Is it a Boy or a Girl???

Waiting to find out the gender of this baby has been driving me crazy since the second I found out I was pregnant. Partly because I have blabbed to anyone that would listen how badly I'm hoping it's a girl since this will be our last and we already have a wonderful three year old boy. I even charted my ovulation for several months in order to try and pinpoint the optimal time to conceive a girl. So after all that blabbing and charting I was thrilled to discover a product that could predict the gender of baby #2 at only 10 weeks pregnant and with 82% accuracy. The product is the Intelligender Gender Prediction Test. It is an at home test that you can buy at most pharmacies for around $34.95. It is much like a pregnancy test and is very simple to use. And as most of you know from my pregnancy announcement post my affinity for peeing on things and getting a fast result, this product was right up my alley.

The company sent me a free one to try and I had to contain myself to wait and take it at 10 weeks. The morning of my 10 weeks I got up early and used my first morning urine for the best results and took the test. And according to the Intelligender test I am having...........................................

A boy! Dun Dun Dun!!!!!!!!! Please say it isn't so. I won't lie, I was like oh no, this can't be right, I must have done it incorrectly. So just to be sure I took another one. LOL! I told you I have an affinity for peeing on things. And the second test said.........................................................................

HAHA!!! So, we'll have to wait and see what my 20 week anatomy ultrasound says tomorrow to see if both the tests are correct. But this was a fun way to pass the time while I waited either way. I wouldn't go out and pick your nursery room colors just yet but it adds another fun little thing to do while you wait for that second trimester ultrasound.

Intelligender has several other products for mom and baby in their IntelliCeuticals line that are all natural. You can check them out online at http://www.intelligender.com/home.html.

My Current Quest for baby #2

Let me tell you about what I have been doing for the past couple of months.....Tracking my ovulation.

Now, let me tell you why I have been tracking my ovulation for the past couple of months......To try and increase my chances at conceiving a girl.

When I tell people this I usually get the same responses. A) That's crazy, how will tracking your ovulation help your chances of having a girl, B) Why would you want a girl, so much drama, I would love to have all boys, C) Just be happy with whatever you get.

Let me address each one of those responses here:

A) By pinpointing the exact day of ovulation you increase your chance of conceiving, this applies to anyone trying to conceive regardless of gender preference. There are many different ways to track ovulation and I have only chosen to do a few. The first is a Basal Body Thermometer (BBT). You take your temperature at the same time every morning and over a few cycles, you'll see patterns that indicate when ovulation typically takes place for you. The other way I help pinpoint ovulation is through Ovulation Predictor Kits (OPK's). These are much like pregnancy tests except they test the monthly LH surge- the sudden increase in luteinizing hormone present in your urine just before you ovulate. The presence of the positive ovulation test indicates that you will likely ovulate within 12 to 36 hours. If you are trying to have a girl, you'll need to begin timing sex during the period at least 2 to 3 days before you anticipate ovulation to take place. This method favors the slower but larger and more resilient X-chromosome sperm (girls). Intercourse further away from ovulation favors the larger slower moving X (girl) sperm. The weaker Y (boy) sperm will die more quickly in the more acidic preovulatory vaginal / cervical secretions and by the time of ovulation there will be a much larger concentration of X (girl) sperm available to fertilize the egg. Hence, your chances of conceiving a girl are greatly increased. At least according to this theory of thinking known as the Shettles Method.

B) I'm glad that you would be happy with all boys but we are different and that's ok. Please don't judge my desire to have a daughter. And since when did having a girl automatically invoke people to say things like "Drama and Way more work than boys?" I'm here to tell you that I have a son and OMG he is a lot of work. I just think that boys and girls have different issues than each other, not to say that either are more or less easier to deal with on the whole parenting spectrum, just different. I also want a daughter for things like bows, pink, purple, glitter, dresses, accessories, shoes, dress up, shopping, girly movies, prom dress shopping, wedding planning, being a mother to my daughter when she is pregnant one day, long talks about boys and what all the celebrities are doing, this list could go on and on forever. And Yes, I am aware that not all girls are into all of these things but the likelihood that a girl would be more into some of these things over a boy is pretty high. I already have a son and know I will get to enjoy all the absolutely fabulous things usually associated with having a boy that you may not get to experience with a girl. So why wouldn't I want the same thing with a girl? Sorry I'm coming off so defensive but I have quite frankly been shocked at the response I have gotten to my desire to have a girl. You never hear the same reactions I have received when you hear a father express the desire to have a boy. It just kinda seems skewed to me. 

C) This response bugs me a lot. Of course I will be happy with whatever God decides to give us. But don't look at me like I just told you I'm going to steal the lady next to me on the OB floors baby girl when I tell you that I'm trying to increase my odds of having a girl by tracking ovulation. Seriously, it's not that big of a deal. Yes, I know that many people are desperate to have a child regardless of gender at all. I feel for these people (some of which are some of my readers) so badly and I can not imagine having to go through all the things that you have had to go through mentally and physically just to try and conceive at all. But I also think that it is OK to desire a child of a certain gender and not to be judged because of it.

So, that's my rant for the day. Thanks for listening. I'll try not to drive you all crazy as we begin this wild ride again into parenthood for the second time with all my bodily functions, mental ups and downs and just plain ole' TMI that seems to take over many women when they are trying to conceive and especially when they get pregnant. That could be a whole other post entirely. =)