5 Benefits of Leaving Your Baby's Gender a Mystery

There's no denying that finding out the sex of your baby can be one of the most joyous occasions you'll ever experience. In fact, if you choose to do so, you have nothing but my support and praise. He/she is your child and you have every right to know what sex your baby will be!

That said, there are some pretty great benefits for parents who choose to wait.

Scary Mommy recently shared an article that discusses some of the positives of waiting to find out what sex your baby is. The topic was so interesting that we figured we'd give it a go as well.

We assembled a list of 5 benefits for parents who've decided to leave the gender of their baby a mystery. Let's take a look:

1. Virtue of patience

Those old wise words, "patience is a virtue", apply here more than ever, If you can beat the urge to find out the sex of your baby through waiting and testing the limits of your patience, then you are setting a strong foundation for your willpower as a new parent. Parenthood is a tough job, and you'll need all the practice you can get at any capacity.

2. In the end, it doesn't matter

Whatever the gender of your baby, you're going to love him/her with all of your heart. Boy or girl, your child will be absolutely adored. As exciting as it is to reveal the big mystery during an ultrasound, the fact of the matter is that it doesn't really matter. You'll still love them all the same!

3. The thrill of the surprise

When was the last time you were genuinely surprised? It doesn't happen all that often anymore. Why not treat yourself with the most beautiful surprise you'll ever receive: a baby boy or baby girl? The sheer thrill of waiting and the anticipation will have you all the more excited to get to that delivery room! If you have the patience to wait it out, you'll experience the best surprise of all time.

4. Take playful bets

How serious you want to take these bets is up to you, but I only endorse playful bets. You can make a fun little game out of the pregnancy with your spouse, or with your friends and parents. Either way, in the end, you have a beautiful new baby boy or girl, and (if you win your bet) you have some pretty incredible bragging rights.

5. Cut down on unneeded gender-specific gifts

Assuming you are a parent who doesn't see the need for unnecessary gifts for your baby, you may want to consider keeping the gender hidden. There's really no point in receiving tons and tons of clothes that your baby will outgrow within a month, so don't encourage the purchasing of gender-specific gifts. You'll find that your baby shower will have some more applicable gifts instead of cute things for a boy or pretty things only a girl could wear.

If you have any insights, questions or comments regarding the topic, please share them with us!