Is it good to know? or is the surprise better?

[HelenEmjay]

My sister-in-law and i have EXACTLY the same due date, my first 2 babies were bron by c-section so im booked in this coming monday 12th to have my third ( ooh-errr!!) but my SIL had a normal delivery with her first baby and argues that although its convenient to 'know' when baby will be born, there's no surprise in it! - its made me think...... it wont affect my plans to have the c-section on monday, but, is it good to know when your baby will be born or is the surprise better???? what do you all think?

Never had the surprise...first time round I was induced and then had c-section...2nd time round was c-section. I did like knowing the second time round when I was going to have the baby..it made organising things like childcare alot easier. There is a part of me though that would like to experience the whole natural childbirth/going into labour thing as I spent so much time looking at books at at antenatal class being told how you will know you are in labour that it would of been nice to go through it.

was induced with ds and I'm dreading the surprise element this time, frankly

As a diabetic, I had c-section planned.
Then contractions started.
By the time I got to hospital, I was 5cms dilated.
So, I had a c-section, but earlier than my planned date !

When you say planned...
Only those than have their children on the planned c-sction date,or those that are induced, get that.
With everyone else, its always rough planning, isn't it ?
I mean, they know their due date... but very few babies arrive on the exact due date.

So its always a bit of a surprise, isn't it ?

We took the surprise option. It was hard not to ask, but we were both glad we didn't.

Some friends of ours had a son two years ago through planned C section. We knew what day he was going to be born and we knew what he would be called. There wasn't much excitement when he arrived, to be honest.

And it's nice when the midwives get your partner to find out what sex the baby is.

surprise being WHEN not WHAT mogwai
at least that's how I read it

Wouldn't particularly bother me either way - if you could plan a natural labour then it would be helpful "Mum, can you take DD for us on the Xth feb... gonna be having the baby"

But I didn't find the surprise element of the date all that exciting.

Sorry, i mean knowing WHEN baby will be born, i always thought people would like to know pretty much exactly when baby will arrive! so was surprised to hear quite a few people say otherwise when i asked them!

Currently 40 + 2 and the surprise element of the new baby's arrival isn't doing much for me!
Now when it comes to the sex of the baby.....different story

Im with Ninah, was induced with Jessi and with only 6.5 weeks til im due, im terrified of what "real" labour is like!

I s'pose its mor convenient to know expecially when you have other children! Wouldnt opt for a section though. its nice not to know aswell!!!
You always manage which ever so I dont see it matters either way!!!

oooh jessbm so close now! are you keeping well? do wish you the best, will keep a check on this!

I couldn't care less what excitement (or lack of it) anyone else felt about the birth of my child. My ds was born on the date he was planned, I knew he was a boy and even his name. But I didn't have my child for anyone else.
Anyway, I hate surprises, I really do. All surprises.

I couldn't care less what excitement (or lack of it) anyone else felt about the birth of my child. My ds was born on the date he was planned, I knew he was a boy and even his name. But I didn't have my child for anyone else.
Anyway, I hate surprises, I really do. All surprises.

DD was 2 weeks late, and was induced. There wasn't the suprise element there at all. But it didn't make me any less excited to met my baby.

I wanted to know beforehand so we could paint the bedroom and buy the right colour clothes etc - it's not policy to tell you though in my area, so we had surprises.

Luckily ds1 was a boy as dh had painted his room blue

I had an induction both times and think that knowing (roughly) when the baby is coming is a big advantage. It took away the worry of "Am I in labour or not?" and made it easier to plan around it.

blimey

people do get competitive over the most bonkers things - its up to the parents, as ever.

My DD was 15 days early - waters broke think I went into denial shock!

I like the whole thing to be completely unpredictable.

surprise the first time - although it was an emergency c-section 10 days early...I did know her gender and we had picked her name - did not tell anyone though until after her birth.

second time still did not know until week before I had the babe( on the Wed was booked for the following Monday). The Consultant was prepared to let me go fo a VBAC but the babe still showed no signs of wanting to move and so we booked the elective c-section. She was ten days late.

Second time round knowing was such a help as I have dd1 who has down syndrome and dh was starting a new job - supposed to start the Monday I had my section. Knowing meant I could organise SIL and mother to care for dd1 for the week I was in the hospital. It meant dh could inform his employers in advance that he needed that day off - luckily his new workplace was the hospital complex where we had dd2. It also meant I could let people know like physio, sn playgroup etc that we would not be there that week so that there was no hassle trying to sort out dh to do that whilst starting a new job.

And by 40 + 10 days in stinking hot aussie summer - I was glad to know when it would end gender, time and weight was a surprise - that was fine for me.

I thought the same - that the surprise element wasn't there. I was booked in for an elective but DS did surprise us when my waters broke two weeks early.

I have to say with my second, we found out at the 20 week scan that he was a boy, and we got given our c-section date then aswell! so the whole pregnancy we knew when he would be born and we knew he was a boy!! - there was no surprise left apart from what time he would be born and what he would weigh obviously, i have to say i didnt mind to much but, it did kinda take a little bit of the magic away! ds1 was punctual, i went into labour the day before my due date, but he decided the usual route into the world wasnt for him and i had an emergency c-section 2 days later, so this time we dont know what the sex is (other than my gut feeling that is!) and we only got our date last thursday, so there has been a bit more of a surprise this time! i think if i had no date to work with and baby could arrive any time i could be sat here with another 3-4 weeks to go and that would drive me bonkers i think! im fed up now! tut tut tut - so impatient! xx

I was induced early with DD1 and actually find it a bit sad that, potentially, her true birthdate was taken away from her. She was supposed to be a December baby not a November baby.

I'm not sure there's any joy over the element of suprise of a baby's birthdate. We are given an estimated due date and everyone expects the baby to come around that time.

I feel abit sorry for babies that are born by elective c-section as they have no warning of there birth - they are just dragged out suddenly it must be a bloody shock to them !! My sil just said the other day she doesnt understand how im not dissapointed to have the surprise taken away! surely the whole point is a new baby! right? not when - isnt 'when' just a small element of it?????