My answers and new opinions.

I just went back and read all the comments from Days 1-6 in which I left while I was out of town. First of all - great responses. So many were real thought out answers. I was so proud of all of you for really putting thought into them! Secondly, I went through each one and left my own answers. I pretty much simply answered them, but I know I put in some additional comments in Day one (or was it two? the one about gender selection.)

I also had some new opinions to give. Not new really, as they have always been my opinions, but only recently thought of due to my line of questioning over the last week.

~ The thought that learning the gender while baby is in utero takes away from the birth.
-- I don't know if it's simply because I have already gone through the birthing process. Or maybe because I'm simply being defensive about it. But personally, I don't think the fact I knew if my babies had a vagina or a penis took away ~anything~ from the birth. Giving birth to a baby is simply unbelievable. The feelings and emotions you have are indescribable. I just can't fathom that I had anything less than a miracle happen at each birth. Sure, hearing "it's a boy!" or "it's a girl!" would be pretty damned exciting, but that excitement still happened for me at the big ultrasound (or even over the phone with my CVS results). So personally, I believe the excitement is the same, it's simply a matter of when you find it out.

But I certainly don't think my birthing experience was "lesser" in anyway because I knew the sex. I will admit I have no idea on the other side, since I never experienced it. So if anyone out there experienced ~both~ (not just one, as you wouldn't know both sides either), could you please leave a comment as to the differences you felt?

~ Girls who got a surprise BFP who feel guilty, so they talk about it non stop.
-- First off, if you are one of my friends who had this happen to them, please try not to be offended. I'm only going to mention one thing about this phenomenon, it does ~not~ offend me if you simply fall into this category.

Being in the blogworld for quite some time, I've seen many girls get their miracle BFP on a pre-treatment cycle. I've also seen many girls get their BFP on their first medication or minor treatment cycle, be it clomid, progesterone supps or IUI. Since they also had a taste of IF, (although for many of them, it was a small taste since first med/treatment cycles usually come earlier rather than later) most of them feel guilty it happened for them with such little intervention (or even before intervention).

So, due to their guilt, every time they mention their pregnancy or IF, they mention how lucky they are or how shocked they are it happened so "easily" for them. Or as part of their signature on a message board, it says "surprise BFP!" or "lucky BFP on first medicated cycle!". But this ends up having the opposite effect on many IFers who come in contact with them. Personally, yes, I'm super glad to understand they know how lucky they are. Or how thrilled they are that it did happen "easily" for them. But after awhile, okay, I get it. Could you please stop rubbing it in? Most of us don't have it happen on the cycle before our first IUI or IVF. Most of us have our first clomid cycle fail. And our first femara cycle fail. And our first everything fail. Most of us have multiple failed IUIs. Many of us have a failed IVF under our belts. So yes, we're glad you know you know you are blessed, but there comes a point where you could just list it in your ttc history and be done with it. Eventually it starts sounding like a newbie ttc-er who brags about how it happened on their first month trying. (Even though I totally get that is ~not~ what they are trying to convey.)

Maybe this is also just me, like my last opinion. If anyone else agrees or disagrees, please feel free to chime in!