UBC Motherhood - Gender

Remember how I told you my TCM lady immediately told me it was boy?

She claimed she felt an exceptionally strong pulse. Plus I looked great, my skin was clear. Obviously baby girls, who share the same hornomes, mess up their Mom's skin?

Every time my gyno did an ultrasound, the baby turned their back (and butt) to us. It was like they did it on purpose!

I didn't terribly mind.

A) I sort of believed my acupuncturist. She had been right before.

B) If I had to bet money, I would have said it was a boy, too, but it was just a hunch.

C) I was happy either way.

My husband didn't want to know anyway, and interestingly, it took about an hour after the baby was born (and people who have two eyes in their head should have noticed what's going on in the meantime) until he went "btw, what is it?"

These popular pre birth traditions that are normal to you, are not customary in Switzerland. Or at least, they weren't 14 years ago.

In Switzerland we didn't do gender reveal parties, which is sort of a pity because today I would have so many creative ideas, and we don't do baby showers either. I agree with not celebrating before the baby is born. I'm superstitous that way.

We just go and have a baby, send cards to our friends and family to tell them the baby's name, hight and weight, and they will send gifts. Or drop in uninvited. This was the worst, and the best.

It was the worst because it interfered with what little routine we had when it came to feeding, changing and napping. It was the worst when they brought kids who ran wild in our living room, scaring the baby. It was the worst when they shared what they learned from their newborns, which clearly did not apply to ours.

It was the best when they asked if this was a bad time and offered to come back another time after having called ahead. It was the best when they brought food. It was the best when they said something genuinly assuring.

Back to gender reveal activites.

We did a birth reveal activity for our parents.

We found out I was pregnant mid-January, so by the time the most critical time was over, it was Easter.

For Easter a popluar thing to do in Switzerland is to bake sweet-ish yeast bread bunnies.

Photo Credit

That's what we did. Two large ones and a tiny one.

We took them to my parents.

We were invited to dinner, and we said we were going to bring the Easter bread characters.

I handed them to my Mom, and she immediately got it. 

"A baby bunny! For real? You're having a baby?"

Hubby was supposed to take a picture, but she kept dancing around, hugging me, all he got was very, very blurry ;-)

We did the same the next day at my in-laws. They were pleased, too, but they didn't dance. My MIL suffered from pulminary fibrosis and needed her oxygen tank whereever she went. Sadly she passed away three months before Colin was born.

PS: What's up with my baby boy wearing a pink jacket? Here goes:

Sometime while we unsuccessfully tried to get pregnant, we came across this baby boutique that was full of cute clothes. Usually I knew better than to indulge because it made me sad not to have a little one to shop for, but I couldn't help myself that day. I purchased this pink jacket. 

"What are you gonna do with it now?" hubby cautiously asked.

"I hope for a girl." 

I said.

I put it in my closet and forgot about it.

After Colin's first birthday a couple of years later we went away "on vacation" for a few days. Meaning we packed everything and lived out of our many suitcases in a hotel room, went for walks at the lake but always came back for feedings, diaper changes, you name it. 

It was in Ticino, the Italian part of Switzerland, where the weather is usually way warmer and nicer than where we live in the Northern part of the country. 

Upon coming home, the weather abruptly changed, and it got freezing cold with no warning at all. This hit me totally unprepared. Of course Colin's baby jacket didn't fit anymore. In my distress I remembered the pink jacket in the back of my closet. 

It fit pretty well, but Colin was not happy. He cried when I put it on him. Was it not comfortable? Did he hate the color? Well, there wasn't anything I could do about it now. He had to wear it until we got to the nearest kids' store, which in our small town is not that simple. 

We managed to go the kids second hand store the same day though, and look who's a happy boy - playing with my lipstick keychain, no less!