I simply can't believe we are halfway there already! Looking back, the past weeks have really flown – though I suppose that's a bit of a cheat, given that when your pregnancy is confirmed initially, the due date is based on your last period – so you already have several weeks up your sleeve before you even know.
Anyway, a few days ago, it was time for P and I to see our baby again onscreen in our 20 week scan. As well as being a nice way for parents to see their baby with all its bits (hopefully) intact, it's an important test to determine the presence of any physical defects like cleft palates. It can also reveal other, smaller and seemingly insignificant issues (known as "soft markers"), which could be a further indicator of underlying chromosomal abnormalities such as Down's Syndrome.
This scan can also usually show the baby's genitals and/or sex organs. We had seriously discussed whether to find out the sex beforehand and had come to a grudging agreement. I'd always been keen to know as I feel like it's another way to be able to identify with the baby – after all, its gender is an integral part of its personality. I was also looking forward to not referring to it as "it"! P was less keen because he wanted it to be a surprise, but on this occasion I prevailed – because if I knew, it wouldn't be too long before he did either!
Thankfully, after a delightful 45 minutes being able to stare at our lovely little baby moving peacefully (and sometimes forcefully!) in my uterus on the screen, we were given a clean bill of health so far, and the doctor revealed that we were going to have a boy. Once P heard that, he forgot all about the disappointment of finding out the surprise early and couldn't wipe the smile off his face.
Did you find out the sex of your baby at your scan?