When I was pregnant with our first (and only, at this point) child, I discovered that with the conception of that child, I had been initiated into a Sisterhood of all those who have ever been pregnant. In some cases, that “Sisterhood” appeared to include their spouses, siblings, and children….

Because we never needed an ultrasound or an amniocentesis, we didn’t know whether I was carrying a boy or a girl until our daughter was born. To many of my peers, the concept of not having an ultrasound seemed downright uncivilized, but my ignorance throughout the pregnancy seemed to form an additional, special bond with the older mothers in the Sisterhood. To them, it was perfectly normal to not know the gender of an unborn child.

All of this set the stage for the one thing that made me chuckle, through the entirety of those forty-one weeks, more than any other one thing: Despite the utter lack of a single shred of scientific evidence, almost everyone “knew” the gender of our baby, as early as anyone knew that said little person existed.

What cracked me up more thoroughly than anyone’s confidence was when I got the following two comments, both in the same day:

You’ve had an easy pregnancy? You must be carrying a girl.

and shortly thereafter…

Have you had an easy pregnancy? Then you definitely have a boy!

Amazing…. Funny thing is, I knew I was carrying only one baby.

After our baby was born, I discovered a handy-dandy little tool that is supposed to tell you the gender of your unborn baby, based on the mother’s age and the date of conception. I tried it, after the fact, just to see how accurate it was. Problem is, the explanation and chart that I used didn’t specify whether you’re to use the age of the mother at the point of conception or at the birth of the baby. Those two different ages, in my case, changed the gender of the baby, so I’m still not sure if it works or not.

Granted, there was one prediction (from my father) made on the basis of some abstract facts, but the rest were all based on my pregnant shape and size, my intestinal functioning, my sleep habits, etc. It was amazing to hear the confidence in the voices issuing from sober faces of people I know to be otherwise intelligent, but every old wives’ tale seemed to have some representation in my circle of family, colleagues, and church family (not to mention the lady at the grocery store, who even predicted weight and length). Even the spinning pin turned up in conversation, somewhere along the line! Funny thing is, the vast majority, after our daughter was born, never mentioned their attempts at prophecy….

It all goes to show that everyone likes to be an authority, though some are bolder than others in expressing their opinions.

…By the way, Dad and the lady at the grocery store were right. They were two of the five.

If you live near Dayton, Ohio and think you may be pregnant, you may be asking yourself a lot of questions. How can I afford a baby? Will I be able to finish college? How am I going to tell my parents? What about the child I already have? What if I’m not emotionally ready to be a mom? What do I do now?

Facing an unplanned pregnancy can be very unsettling. You may be feeling alone, confused, and overwhelmed. The Women’s Center-Dayton can help. We offer free medical pregnancy tests and results that are provided immediately. If your test is positive, we will schedule you for an ultrasound scan, often on the same day. You will also meet with one of our trained consultants who will sit down with you to help you assess your situation and explore all of your options: parenting, abortion, and adoption; so that you can make the best decision for you. The decision is yours – there’s no pressure. You may bring your partner, your parents, or someone else if you wish. However, everything will remain confidential.

What you may not have considered is that about 25% of pregnancies end naturally in miscarriage. That’s why it’s so important to have an ultrasound. Clients who receive a free ultrasound are amazed at the information the scan provides. Is the pregnancy a tubal pregnancy? Is the baby developing normally? What would your due date be? If you know the date of your last menstrual period, we can provide a really good estimate of how far along you are. And if you’re considering abortion, knowing how far along you are is really important. Sometimes the method of abortion depends on how far along you are. Are you a candidate for the morning after pill or RU-486? It’s good to know all about any medical procedures and the medical staff at Women’s Center-Dayton are here to help you sort out your options.

What kind of girls/women come to our center for services? We see all ages, all races, all economic statuses, etc. There is no one type of person who seeks out our services. We are a respected leader in the Ohio Miami Valley region, recognized for the caliber of medical services we offer. And best of all, we make no profit from your decision, so we’re not selling you anything.

The Women’s Center-Dayton is located on 359 Forest Ave, Suite 105. We hope you will call us 24/7 to schedule an appointment at 937-228-2222. Online appointments may be made through our website at www.womenscenterohio.com. Walk-ins are always welcome. You will find a friendly face when you walk in our center. Most of our all-female staff have been where you are and that’s why we’re so good at what we do. We listen, we care, we can help.