A question...

[gallons of milk]

Does anyone else find that their desire for a certain gender is sometimes really strong, then goes away or dies down for a bit, then comes back with a vengeance? Why do you think this might be? Could it be hormones?

[LacePrincess]

Hormones definitely affect your moods. So for sure, something like GD which is almost a form of depression, can certainly be exacerbated by hormones.

I guess I'm lucky, my GD has always been a fleeting 'wouldn't it be nice if' sort of thing and not the painful experience some women get. I mostly get a feeling of yearning when I see really cute baby girls around, or adorable baby girl clothes in the stores. But honestly, I don't ever stew on it at home and I don't ruminate on it outside of feeling a bit of jealousy seeing little girls out and about. Hah, funny enough, I have absolutely NO yearning when I see teenaged girls! ;) I know I'm lucky that my GD isn't that bad.

I still get a high sniffing DS3's chubby gooby cheeks and his warm little neck, so I guess my drug of choice is still my little guy. Whenever I feel GD I just go give DS3 a snuggle and blow some tummy raspberries and I instantly feel better. :)

[atomic sagebrush]

Before I got DD I noticed that mine would almost completely vanish to the point where sometimes I would see little girls and almost feel repelled by them (I don't think girls are repellent or anything, I think it was some kind of psychological defense mechanism). Then it would come back again. Sometimes I'd be having a bad day or sometimes it was being reminded of something that I had hoped to do or experience with a daughter. I never thought it could be hormones but maybe.

I always had the worst GD for teenage girls and young adult women, isn't that funny??

[LacePrincess]

Atomic, that's really funny! I ache the most at those freaking adorable Easter dresses and ruched pinafore sewing patterns. Sigh.

But then when I see 9-11 year olds in those godawful low rise jeans showing their bellies, I get a total repulsed feeling, LOL!

I think my defence mechanism was pushing my boys into 'girly' activities, LMAO. Alas the knitting didn't work out but it helps my GD that I still get to drive a kid to dance! It does help too that all my life I like 'boy' toys far better than girlie ones. I'll take Lego over Barbie ANYDAY, tyvm. Though I am rather tired of trucks and Hot Wheels.

I will also confess to forcing my kids to watch Princess-y Disney movies like Enchanted with me. *shifty look*

[Mrs_P]

mine does i sometimes have moments where i would be fine with another boy and just want to be pregnant but mostly since my bfp its been varying degrees of horrid - although before we decided to ttc it was pretty much under control just odd normal pangs, for me pregnancy has definitely fulled it (i suppose its cause its saying good bye to my last chance)

[Mrs_P]

Atomic, that's really funny! I ache the most at those freaking adorable Easter dresses and ruched pinafore sewing patterns. Sigh.

But then when I see 9-11 year olds in those godawful low rise jeans showing their bellies, I get a total repulsed feeling, LOL!

I think my defence mechanism was pushing my boys into 'girly' activities, LMAO. Alas the knitting didn't work out but it helps my GD that I still get to drive a kid to dance! It does help too that all my life I like 'boy' toys far better than girlie ones. I'll take Lego over Barbie ANYDAY, tyvm. Though I am rather tired of trucks and Hot Wheels.

I will also confess to forcing my kids to watch Princess-y Disney movies like Enchanted with me. *shifty look*

My boys love enchanted and beauty and the beast is my fav disney film and they watch that with me. I kinda figure its a good education for them, they are going to grow up to be someone's prince one day (apart from mine) at least they will know what to do and how to sweep someone off their feet LOL

[Tiggerian]

My boys love Tangled ;) and wedding dresses! Especially if they have lots and lots of sparkle on them! They also have a thing for kittens which I think may have been mummy-induced. My OH says I've permanently scared them :drama:

Mine is definitely like that. A few weeks ago I found myself crying in the bathroom in a supermarket, because I just felt it all so acutely at that moment. All the cute baby girl clothes, the little Christmas dresses - I forgot I had come in to buy my DS1 new gloves as soon as I saw it and just had a meltdown. Ran for the loo instead. Bah! (I pulled myself together and got the darn gloves!)

But then this week it isn't bad at all. I'm quite OK having another boy! I saw One Born Every Minute - what happened next, the episode with the mum who have 5 boys, and thought "well, maybe it won't be so bad having another boy after all!" and well.. I don't think it will. If anything, it will be cheap! Still have all the boys baby clothes and toys. And I've fallen in love with this baby line which is all lime green - it has a pink option, but the lime green draws me in a lot more. And if we have a girl I'll feel compelled to buy the pink one and it's just such a garrish pink..!

I'm sure when/if I fall pregnant my GD will come back with a vengeance.. I try not to think about it. My sway will probably be a bit lazy... will do metformin, clomid as I have to, baby aspirin, folic acid, LE diet and then nothing else.

[3boys]

I felt the best I've ever felt in regards to GD after my miscarriage. It's like it almost vanished for a bit. Now it's horrible and nasty and I hate having it.

If I hear boy on Monday (when I was scanned last I saw a boy nub sure I did) then I'm going to go for hypnotherapy to see if I can ease it. Worth a try.

[LacePrincess]

Funny, Tigger! DS2 and DS3 are fascinated by nail polish. I even once painted DS2's nails. And, DS2 loves to compliment me on my clothes "Pretty dress, mommy!". And DS2 is in dance.

Hmmmmm....... ;) Kinda makes you wonder, eh?

I'd really wonder except he's really rambunctiously boy too.

[Tiggerian]

Really does!! My landlord (and OHs boss) is always laughing at me and joking I'm turning DS1+2 gay and I'm like "Yea well atleast they won't turn into you then!" (which just makes him laugh --- he's notorious! Flirts with anything that moves despite being married)

[Everyonehasgirls]

Funny, Tigger! DS2 and DS3 are fascinated by nail polish. I even once painted DS2's nails. A

.

My DS1 loves it when I wear bright nail polish he just takes my hand and stares. he is also fascinated when I put on make up.

My GD tends to come on when I hear about yet another person having a DD although a day doesn't go by when I dont think about the sex of our next baby - sometimes I do genuinely feel like I would like another boy though especially when I see pictures of 3 cute little boys some of the ladies on here have and I hate girls clothes I much prefer shopping for boys

[Mrs_P]

I know this going to sound really daft but when i heard kate and william were pregnant it made me feel like i stood even less chance at a dd, if someone like her, beautiful, pretty, stylish, sophisticated is in the running, what chance do i have? It also seems harder when women in my position get their dd, usually it gives me faith that it can happen but its rare (most hear boy) and since i've been in the running it feels like it lowers my chances, although i am happy for them - weird huh

ps whats metformin?

[My Three Sons]

Mine comes and goes as well. I think it's worse when I see a cute little girl, or see the pretty clothes or think about fixing their hair. But now after TTC unsuccessfully for a few months, I am just wanting to get pregnant. I do get my "fix" by some sweet snuggles with my 18 month old, so I think my GD would be worse if I didn't have a liitle one still around, kwim?

[Tiggerian]

ps whats metformin?

Pfft.. Kaity-smaity.. Luckily we don't get our children from the same pot, so of course you got a chance of a DD - as much as Kate does! Besides, she might have a very high protein diet, high vitamin too I'd assume. Plus they'd make sure she's got stable bloodsugar. All I think her diet is, is calorie controlled to prevent unsightly weightgains.

Metformin is a drug used in diabetes and PCOS to stabilise bloodsugar. If I don't take mine I gain weight uncontrollable despite sticking to a calorie limit (i.e. 1700 kcal).

[juffertje2]

Hey ladies. I'm not new, I've been writing in the Dutch corner for 2 years already. But still I'm searching for fellow mums to share my feelings with.
I'm à mum to 4 boys. Last one was my oeps-baby. 4 children and that feeling keeps on coming stronger every day.
Does it affect your daily lives aswell?

[hotdogz&boyz]

I would think its pretty normal for GD to come and go. It would hit me at weird times as well...often looking through old pictures of me and my dad. Or seeing my childhood dolls that I would never get to pass down to a daughter (so it felt). I also had that weird feeling that my chances were less with every person who announced or heard girl. I don't know what that is about, but it felt realistic to think that if my cousins had a bunch of girls, I would be the one announcing boy. Even though I know it has nothing to do at all with THEY have, it felt like it did.

(oh, my older DS loves nail polish as well. He is very much into fire trucks mostly...but also enjoys a good set of purple fingernails. Lol)

[KidAtHeart]

I've been trying to put it out of my mind until the gender scan (late January). So far it hasn't been too hard with the holidays keeping me super busy, and in a good way. I've been mentally telling myself it's a boy (though hoping for a girl!), so as to prepare myself. I dragged the kids to church the other day and I didn't pray for a girl, I prayed for an easier time dealing with GD if it was a boy. I did just get good results from the prescreening, so I'm very relieved on that front.

I'm really hoping that if this is boy #4, that I will accept it as God's plan. I'm actually not a very religious person, but I do put stock in things working out for the best and that there is a reason that I'm on this path. Whoever this child is, he/she really wanted to be part of this family and I hope that I can accept any disappointment quickly. I'm hoping also that since I dealt with bad gd with the last one, that at least I know what to expect. I felt so blind-sided by the birth of my third boy. I had never heard the term GD before and came across it quite by accident when searching online after he was born. Having words to express myself helps a lot.

With regards to your question, see if the GD is going away at times when you are naturally busy / active / happy with your situation / having fun with the kids. I'd say that has as much to do with it as hormones.

[spinningmadly]

Lol my boys love watching strawberry shortcake and brave. And also LOVE nail polish.
I have to say my gender desire was worse after my loss.
With number 3 I wanted to hear girl so badly but also felt deep down if I didn't hear it , there was a reason I was meant to have 3 boys. This time around it was bad, I was at the same time and still am very scared of just losing the baby regardless of gender, but I had felt completely robbed and I don't think I would have handled it well.

[trifecta]

I absolutely think there could be a hormonal basis for gender desire. When I was pregnant with boy #2 I didn't think about gender very much. When I found out he was a boy I was perfectly content. I got excited about decorating his room. I bought a really cute boy-mom diaper bag. This was it--our family was going to be two boys! I gave away my maternity clothes and most of my newborn things when he was six months old. Then BAM, my hormones started to return to normal after weaning and ever since I have felt there is a girl missing. Yes, I think it might be mother nature suckering me into continuing the species.

[Violet]

I don't think mine ever goes away. It's more like a sleeping giant. I don't think it is hormones but maybe just the ebb and flow of life?