Pregnancy is a time of anticipation, wonder, and countless decisions. From nursery colors to baby names, parents-to-be are often bombarded with choices. One decision I never considered was finding out the gender of the baby before birth.

While this was a conversation that my husband and I did not unanimously agree on, I won that decision since I’m the one carrying our child. In case you’re an expecting parent and wavering on the decision to know the gender, I wanted to share my reasons why I didn’t find out the gender of my baby.

1. Enjoying the Surprise: In a world where instant gratification is often the norm, I felt like waiting to find out the gender is a wonderful surprise that only happens a few times in life. I have asked other parents what they chose to do and I’ve never been told that a parent who didn’t find out the gender regretted their decision.

2. Adding Motivation: If I’m really being honest, I wanted to add extra motivation to the labor and delivery process. I know giving birth is a physical and mental challenge, and I am truly looking forward to my husband saying, "It's a boy!" or "It's a girl!" at the end of the labor.

3. Creating Fun: It’s been so fun to take votes and ask our family and friends their thoughts! With our new arrival being the first grandchild on both sides of my husband and I’s families, we have had nothing but encouragement and joyful anticipation from our loved ones. It’s been a fun way to create anticipation.

4. Encouraging Gender-Neutral Items: I shared our baby registry and gender-neutral nursery in other posts, but not knowing the gender was a great way to reduce the number of gender-specific purchases that could limit our use for a potential future child in our family. We do have a few gender-specific items for a baby girl and a baby boy, just to be prepared!

5. Planning Is The Same: It’s been interesting to receive feedback that I must not be a planner if I don’t want to know the gender. I would say my personality is typically Type-A, but planning for a new baby is relatively the same, no matter the gender. I still have a nursery, diapers, a hospital bag, outdoor items, pumping parts; the list goes on and on. Overall, I don’t feel unprepared to welcome a baby into the world just because I didn’t find the gender.

In the end, whether to find out the gender of the baby before birth is a personal decision. Did I almost give in? Yes. I told my husband he could look at the screen during the ultrasound. Ultimately, we didn’t peak, and we still don’t know the gender of our baby. Just a few weeks away from our delivery date, I continue to prepare and pray that I deliver a happy and healthy baby.

Whichever path you choose, what truly matters is the love, care, and support you provide to your child as they embark on their journey into the world.