Jean: A lot of parents opt to find out in advance so they can prepare the nursery, buy appropriate clothes and come up with a name they like.

Carla: I just wonder if you like to open your birthday presents in advance, too. Heck, don’t even wait for the wrapping! Maybe you prefer cash? But seriously, after labor, believe me - there is nothing better than getting to finally meet this person you have carried inside you. And there is an extra thrill in discovering then that you have a boy or a girl.

Jean: I agree, though I remember being desperate to find out. By twenty weeks, I had been through so much with morning sickness, I wanted to have a name to put to this baby so I could relate to him as more than just a wiggly lump inside me. But my husband did not want to know, and said if I found out, I couldn’t tell him or anyone in the family, nor could I buy stuff for the baby based on that knowledge! I knew there was no way I could keep quiet, so I decided not to find out. It wasn’t easy, but it was a wonderful surprise at the end. The hardest part was getting through the ultrasound without asking - after that, I couldn't find out.

Carla: Dori, I don’t mean to be a party pooper, but unless there’s some really good reason for finding out - like it would make a big difference for your grampa to know there was a boy on the way, or if you are dying for a girl and really would need time to adjust to the idea of a male child, or because there’s some gender-linked genetic disorder that you’re worried about --

Jean: Like hemophilia or Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy...

Carla: ...or male pattern baldness -- I’d say go for it. But if it’s just impatience, my advice would be to hold on until the baby is born. I think you’ll find it’s worth the wait.