If you could choose your baby's gender, would you?

I think I might if I already had a couple children of one sex, and couldn't conceive a child of the other sex.. For instance, my cousin stopped trying to have a boy after she had 4 girls.

I have no desire to, but I'm not opposed to the idea.

Not the first but might consider it on a later child, but probably not even then.

My brother's family put him up for adoption as part of a selective breeding process - they wanted a girl. They put the third girl up for adoption because by then they wanted a boy. The only side effects they suffered was two slightly annoyed kids seeking them out fifteen/twenty years later.

Not sure whether that is an example to show it is, in fact, possible to choose your baby's gender or a tirade against the practice.

Yes, if I could do it naturally without medical intervention. Like say, If I were to do jumping jacks in the last three months it would be a boy and if I powerwalk it would be a girl, then I'd definitely powerwalk my ass off.

No, I think I would want to be surprised. I would love my baby the same whether it was a boy or a girl. If I had someone to help me, that is!

If you want to choose the gender of your child, then adopt.

No, I'd let nature take its course.

And other features, Gattaca-style

I think not, but I'm really not sure...given the chance, maybe I would. (How's that for noncommittal?!) It would take more thought than I feel like giving a hypothetical question.

I would have a daughter, but i am not willing to muck with genetics towards that end.

Liz: are you asking for help? ;)

Did you ever see that movie Gattaca? That's all the proof I need that this is a bad idea.

TwM (ignoring the obvious joke about exercising your ass off) According to Roald Dahl in 'Sweet Mystery of Life', you force a boy by mating with your head pointing towards the rising/setting moon, and a girl by pointing the other way.

A better source says you increase your chances at a girl by mating a few days before the fertility cycle starts, so most the boy sperms will die out.

jjg: That is a tough one. People seem to put a lot more boys up for adoption than they do girls. There is a long waiting list to adopt a girl (Bill will interject, a white girl, and he'll be right).

They found a correlation between crocodile gender and incubation temperature, but i bet they just ran into a statistical anomaly. I can't imagine a global temperature shift would wipe out crocodiles.

That's tricky...I want a girl, but a boy would be better first I think...I guess I would just leave it up to the Goddess.

Yea renée. I use the Pagan Daybook II screensaver/calendar
http://www.mindworkshop.com/alchemy/pagan2.html
to get all my holiday mythology history from different cultures and moon & tidal info.

I dont think I would, I would love my baby no matter what gender. Something about being able to choose the gender doesnt seem right... and also, it wouldnt really be my decision alone...

I feel that birth is a miracle and should not be messed with by choosing the gender you want.

I said "no", but I might be more inclined to do so for a child after the first.

Let God choose

You'd leave it up to your twin?

But he is not just my twin. He created the heavens as well. That's why I am so special. I am God's brother and a relative of Jesus!!!

*smacks herself in the forehead* gimme a fukkin' break!

i would want to be able to have 2 boys and 2 girls so i would want to choose that so it could be the way i want it to be

viper-etc.etc.etc: What about if everyone suddenly had a preference for boys and not girls. How would our planet turn out then? Hey, we'd all have to turn gay or celibate!!

Wicksy..one word..China

It's part of the miracle...i try not to mess with miracles too much

twister: What, all Chinese are gay or celibate? lol

Wicksy - Of course not. But in China, as a means of population control, couples are only allowed to have one child. Many Chinese families prefer to have boys, so the government limit and other social pressures often results in the abandonment of baby girls. I know several people here in the US who have adopted baby girls who were born in China.

abandonment is the GOOD thing that happens to chinese girl babies...

I want a boy!!! I would name him Julian Nicholas and love him and play with him and hug him all the time!!! I'm not sure what I'd do with a girl. :P

If you're going to love him and play with him and hug him and squeeze him and kiss him all the time, maybe it would be better if you called him George.

Perhaps if I carried an X-linked disease that my male child would suffer from, I might choose to give birth to a female. Part of what worries me about the current scientific method they're trialling for sex choosing is that it's such an offensive first world cash cow. You know, there are millions of people who just want a baby, and others will spend enough money to feed the homeless for 6 months on getting a baby of the sex they want. Of course, I don't have a problem if people are doing jumping jacks! But I do, why do we value one sex more than another?

SueBee- My friend's family adopted a little chinese girl. She's such a sweetie. :) That's what I'm going to do someday if I can't have children of my own.

Jane - I'm acquainted with several and they're all very sweet. I imagine that stems from being a very much wanted and well-cared-for child. They're the lucky ones...I hate to think what happens to the others.

I want a little daughter so bad....I can't wait to dress her up so much.

MsVent: Please don´t make her go to `Miss Teenage America´ contests and things like that!

vos: I think that ruins kids... Also, MsVent - Don't sacrifice your child's comfort so she can look cute. I have people trying to get me to do that all the time.

jen -LOL I used to dress up my Grandma's dog, but she never ran away. Obviously you were much smarter than the dog!

they - Stick to your guns on that one. Just because she LOOKS like a little doll doesn't mean she should be dressed like one.

ah...but some gurlies like pretty stuff. I wish my Mum could have been able to afford to dress me up.

vos: You live in the Netherlands so why would you care? Why do you seem to have it in so bad for me?
they: I had no intention of making a future daughter uncomfortable - why is vos and they so militant. I just would love to have a healthy child - boy or girl and have the pleasure of buying cute clothes. I love kids - what is the problem?

I haven't said an unkind thing to you yet... If you want me to, I guess I can. How come every time anyone responds to anything you've said, you take offense? I was just giving you my two cents since I just had a daughter 7 weeks ago and have had uncomfortable "cute" outfits shoved down my throat ever since. If you don't like what I have to say you can go to the 'Customize' button, and enter my name in the 'filter' field. You make me miss Jasmine.

MsVent - You do seem rather hostile. I don't think anyone was picking on you.

Sue Bee and they - a match made in heaven!!!! I don't careif you had a girl 7 weeks ago - do you think you are the only person on earth that can procreate and make a daughter!

MsVent - That was a totally crapty thing to say! You suck!

MsVent now lives in my filter with Jasmine. I hope they drive each other to drink.

MsVent: You really have a short fuse. I wasn´t picking on you. And why shouldn´t I care about things that happen outside of my country?

Maarten........You should care honey, she's just a big mean bully who doesn't like the Japanese.....Don't listen to a word she says.

Maybe she´s still angry we bombed Pearl Harbor!

That must be it.

don't plan to have any

no

It's not our decision to make. It's God's!

It's not God's decision! It's Darwin's ghost!

Absolutely. No kids right now, but someday. When the time comes, I would be happy with a baby of either gender, but most of all I would love to have a little girl.

I have to say no. In fact, the nationalised hospitals in my area have stopped doing it altogether (although you can still find out by going to a private clinic). The reason being that since the service was introduced, the local abortion rate has gone through the roof. As we have a proportionately large Asian population (predominantly Muslim) a similar thing was happening as is happening in China. I am by no means pro-life, but for me personally having a cha-cha instead of a wee-wee (can't you tell I looked up the proper terms) is by no means an acceptable reason for having an abortion
After all, what is the purpose of it anyway? What does it achieve? The decision has already been made. What is the use of finding out a few months early what gender of baby you are to give birth to, unless in finding out, you would wish not to give birth at all

icurok: I'm not sure you read the question correctly. It sounds as though you're answering as to whether you would want to know the baby's sex ahead of time. The question is, would you choose its sex if you could?

But that would be an interesting survey.

...though I'm pretty sure that has been asked in the past too.

ILJ: Oh yeah **blushes** must've been tired. Well in answer to the proper question my answer is that it depends. If you already have 3 girls then who am I to stop you if you choose (and have the means to guarantee conception of) a boy. On the other hand, choosing a gender based on one being "better" than the other I find very sinister indeed.

maybe

At the time I had my child, if I could have I would have opted for a boy. I had a girl. When she was born, I didn't care whether she was a boy or a girl--I only wanted her to be healthy, which is what is most important. I absolutely have no regrets. She has turned out to be my only child. Looking back, I was silly to want to choose between a boy and a girl. It's obviously going to be one or the other and you can usually try again if you want "one of each". I say usually, cause you don't always get another chance. Sometimes people trying for that elusive boy, end up with five girls and dearly love every one.

My sister had really hoped to have a daughter. She has two boys and loves them dearly, but I think she still wishes she'd had a girl. She didn't want one badly enough to try a 3rd time though.

I don't think humans should attempt to play God. If it's a boy, then it's a boy. If it's a girl, then it's a girl. Either way it's great.

Yeah, especially George Burns.

No. My kids are gifts from God. It's not my choice to make.

Groan!!

I'd rather leave it in God's hands; I'd rather not fool with fate or "Mother Nature"!!!

definitely not.Leave it to God. No discrepancies then

Heh! Some of you seem pretty demanding to want *insert deity here* to choose your baby's gender for you. I have several friends whose parents wanted them to turn out with different genitals. It's pretty tough having someone disappointed in you for something you had no control over. I'm going to try to pick as many features of my child as possible. That way the child will be most appreciated, and I can take some of the load off of my God. It's my choice to make if I want to.

How do you intend to

"pick as many features of your child as possible?"

Well, with genomic mapping we will soon have the ability to know what makes certain physical features the way they are. I figure that will be available in the next 5 to 10 years. I'm gonna wait a while before I have a kid anyway, if I decide to have one at all, and chances are that the technology will be available at that time.

Yes I want all boys. If it is a girl I want to put it back until it's done.

Why not a girl then?

Girls are much more trouble than boys. Boys can't get pregnant.

True, but girls mature faster. I'd love to have at least one daughter.

I bet you would

What's that supposed to mean?

Oh nothing......*coughs to avoid the confrontation*

Nope. Thats part of the fun!

Oh no! You don't get out of it that easy! *grabs Wicksy's collar, and starts speaking very slowly* Now, WHAT DID YOU MEAN BY THAT?*

Um I ah, I um (shakes)......um....man, I need a cigarette!!

*smiles an evil smile* You will tell me. *let's Wicksy go, then walks away, cackling like a madman.*

girls only, boys such a apin in the azz, ok I am a guy, so what

I really want a baby girl.... so I may would choose that. But as long as a baby is happy and healthy, i would be happy.