If you kept the sex of your second child a surprise

[phillyp]

We found out the sex with DS but while discussing plans for TTC a second we have both decided it would be lovely to keep it as a surprise. I was eager to find out with DS but next time around I don't think we would be super tempted to find out, we genuinely do not care about the sex so it doesn't matter either way. The only thing that I hesitate about it all the clothes. We've kept most of DS' clothes and sleeping bags etc and while there are neutral ones a lot of them are aimed at boys. I'm a very organised person so if I knew the sex I'd have all the clothes I know would be re-used washed and organised before the arrival but for other who kept the surprise for second did you just wait until they were here and then organise through everything? I wouldn't want a huge washing pile on top of all the other washing when they arrived!

I got out the newborn stuff ready which wasn’t loads and then sorted the rest in the first few weeks.

I was tempted to find out for the same reason but I’m glad I waited because I knew with DD1 and so got to experience seeing him and realising in the moment.

Didn’t find out the sex for dc1 or dc2 but most of the newborn stuff we had was gender neutral. Sorry not much help!

We did the opposite. And ended up with a girl after our boy. But I mostly had them both in white/cream/yellow or brights.

We didn't know the sex of either DS or DD, most of the newborn stuff was white anyway. A lot of DS stuff was used for DD, nobody ever said anything to us, and DD didn't care, nor did we, they are just clothes.

I'd sort through and separate out anything so boyish that you wouldn't reuse, but honestly I bet it will be less stuff than you'd think. Most baby clothes are totally neutral, girls don't mind wearing dinosaurs.

I had only boys, but I didn't keep everything to hand down anyway, just my favourite things. I could then top up with a few new things, I thought it was nice for the youngest to have some of their own.

Didn't find out either time. Turned out to be a boy followed by a girl. I still washed all the babygros, cardigans, sleeping bags we'd kept and used them. Dinosaur onesies were just as appropriate for DD when she arrived as they had been for DS when we bought them before we knew his sex too.

I have a boy, I can’t think of any of his clothes I wouldn’t reuse for a girl? Do you mean the kind of ‘daddy’s little boy’ type stuff?

I wouldn’t personally put a baby boy in a dress, but can’t think of anything I wouldn’t put a baby girl in?

Didn't find out. DS then DD, DD wore blue sleepsuits

Our second child was a huge surprise from the get go. (Years of infertility and then multiple miscarriages)
We had made the decision to stop ttc.
low and behold a positive test!

So we wanted to keep the surprise to the birth.
I bought baby grow multipacks and that is what he lived in until about 2.
All neutral/white/cream/yellow.
Didn’t bother buying any “clothes”, just baby grows for ease, I love a simple life.

I didn't find out either time and had not then girl. Wasn't a problem, mostly wore white but dd looked lovely in blue when just hanging out at home.

I didn’t find out with any of mine 3 girls then a boy, all the newborn /first size stuff was neutral and they all wore them all.

We washed and organised before we put DD1’s stuff away, weird/smelly not to surely?

We kept DS2’s sex a surprise, and used a lot of DD1’s stuff anyway- he wore a lot of pink babygrows and leggings, but had his own boy stuff too!

I didn’t find out with either of mine, bought the basics in white when I was pregnant, dd then ds wore them

We didn't know with DC2. I bought a new neutral outfit as the first outfit (white with red elephants) and had sorted the newborn and 0-3 month clothes into "girl" and neutral (lots of people had bought pink for DD1, not our choice, but also lots of lemon and pale blue, and bright colours).

Turns out she was also a girl. But we still favoured bright bold patterns.

Like others have said, ds wore a fair few pink baby grows to bed

Just re use all the vests and sleepsuits regardless.

I didn't find out with dc1 and found out with dc2 and much preferred not knowing. Dh was the one who told me what we had. He got that before me.

Exactly. Babies don’t care what you put them in as long as it’s not uncomfortable! Where has this dinosaurs/trucks/trains/etc = boys come from? There must have been female dinosaurs or they wouldn’t have got very far!! I find it quite sad that this is still perpetuated. My son has a truck with a figurine in a hard hat and orange overalls on (Lego so no hair shown), and our child said ‘daddy’!! What’s galling is that I’m the one in our relationship that wears a hard hat and hi-vis most days!!!

Yep, found a lovely muslin one in pink and white stripes that was perfect for summer. 75% off in the sale!! He wore it most nights last year!

I have two boys, didn’t find out the sex with DC2.
I kept all DC1s clothes and washed all the whites (which was most of the clothes anyway), I kept the newborn and 0-3 month “boyish” clothes in a tub under our bed and then washed them after he was born to use.

Don’t think we kept any of our first child’s stuff. For the second one which was a surprise we just got a few white sleepsuits and I think there was a yellow one in there too… this was 10+ years ago so can’t really remember.

No, we don't have anything like that. Things like navy two piece jumper sets with bears on (had a few of those and loved them) or elephant dungarees, baby blue pram suits, navy/blue dinosaur outfits and sleeping bags. I would totally re use a blue dinosaur sleeping bag and things like that for bed for a girl but probably not for out in the day. To be honest DP's family is very boy heavy anyway so I feel we would probably follow that pattern. He wore mainly babygrows for the first few month and a lot of them were neutral but after that they're more boyish as I did find it difficult to find gender neutral clothes!

Yea of course it's all been washed before packing away but they will be stored in the loft for a while so would re-wash them again when the time came.

Things like navy two piece jumper sets with bears on (had a few of those and loved them) or elephant dungarees, baby blue pram suits, navy/blue dinosaur outfits and sleeping bags.
I don't think there's anything from that list I wouldn't have reused for DD. Elephant dungarees are boyish? DS had a lovely set of lion dungarees with a matching top that he was given when very small, DD wore them loads too.

I always hated anything in white/beige etc or anything plain so all our baby stuff had bright colours and patterns. Nothing gender specific about it.

I did once get told off by a stranger because DD was wearing a blue cardigan and apparently that was confusing. People are fucking weird.

I don’t think any of those things scream ‘boy’. Out of interest, why wouldn’t you put them on in the day? Only asking as I have a boy (he’s blonde and has bright blue eyes not sure if that’s why I get these comments), and no matter how I dress him, everyone says, ‘oh she’s adorable, how old is she, she looks just like you, etc.’!!! Unless I know I’m going to see them again, I can’t be bothered to correct them (tried a few times and it was hard work!!).

So if anyone has any failsafe ‘boy’ clothes ideas (I don’t like slogan stuff), please recommend as it would save a lot of explaining!!

@Kranke DS is the same with blonde hair and blue eyes and has a few times been mistaken for a girl, mainly when he was smaller but not so much now. Didn't bother me. Re the clothes it's just personal preference/styles I like that's all, I like florals so would likely chose some of that style for a girl rather than some of the things I have for DS, if doesn't mean I think it's wrong to dress a girl in elephant dungarees.