cirque du bebe

The cat’s out of the bag.  I’m pregnant.

I’ve been wanting to tell the world for a while but DH and I decided that it would be best to go through with an amniocentesis and make sure everything was okay this time.  Why?  Because I’m an old buzzard with a greater likelihood of having issues.  A few friends had asked and I denied at first because of this agreement that DH and I had about letting the world know.  So I was “taking the fifth” as one of my old high school friends put it.

After getting the glowing results, I can now say that not only are we having another healthy child but that child is a GIRL!  But I knew the sex prior to even having the amniocentesis.  “How?” you may ask.  Wives’ tales and a little bit of science.

For one, I was REALLY sick this time around in the first trimester, going into a good bit of the second as well (I lost 6 pounds in one week which the doctor didn’t like too much).  Starting about my third week I was getting queasy and by the fifth week I was throwing up not just in the morning but pretty much feeling sick or getting sick until early evening.  (Then there was the week I had not only morning sickness but a stomach virus — but that’s another post maybe.)  So why did this make me feel it was a girl?  Wives’ tales have long said this but in fact, there’s a bit of science behind it.  Apparently, the hormone levels within a woman’s body when she is carrying a girl will indeed make her more sick than if she were carrying a boy.

Second, my cravings.  I didn’t have much cravings in the first trimester but when the morning sickness eased up, when I did want something it was clear I did have a preference.  I’ve been told by several people that women crave sweets when carrying a girl and proteins when carrying a boy.  With Monkey, I craved sausage and eggs constantly.  With this one, I’ve been craving chocolate and watermelons or cantaloupe.

Third, the day of conception.  I’ve heard that male sperm swim faster and die off quicker.  Female sperm swim slower but last longer.  DH was leaving for Vegas a few days prior to my ovulation the month we conceived.  So we made sure to “do the deed” prior him leaving and voila!  Preggers with a girl.

So this is why I knew.  I wish I could have been so certain about the healthy part but honestly, the amniocentesis wasn’t that bad.  I had built it up in my mind as this horrific event and it truly wasn’t.   Some cramping afterward but I was able to attend a meeting two hours after the event and didn’t have a problem.

Number two on the way.  Still scary to think about.  Don’t think I would have ever been ready.  Will be an interesting road at least.