Preparing for Baby When You Don't Know the Gender

We did not find out the genders of our children until they were born.  With our first child, our midwife insisted it be a surprise.  It was fun to be surprised, so we decided to do that again with our second.  But that made preparing for baby a little more difficult.  If you or someone you know has decided not to learn the baby's gender, here are some tips on how to prepare for baby.

Think White.  This is really the only color I can stand to see both of my children wear (although I guess technically white is not a color).  Yellow looked decidedly unfeminine on my girl, and my boy didn't look very good in it either.  White onesies, short and long-sleeved, as well as white t-shirts are all useful.  Also, white towels, crib sheets, and blankets all look very fresh and can go with pretty much any color scheme.

Stock up on diapers and other practical items.  There are lots of lists out there that tell you what to buy.  Stuff like medicines, baby wipes, shampoo, etc.  I know there is a list in Pregnancy, Childbirth, and the Newborn (and it's also a great book anyway!) 

Find a diaper bag that doesn't look like a diaper bag.  Just because you are a mom doesn't mean you have to lose all sense of style!  I use a cheetah print diaper bag.  It does have a pink lining, but nobody sees that.  My cousin carried a large purse that was white with black handles, and it looked very chic.  She was able to stuff a couple of diapers in there for her toddler along with her wallet, sunglasses, etc.

Baby Carriers.  There are plenty of beautiful ones out there that don't scream "boy" or "girl".  Check out the Ergo website.   

When it comes to baby gear, alot of what's out there is suitable for both boys and girls.  As I've done my shopping, I've kept in mind that it needs to work for both genders.  This is practical even if you do find out the sex of the baby, since you never know what the next one will be!  I've used the same infant car seat for two kids now.  It's brown and green, but it's a pretty pattern that works for either sex.  I chose gray for our convertible car seat.  Our playpen is black.  Our high chair is animal print.  Our jogging stroller is bright red.  You get the picture. 

If you end up buying a blue stroller and you have a girl, that's okay too.  You don't have to have all pink for your girls and all blue for your boys (although my little girl wears pink every day).  Just please don't dress your baby boy in pink.  That's one color that is really not gender neutral for babies!

Did you find out the sex of your baby?

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