38 Weeks: Can’t Hide

…which means I now have to debrief Manhattan pedestrians on every block (and in every elevator) on my pregnancy. Questions range from, “how far are you?” to “any minute now?” to “is it just one?” (with the best follow-up, “are you sure?”)… Too much for New Yorkers not caring, with a belly this size (see pic) the questions flow and they’re unavoidable (because they usually come with a huge smile and surprised eyes)! The best of course was the person who told me “Honey, I think you need to head to the hospital right now!”

huge belly

Thankful for…

photo-82This year I’m thankful for being able to bear baby # 2! While it is my second experience, I am still dazzled by the miraculous and transformative process of pregnancy. I’m thankful for the fruit of my first experience that enchants me every minute of everyday. My only wish is that the baby turns-out healthy and never experiences real pain.

Whether having kids is a selfless or a selfish act has been hotly debated and perhaps more so lately as there has been a growing wave of people choosing not to have kids at all, arguing that such a choice is no more selfish than the decision to have kids. Despite all the sacrifice parents do for their kids, the argument is that having a child should still be considered a selfish act meant to bring to life a creature that will provide you a lot of happiness or even as a self-love act since a child is an extension of his maker.

Let’s be honest here, they do have a point and I do think that we should not judge people that make this choice. Having a kid should be a choice. Whether we like it or not, human beings act for the most part out of pure self-interest, therefore, I wouldn’t contest the underlying idea that there is major selfish element in deciding to have a child, however is that necessarily a bad thing? I think there should be a distinction between harmful selfishness (the kind that overreaches to harm others and usually is the type that creates conflict and leads on a greater scale to crises, wars and inequalities) and harmless selfishness (the kind that reflects self-interested behavior but does not negatively affect the greater good).

My heart goes to those deprived from this gift of childbearing whether it’s because of health reasons, social or financial circumstances or any other impediment but I am also thankful for the scientific and medical advances in the fertility and reproductive field that give some people the hope of fulfilling this dream.

Enjoy this upcoming Thanksgiving (the prep, the dinner and the therapeutic power of giving thanks!)  

Oh and Thank YOU for checking my blog!

Play the Baby Gender Games

photo-73

Upon learning the big news, most expecting parents intuitively start marveling about the tints that will be added to their family pallet (and come to define their nursery). The imagination here often lends itself to stereotypes and extremes are envisioned: is it going to be a dive into a pink-ish princess world or will blue, trucks, cars and dinosaurs take over?

The wait is usually over between the 16th to the 20th week of pregnancy, when you’re baby’s genital will be developed enough for your gyno (or sonogram technician) to be able to confirm the gender – of course provided baby decides to cooperate (be in the right position) and isn’t too shy to permit a peak!

There is also a growing group of parents that choose to keep the gender a mystery until delivery but I’m certainly not one of those and my mind has been busy pondering whether my daughter will have a younger brother or sister from day one… In addition, I’m the planner and dreamer type and therefore before yellow starts taking over my house and mind I need to know what directions things are heading. For the impatient-types like me, gender games are a fun (and non-invasive) way to cater to our curiosity.

  • Chinese Gender Chart

It predicts your baby’s gender based on your Chinese lunar age at the time you got pregnant and the Chinese lunar month in which you conceived. Here’s the one I used:

http://www.babycenter.com/chinese-gender-predictor

Result: Girl

baby gender

  • Gender Prediction Test
IntelliGender’s Gender Prediction Test

IntelliGender’s Gender Prediction Test
Can be used as early as 10 weeks of pregnancy

A gender prediction test that you can buy at some local pharmacies. Those tests have been on the market for a couple of years now but their accuracy is actually quite controversial and for the most part medical professionals have not endorsed them concluding that they are a waste of money. Nevertheless, some brands affirm around 80% accuracy (so 4 out of 5 tests according to them is correct). The test I used (see image above) claims to examine the chemicals produced by the pregnant mother’s urine and so should give a “dark, smoky green” reaction to the urine of a mother carrying a male baby and an “orange tinted” reaction to the urine of a mother pregnant with a girl.

Result: Girl

Of course neither the Chinese chart nor the prediction test kit have conclusive scientific backing and therefore shouldn’t replace a sonogram test result to prove or contradict their prediction. So if you learn you have a girl don’t go all Marie-Antoinette in your baby’s nursery just yet!

For my part, I’ll wait for the sonogram before I break the news to my daughter that she should be expecting a sister!

Favorite PG Phone Apps

PG appsMy Pregnancy Today by BabyCenter: My pregnancy day by day, fetal development images, Pregnancy checklist, Award-winning videos, Birth clubs, due date calculator and nutrition guide.

Pregnancy Buzz by The Bump: Daily updates including what’s going on with baby and my body, customizable to-dos and appointments, and my own weekly pregnancy photo gallery!