Human reproduction

is any form of sexual reproduction resulting in the conception of a child, typically involving sexual intercourse between a man and a woman. During intercourse, the interaction between themale and female reproductive systems results in fertilization of the woman's ovum by the man's sperm, which after a gestation period is followed by childbirth. The fertilization of the ovum may nowadays be achieved by artificial insemination methods, which do not involve sexual intercourse.

The human male

The male reproductive system contains two main divisions: the testes where sperm are produced, and the penis. In humans, both of these organs are outside the abdominal cavity. Having the testes outside the abdomen facilitates temperature regulation of the sperm, which require specific temperatures to survive about 2-3 C less than the normal body temperature i.e. 37C. If the testicles remain too close to the body, it is likely that the increase in temperature will harm the spermatozoa formation, making conception more difficult. This is why the testes are carried in an external pouch viz. scrotum rather than within the abdomen; they normally remain slightly cooler than body temperature, facilitating sperm production.

The human female

The female reproductive system likewise contains two main divisions: the vagina and uterus, which act as the receptacle for semen, and the ovaries, which produce the female's ova. The vagina is attached to the uterus through the cervix, while the uterus is attached to the ovaries via the Fallopian tubes. At certain intervals, the ovaries release an ovum, which passes through the fallopian tube into the uterus. The fertilization of the ovum with the sperm occurs at the ampullary-isthimic junction only that is why not all the intercourses result in pregnancy. The ovum meets with Spermatozoon, a sperm may penetrate and merge with the egg, fertilizing it with the help of certain hydrolytic enzymes present in the acrosome . The fertilization usually occurs in the oviducts, but can happen in the uterus itself. The zygote then becomesimplanted in the wall of the uterus, where it begins the processes of embryogenesis and morphogenesis. When the fetus is developed enough to survive outside the womb, the cervix dilates and contractions of the uterus propel it through the birth canal, which is the vagina. The ova, which are the female sex cells, are much larger than the spermatozoon and are normally formed within the ovaries of the female fetus before its birth. They are mostly fixed in location with in the ovary until their transit to the uterus, and contain nutrients for the later zygote and embryo. Over a regular interval, in response to hormonal signals, a process of oogenesis matures one ovum which is released and sent down the Fallopian tube. If not fertilized, this egg is flushed out of the system through menstruation.

PROCESS
Human reproduction begins with sexual intercourse, followed by nine months of pregnancy before childbirth. Many years of parental care is required before a human child becomes independent.

Sexual intercourse
Human reproduction takes place as internal fertilization by sexual intercourse. During this process, the erect penis of the male is inserted into the female's vagina until the male ejaculates semen, which contains sperm. This process is also known as "coitus", "mating" or "having sex". The sperm travels through the vagina and cervix into the uterus or Fallopian tubes for fertilization of the ovum. Upon fertilization andimplantation, gestation of the fetus then occurs within the female's uterus.

Pregnancy
Pregnancy is the period of time during which the fetus develops, dividing via mitosis inside the female. During this time, the fetus receives all of its nutrition and oxygenated blood from the female, filtered through theplacenta, which is attached to the fetus' abdomen via an umbilical cord. This drain of nutrients can be quite taxing on the female, who is required to ingest slightly higher levels of calories. In addition, certainvitamins and other nutrients are required in greater quantities than normal, often creating abnormal eating habits. Gestation period is about 266 days in humans.

Birth
Once the fetus is sufficiently developed, chemical signals start the process of birth, which begins with the fetus squeezing through the vagina, and eventually out of the mother. The newborn, which is called an infantin humans, should typically begin respiration on its own shortly after birth. Not long after, the placenta is passed as well. The end of the umbilical cord attached to the child's abdomen eventually falls off on its own.The mid-wife or nurse assisting the birth will usually detach the mother from the baby using a clamp, then cutting it off.

Parental care
Human babies are nearly helpless and require high levels of parental care for many years. One important type of parental care is nursing - feeding the baby milk from the mother's mammary glands in her breasts

Stages Development
About 1 month before conception : Almost all adult males produce thousands of spermatozoa (a.k.a. gamates or male germ cells) each second. Through a process callede "meiosis" the number of chromosomes in each spermatozoon produced is half the normal number -- 23 instead of 46. Some spermatozoon will have an X sex chromosome; others will have a Y sex chromosome. It would take about 500 of them lined up in a row to total 1 inch in length. They take a month or so to travel from a testicle, through a long tube called the "vas deferens," to reach a small reservoir inside the man's prostate gland. Here, semen (a mixture of spermatozoa and various fluids) is formed. Each spermatozoon contains human DNA, but only one complete set of chromosomes; normal cells have two. They certainly appear to be living organisms. As seen in a microscope, they seem to be moving energetically with the sole motivation of fusing with an ovum -- except that they don't have a mind, and thus cannot have any motivation. Most people consider them to be a form of human life, because they appear alive and contain human DNA. Some scientists define "life" so strictly that spermatozoon are not considered alive, because they cannot, by themselves, reproduce. Its movements are due to chemical reactions. Perhaps one day before conception: The woman ovulates and produces one mature ovum (a.k.a. gamate, egg cell, egg). As for the spermatozoa. it also carries a "half cargo" of human DNA -- again only 23 chromosomses, one of which is always a X sex chromosome. It travels down one of her fallopian tubes towards her uterus. It is about 1/100" in diameter, and is barely visible to the naked eye. It also considered by most of the public to be a form of human life, for the above reasons. But it does not meet some scientists' strict definition of a living organism, because it lacks one factor: the ability by itself to reproduce. It can only reproduce with the assistance of a spermatozoon. Some of these scientists have described an ovum as an "inert globule of organic matter." If the woman has not ovulated, has unprotected sexual intercourse, wants to avoid a pregnancy, and takes an "morning after" pill, it will normally prevent ovulation. If ovulation has occurred, it will normally prevent conception. During the process of conception: One very lucky spermatozoon out of hundreds of millions ejaculated by the man may penetrate the outside layer of the ovum and fertilize it. This happens typically in the upper third of one of the woman's Fallopian tubes. The surface of the ovum changes its electrical characteristics and normally prevents additional sperm from entering. A genetically unique entity is formed shortly thereafter, called a zygote. This is commonly referred to as a "fertilized ovum." However that term is not really valid because the ovum ceases to exist after the completion of conception. Writers often refer to the "moment of conception" or "instant of conception." Actually, this is a process that extends over time. Half of the zygote's 46 chromosomes come from the egg's 23 chromosomes and the other half from the spermatozoon's 23. The result is a unique DNA structure, different from both that of the ovum and the spermatozoon. Thus, the resulting newborn will contain a different DNA from its birth mother, and birth father, and from its siblings. These differences may give the child a reproductive advantage or disadvantage over other children in society. It is this factor that Charles Darwin made the driving force of his theory of evolution. The zygote "...is biologically alive. It fulfills the four criteria needed to establish biological life: 1. 2. 3. 4. metabolism, growth, reaction to stimuli, and reproduction." 1

It can reproduce itself through twinning at any time up to about 14 days after conception; this is how identical twins are caused. The zygote will contain an X sex chromosome donated from the egg and either an X or Y sex chromosome coming from the spermatozoon. If it ends up with XX chromosomes, the xygote is female; if XY, it is male. In this way, the sex of a zygote, embryo, fetus and child is determined by the birth father's permatozoa. Unfortunately, in the past, women were often blamed for producing new or no male children. In some cultures, particularly those where women are devalued, they are still unjustly blamed. Conception is the point when the vast majority of pro-life groups and conservative Christians define as the beginning of pregnancy. 8 Most of these groups also define the start of a human person as occurring at conception. The zygote first divides into two identical cells, called blastomeres. They continue to subdivide once every 12 to 20 hours as the zygote slowly passes down the fallopian tubes. It develops into a morulla and blastocyst. The medical definition of the start of pregnancy is about 10 days after conception, when the blastocyst implantats itself in the inner wall of the uterus. Many religious groups, Christian and others, believe that God implants a soul in the zygote during the conception process or later. Various faith groups define the soul as containing various combinations of a human's mind, will, emotions, memories, etc. Some groups regard the implantation of the soul as the defining event that changes human life into a human person. Most religious progressives and secularists note that a soul with these functions cannot exist until about the 26th week of pregnancy after the fetus becomes sentient. its higher brain functions first appear, and it becomes aware of its environment; most doubt the existence of the soul, and note that it is weightless, invisible, and undetectable by any means known to science.

About 3 days after conception: The zygote now consists of 16 cells and is called a 16 cell morula (a.k.a. pre-embryo). It has normally reached the junction of the fallopian tube and the uterus. 5 days or so after conception: A cavity appears in the center of the morula. The grouping of cells are now called a blastocyst. It has an inner group of cells which will become the fetus and later the newborn; it has an outer shell of cells which will "become the membranes that nourish and protect the inner group of cells." 3 It has traveled down the fallopian tubes and has started to attach itself to the endometrium, the inside wall of the uterus (a.k.a. womb). The cells in the inside of the blastocyst, called the embryoblast, start forming the embryo. The outer cells, called the trophoblast, start to form the placenta. It continues to be referred to as a pre-embryo. 2 9 or 10 days after conception: The blastocyst has fully attached itself to endometrium. Primitive placental blood circulation has begun. This blastocyst has become one of the lucky ones. The vast majority of ova are never fertilized and make it this far in the process. If the woman has taken a "morning after" pill, and it has not prevented ovulation, and it has not prevented conception, then it will generally prevent the blastocyst from attaching to the wall of the womb. 12 days or so after conception: The blastocyst has started to produce hormones which can be detected in the woman's urine. This is is the event that all (or almost) all pro-choice groups and almost all physicians (who are not conservative Christians) define to be the start of pregnancy. If instructions are followed exactly, a home-pregnancy test may reliably detect pregnancy at this point, or shortly thereafter.

13 or 14 days after conception: A "primitive streak" appears. It will later develop into the fetus' central nervous system. This is the point at which spontaneous division of the blastocyst -- an event that sometimes generates identical twins -- is not longer possible. The pre-embryo is now referred to as an embryo. It is a very small cluster of undifferentiated cells at this stage of development. 3 weeks: The embryo is now about 1/12" long, the size of a pencil point. It most closely resembles a worm - long and thin and with a segmented end. Its heart begins to beat about 18 to 21 days after conception. Before this time, the woman might have noticed that her menstrual period is late; she might suspect that she is pregnant and conduct a pregnancy test. About half of all pregnancies are unplanned. About half of unplanned pregnancies in the U.S. are terminated by an abortion. 4 weeks: The embryo is now about 1/5" long. It looks something like a tadpole. The structure that will develop into a head is visible, as is a noticeable tail. The embryo has structures like the gills of a fish in the area that will later develop into a throat. 5 weeks: Tiny arm and leg buds have formed. Hands with webs between the fingers have formed at the end of the arm buds. Fingerprints are detectable. The face "has a distinctly reptilian aspect." 1 "...the embryo still has a tail and cannot be distinguished from pig, rabbit, elephant, or chick embryo." 3 6 weeks: The embryo is about 1/2" long. The face has two eyes on each side of its head; the front of the face has"connected slits where the mouth and nose eventually will be." 1 7 weeks: The embryo has almost lost its tail. "The face is mammalian but somewhat pig-like." 1 Pain sensors appear. Many conservative Christians believe that the embryo can feel pain. However, the higher functions of the brain have yet to develop, and the pathways to transfer pain signals from the pain sensors to the brain are nto in place at this time. 2 months: The embryo's face resembles that of a primate but is not fully human in appearance. Some of the brain begins to form; this is the primitive "reptilian brain" that will function throughout life. The embryo will respond to prodding, although it has no consciousness at this stage of development. The brain's higher functions do not develop until much later in pregnancy when the fetus becomes sentient. 10 weeks: The embryo is now called a fetus. Its face looks human; its gender may be detectable via ultrasound.

13 weeks or 3 months: The fetus is about 3 inches long and weighs about an ounce. Fingernails and bones can be seen. Over 90% of all abortions are performed before this stage. 2,9 17 weeks or 3.9 months: It is 8" long and weighs about a half pound. The fetus' movements may begin to be felt. Its heartbeat can usually be detected. 22 weeks or 5 months: 12" long and weighing about a pound, the fetus has hair on its head. Its movements can be felt. An elective abortion is usually unavailable at this gestational age because of state and province medical society regulations, except under very unusual circumstances. Half-way through the 22nd week, the fetus' lungs may be developed to the point where it would have a miniscule chance to live on its own. State laws and medical association regulations generally outlaw almost all

abortions beyond 20 or 21 weeks gestation. "A baby born during the 22 week has a 14.8 percent chance of survival. And about half of these survivors are brain-damaged, either by lack of oxygen (from poor initial respiration) or too much oxygen (from the ventilator). Neonatologists predict that no baby nd will ever be viable before the 22 week, because before then the lungs are not fully formed. " 4 Of course, if someone develops an artificial womb, then this limit could change suddenly. Fetal survival rate:"Most babies at 22 weeks are not resuscitated because survival without major disability is so rare. A baby's chances for survival increases 3-4% per day between 23 and 24 weeks of gestation and about 2-3% per day between 24 and 26 weeks of gestation. After 26 weeks the rate of survival increases at a much slower rate because survival is high already ." 5 26 weeks or 6 months: The fetus 14" long and almost two pounds. The lungs' bronchioles develop. Interlinking of the brain's neurons begins. The higher functions of the fetal brain turn on for the first time. Some rudimentary brain waves indicating consciousness can be detected. The fetus will probably be able to feel pain for the first time. It has become conscious of its surroundings. The fetus has become a sentient human life for the first time. 7 months: 16" long and weighing about three pounds. Regular brain waves are detectable which are similar to those in adults. 8 months: 18" long and weighing about 5 pounds. 9 months: 20" long and with an average weight of 7 pounds, a full-term fetus' is typically born about this time.

nd

Chromosomal abnormalities
About 1 in 150 babies in the United States is born with a chromosomal abnormality (2). These abnormalities are caused by errors in the number or structure of chromosomes. Many children with a chromosomal abnormality have mental and/or physical birth defects. Some chromosomal abnormalities result in miscarriage or stillbirth. Understanding what chromosomes are may make it easier to understand the wide range of problems chromosomal abnormalities can cause.

What are chromosomes?

Chromosomes are tiny, string-like structures in cells of the body that contain the genes. Humans have about 20,000 to 25,000 genes that determine traits like eye and hair color; genes also direct the growth and development of every part of the body (4). Each person normally has 23 pairs of chromosomes, or 46 in all. We inherit one chromosome per pair from our mother and one from our father.

What causes chromosomal abnormalities?

Chromosomal abnormalities usually result from an error that occurs when an egg or sperm cell develops. It is not known why these errors occur. As far as we know, nothing that a parent does or doesnt do before or during pregnancy can cause a chromosomal abnormality in his or her child. Egg and sperm cells each contain 23 chromosomes. When they join together, they form a fertilized egg with 46 chromosomes. But sometimes something goes wrong before fertilization. An egg or sperm cell may divide incorrectly, resulting in an egg or sperm cell with too many or too few chromosomes. When this cell with the wrong number of chromosomes joins with a normal egg or sperm cell, the resulting embryo has a chromosomal abnormality. A common type of chromosomal abnormality is called a trisomy. This means that an individual has three copies of a specific chromosome, instead of two. For example, individuals with Down syndrome generally have three copies of chromosome 21 (though a small number of cases are caused by chromosomal rearrangements). In most cases, an embryo with the wrong number of chromosomes does not survive. In such cases, the pregnant woman has a miscarriage. This often happens very early in pregnancy, before a woman may realize shes pregnant. More than 50 percent of first-trimester miscarriages are caused by chromosomal abnormalities in the embryo (1). Other errors can occur before fertilization. These errors can alter the structure of one or more chromosomes. Individuals with structural chromosomal abnormalities usually have the normal number of chromosomes. However, small pieces of a chromosome (or chromosomes) may be deleted, duplicated, inverted, misplaced or exchanged with part of another chromosome. These structural rearrangements may have no effect on a person if all of the chromosome is there but just rearranged. In other cases, the rearrangements may result in pregnancy loss or birth defects. Errors in cell division can occur soon after fertilization. This can result in mosaicism, a condition in which an individual has cells with different genetic makeups. For example, individuals with the mosaic form of Turner syndrome are missing an X chromosome in some, but not all, of their cells. Some individuals with chromosomal mosaicism may be mildly affected, but the severity of the condition depends largely on the percentage of abnormal cells.

How are chromosomal abnormalities diagnosed?

Chromosomal abnormalities can be diagnosed before birth using prenatal tests [amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling (CVS)] or after birth using a blood test. Cells obtained from these tests are grown in the laboratory, and then their chromosomes are examined under a microscope. The lab makes a picture (karyotype) of all the persons chromosomes, arranged in order from largest to smallest. The karyotype shows the number, size and shape of the chromosomes and helps experts identify any abnormalities. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends that all pregnant women be offered a screening test for Down syndrome and certain other chromosomal abnormalities, regardless of the womans age (2). Screening may consist of a maternal blood test done in the first trimester (at 11 to 13 weeks of pregnancy) along with a special ultrasound of the back of the babys neck. It also can be a maternal blood test done in the second trimester (at 15 to 20 weeks). A screening test helps identify pregnancies that are at higher-than-average risk of these abnormalities. However, a screening test cannot diagnose Down syndrome or other chromosomal abnormalities. Providers offer women who have an abnormal screening test result amniocentesis or CVS to diagnose or rule out these disorders.

Sex-linked characteristic
The male is affect by the mutation because it only carries one copy of X (i.e. 1 gene copy) whereas female carry two X chromosome (i.e. 2 gene copy). If the non-mutated gene is dominant, there will be no problem in female carrying the mutated gene. If the mutated gene is dominant, then there is a problem for a female carrier. For the male, the only copy carried is the dominant gene, so the disease is present. In male, one copy of the gene is usually sufficient for functionnality. As far as I know, there is no example for what you describe but we can speculate. The question to ask is "What is responsible for the under-expression of the gene". Gene expression is control by specific promoters and/or inhibitors that bind to regulatory region upstream of the gene. If the promoter region of the unexpressed gene is deficient, then it is necessarily sex-linked. This more likely to cause a condition only related to one gene. First, there might be a defect with the promoter. If the promoter does not work, the gene will no be expressed. Assume that the promoter is on the X or Y chromosome, then there will be no difference between male and female because it is not sex link. If the promotor is sex link, then male represent a large percentage of the affected population. If the promotor or affected, then the disease condition will be related to several genes. You can also go to more complex example such as the promoter of inhibiter is not functional or the promotor region of an inhibiter is not functional. It will always depend on the location of the mutation. If it is on the X then it is sex-linked.

DOMINANT TRAITS
eye coloring vision brown eyes farsightedness normal vision normal vision normal vision dark hair non-red hair curly hair full head of hair widow's peak dimples unattached earlobes freckles broad lips

RECESSIVE TRAITS
grey, green, hazel, blue eyes normal vision nearsightedness night blindness color blindness* blonde, light, red hair red hair straight hair baldness* normal hairline no dimples attached earlobes no freckles thin lips

hair

facial features

appendages

extra digits fused digits short digits fingers lack 1 joint limb dwarfing clubbed thumb double-jointedness immunity to poison ivy normal pigmented skin normal blood clotting normal hearing normal hearing and speaking normal- no PKU

normal number normal digits normal digits normal joints normal proportion normal thumb normal joints susceptibility to poison ivy albinism hemophilia* congenital deafness deaf mutism phenylketonuria (PKU)

other

Stages of Human Development

1. Conception 2. Zygote (first through third day). 3. Blastocyst (second day through second week) a. By the end of the 2nd week, implants itself in uterine wall ("nidation") 4. Embryo (third through eighth week) a. Occasional primitive heart contractions at 2 weeks; b. Heart pumps blood and ECG tracing looks normal by 4th to 5th week; c. Some brain activity by the end of the 6th week; d. Normal heart functioning after the end of the 7th week. 5. Fetus (9th week until birth) a. develops fingernails, vocal chords, taste buds, and salivary glands and begins to urinate (3rd month) b. "quickening" = spontaneous movement, between the 13th and 20th week (3rd, 4th or 5th month). c. develops hair and eyelashes (5th month) d. "viability" = fetus can survive outside the mother; occurs at approximately the 24th week. (By convention, "fetus" is sometimes used generically to refer to all the stages of pregnancy.) 6. Infant (birth until one year) a. Meltzoff research--rudimentary shape concepts b. self-motivated activity 7. Child (ages 1 year to 12 years) a. capacity to communicate b. presence of self-concepts and self-awareness c. reasoning (developed capacity to solve new and relatively complex problems) d. morally responsible

Dominance and Recessiveness of Genes

An allele is a member that makes up a gene pair. Different alleles of the same gene can have different levels of phenotypic expression (outward appearance). Because genes are usually present in two copies (sex chromosomes being the exception in diploid organisms like humans), this difference in expression can be important to the phenotype of the organism. Some alleles mask the effect of all other forms of the gene present. These alleles are said to be dominant. A dominant gene has the same effect when it is present as a single copy (heterozygous) as when it is present as two copies (homozygous). The allele not expressed in the heterozygous form is said to be recessive to the masking allele, the dominant allele. For example, with the pea plants studied by Austrian botanist Gregor Johann Mendel, the allele for tall plants was dominant to the allele for dwarf plants. When a gene is said to be dominant or recessive without any qualification, then it is assumed that effect is with reference to the wild type allele. People often refer to the characteristic without acknowledging that it is caused by an allele; this is implied. For example, one may state that, in humans, blue eyes are recessive to all other eye colors when what we actually mean is that the allele for blue eyes isrecessive to all other eye color alleles. An effect called co-dominance can also occur where there is a blending of the effects of the two alleles. Many genes for characteristics that are not for discrete states (e.g. presence versus absence) can be codominant. Examples of this include such characteristics as blood types with the ABO blood system. In certain instances, there is no dominance shown at all, and when two differing parental types cross there is simply an intermediate blending of the twoforms. For example, snap dragons with white flowers when mated with those with red flowers give progeny with pink flowers. There are also situations between dominance and no dominance, which are known as partial dominance. With these situations there is an intermediate form produced in the first generation, but it is markedly more similar to one of the parents than the other. For the effects of a recessive allele to be observable it has to be present in the homozygous form. In other words, there have to be two copies of the same allele present. Recessive alleles can be hidden in one generation but they may reappear in the next depending upon the breeding that has occurred. Just because theallele cannot be directly observed does not mean it is not present. Punnet squares can be used to calculate the frequency of different phenotypes and genotypes (genetic constitution) in particularbreeding experiments, and from observing the results of these the genetic makeup of the parental types can be inferred. It is also possible to perform crosses with a known genotype and then infer the unknown genotype from the resulting progeny.

Ways to Find Out if the baby is a boy or girl?

First of all, despite the fact that it seems like everyone is wanting to find out the sex of their baby before birth, the numbers are still about 50/50. So, if you are not interested in finding out don't be concerned. Ultrasound is probably the most common method of finding out the sex of your baby. This is generally done during the 20 -28 week range. If your practitioner schedules an ultrasound for this point on a routine basis your insurance may or may not cover this charge. Sometimes you will have to schedule an ultrasound specifically to find out your baby's sex. This can run you upwards of $300 and is generally not covered by ultrasound. Remember they can't always tell, they aren't always right, and sometimes their office policies are not to tell. Genetic testing is also used to determine the gender of your baby before birth. Because each of these also carries a risk to the baby and the pregnancy they are rarely used to solely find out the gender, but rather for a specific search for genetic information. The two most common would be the amniocentesis and the chorionic villus sampling (CVS). CVS can be a done between the 10-14th week, while amniocentesis is generally done after week 14. These tests are nearly 99% accurate in telling you the baby's sex. Old Wives tales. Yup, those old wives are at it again! This is harmless people claim it's fairly accurate, although it is meant to be for fun, if it's right that is an added bonus! This Boy or Girl Test can be a lot of fun! Chinese Lunar Calendars. This actually draws quite a bit of mail my direction, usually because you can find at least four different versions on the net. These are also for fun and I wouldn't place a lot of stock in them for accuracy. Based on the Mother's age at conception and the month conception took place you will be told the gender of your unborn (or preconceived) baby. Some people claim that the differences come from the fact that the Chinese consider a newborn baby one year of age. Some say that if you look at the fetal heart rate that you can predict the gender of your baby. The old saying is that above 140 is a girl and below is a boy. Have you heard the one about your belly size and shape? Check out our pregnant belly photos! Preplanning the Sex (Sex Selection) I thought I would give you a few links for preplanning the sex of your baby. After all, why leave anything up to chance! You can now try specifically for a boy or a girl. (Actually, there is about a 51% chance that everyone will have a boy! Older mothers are also more likely to have boys according to some recent studies.) o you've decided that you want to find out the sex of your baby before birth. This typically means that you will be able to find out via ultrasound or genetic testing. This usually means that a medical professional will give you the good news in their office. While it is always special to learn that your are expecting a girl or boy, I've got an idea to help make it a really special and memorable event. If you are having an ultrasound, bring a thick envelope. Have the ultrasound tech or doctor notify you to close your eyes or turn your head while they are seeing if your baby will cooperate. They can then write a note on the ultrasound screen that says girl or boy and print it out. It goes into the envelope and gets sealed. Your eyes are only away for a minute or two, but then you can take the envelope and do something special.

Go out to dinner, take a walk, just go home, but go somewhere alone. Consider talking about your feelings about girls and boys before even opening the envelope. Maybe you can discuss baby names. Or if you can't wait - just tear in... Finding out this special information alone can be really, really intimate. Doing it alone gives you the freedom to laugh, cry tears of joy, hug or kiss your partner, etc. This works really well if you can't be together during the actual ultrasound exam, but it can also work really well if you are together. Other alternatives are: Just carry the ultrasound around to torture people. Attempt to sell the envelope to the highest bidder at the baby shower. Save it until after the birth and see if they were right. My husband and I have done some of each of these. Though we tend to opt for the latter. There was something magical about passing that envelope on the refrigerator every day, knowing what it contained. But, we'd both signed the back to prevent peaking.

CHERRY JANE C. TORRES BSN-1A