to social evils like female feticide. However, in parts of the world where one can opt for a gender reveal, this decision is quite an important one.
You can find yourself in a major dilemma as the time for the gender-reveal scan approaches. There are a few parents who opt to keep the sexuality of their baby a suspense. Here, we bring you a list of reasons why they might do so:
1. Surprise, Surprise
In this time and age, with technological interventions like mobile phones, text messages, the web, and online chats, surprises have become rare. In between all this information overload, we mostly find ourselves in either of the two situations. Either we know about something before it actually unfolds or we discover it soon after. Probably, the gender of your baby can be that one grand surprise that makes up for everything. Why spoil that fun?
2. The Scan Is Actually Intended For Something Else
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These ultrasound scans are actually meant to check how your baby is shaping up. So, the sonographers take weekly measurements to check the baby’s development. Since the fetus is developed quite a bit by the 20th week (gender reveal time), the scan takes a pretty long time. And, there are many more important aspects to focus on. So, a gender-reveal at that time just steals the thunder away from much more pertinent things.
3. Motivating Factor
Labor can be a pretty strenuous time for a soon-to-be mother. All that pushing can leave her completely drained out. At this point, any motivating factor that can bring forward the required ounce of energy for the last push is much-appreciated. In fact, a lot of women have spoken of how the suspense of their baby’s gender has inspired them for the final push.
4. It Is A Boy/Girl!
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How many times have you watched and re-watched a movie scene in which the doc comes up to the mother and finally reveals the baby’s gender? Those golden words – “It is a boy/girl!”- can do wonders. Won’t it be cool if you get to replay this scene in real life? That is what a lot of parents thinks, and thus, opt for the suspense instead!
Most women can have a strong gender preference when it comes to their babies. Even men too! “If I have a boy, I will teach him how to play cricket.” “If I have a girl, I will have someone to share my woes with.”
A gender reveal can shatter that dreamy picture you might have painted in your head. But, with your tiny angel in your arms, it will be really hard to feel disappointed about anything!
6. Not Much Gender Stereotyping
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If you know the gender of your baby, it is pretty hard to steer away from the basic gender stereotypes. Suppose you know it is going to be a boy, you will be inclined to paint his room blue. And pink in the case of girls. You will still paint your baby’s room even if you don’t know his/her gender. But, perhaps, with gender-neutral colors!
7. They Might Not Be Right
Though this doesn’t happen so much, it is a possibility. Ultrasound scans might not be a fool-proof method to determine gender as you might think. So, you might plan everything as per that much-waited gender reveal. But, then you are in for a surprise in the birth room. Thus, a lot of parents find it better to avoid the risk altogether and keep it a surprise entirely!
Whether or not to find out the gender of your baby is an individual choice. So, sit back, think, and do what your heart says. Everything will unfold just like it is meant to. Happy motherhood!
