After trying various methods to choose the sex of our baby, we were blessed with a girl.
After eight months of plotting, 39 weeks of planning, and three hours of labor, my husband and I got the baby we originally wanted. Meanwhile, I learned a lot more about the process of having a baby then I had bargained for.
After eight months of plotting, 39 weeks of planning, and three hours of labor, it all came down to one very serene moment.
Our midwife, Kim Storey, stood at the back of the delivery room. She was quiet. Kim is never quiet. As I lay writhing in pain, seeing her motionless gave me the greatest sense of calm and somehow told me we were at the end. Seeing her allowed me to find that mental place I needed in order to finish this journey. I found Hughan’s hand and together we pushed through as everyone gathered around to assist.
“It’s a girl!” I don’t remember who announced it but the room seemed to erupt with cheers as she walked the red carpet.
Wow. I was truly shocked.
“Seriously? Is this really happening?” I thought as Kim lay the baby on my chest. I was having some sort of weird out of body experience. Then reality hit hard.
“Can I have some drugs now,” I asked the nurse as calmly as I could muster. Ha!!
Here is where it comes back full circle.
I did a lot of research on “how to have a girl.” I studied and implemented Dr. Shettles method. I watched the moon and lined up our attempts with the Chinese Lunar Calendar. I overdosed on calcium – much to the dismay of my primary care provider.
I weighed the opinions of a lot of people; health experts and friends with their anecdotal stories were treated equally. I spoke to God and listened to the advice of wise neighbors. Everyone had an opinion. Some were constructive. Others were naysayers. Most were unsolicited:
For instance, the woman shopping in the grocery store who saw that I had two boys told me I should ask Jesus for a girl.
OK. Thank you. That sounds easy.
The nice old man serving jury duty with me also told me it was easy to have a particular gender (assuming I was interested in rounding out the family with a girl). He and his wife had sex at just the right time and…
Thanks for the visual.
The man on the bus at a conference tried to teach me how to count my ovulation days.
His math was actually off but I didn’t have the heart to stop him.
When I did ask for advice, my doctor friends thought I had lost my mind (they actually still think I’m slightly off center). As I laid out my rationale in conversations I could see their thoughts slowly drifting to other places then finally forming into a sentence.
“What does Hughan say about all this?” They would ask.
He’s saying, “Hello, Nile” to his beautiful baby girl. That’s what he’s says.
It seems like this is the part where I should gloat and review the sound science behind my method. I should talk about how it works every time and is a no-fail method. I should now give advice to every friend and stranger outlining my proven process to pick the sex of your baby.
But I won’t claim any expertise on the subject.
I firmly believe this was a journey tailor-made for me and my family. I believe that I helped guide it but there are no guarantees. With that being said, I would certainly recommend the combined techniques as you’d have a better shot at a desired outcome then leaving it to chance alone; or at least you’ll feel like you have more control.
Yes, that means that I will be detailing my method at future cocktail parties.
At the end of the day, I can say it was a fun way to have a baby. That’s what it’s all about.
For the record: I did deliver this child at North Fulton Hospital in the Roswell and Alpharetta area of Atlanta, GA. The nursing staff was wonderfully attentive and I appreciate the top-notch care I received. Thanks!
