Eva Bradley: Never mind science - we're having a surprise

People have strong opinions on whether to find out the sex of your baby. Photo/Thinkstock

Boy oh boy, we all know people love talking about sex, but who knew the topic could also prompt so many passionate views and political rants?

And I don't mean sex of the "should we/shouldn't we" or "how-often-and-in-what-position" variety. Back the bus right up. I'm talking about sex in its earliest application to human life - sex as in are we having a boy or a girl?

In the few months since we've been telling friends, family and more recently a handful of weekend papers that we are expecting a baby, I have lost count of how many times I've been asked if we'll find out the sex of the baby.

Today at 4pm we will have that opportunity and quite frankly, the best part about the moment finally arriving is that from 4.05pm people will (hopefully) stop having opinions on this topic.

If you're one of the few who haven't yet asked, the answer is no we're not finding out.

To my surprise in recent months I have learnt that this polarising announcement will either have people patting me on the back like I just invented the cure for cancer or utterly flummoxed about why on earth we would not want to know.

It turns out that when it comes to finding out the baby's gender, I may be the only fence sitter in living memory.

Until recently I have never given much thought to pros, cons, whys and why-nots of this particular topic. If I'd ever given pause long enough to truly dwell on it, I'd have come to the simple conclusion that it doesn't really matter either way.

With only hours to go until decision time, my view is still the same.

And since Baby Daddy wants a surprise, so it shall be.

As far as I'm concerned, I'm having a baby. What more is there to know?

In fact, in some ways given the obsession with gender, it almost feels like a little gift both to myself and the little bump to have a few more months of liberty from the inevitable typecasting that comes the moment a baby's gender is revealed.

Although we'd all like to think of ourselves as human first and male or female second, such is the difference in the physical plumbing, mental wiring and social conditioning of our genders it makes sense to resist being put in the box as long as possible.

I'm going to have a boy or a girl for the rest of my life. Forgive me if, for a few short months more, I'd just like to have a baby.

If that means neutrals in the nursery, that's hardly a matter of national security. I don't think our baby will develop any gender confusion from staring at a mobile coloured lemon and green instead of blue or pink.

In fact it may even be exactly what's needed to provide some balance in a world where one is locked into rigid gender stereotypes from birth (or even from 20 weeks), and forced from that point on to fit the mould.

I'm just looking forward to seeing 10 tiny fingers and 10 matching toes. If there is an 11th small appendage to be seen on the ultrasound screen, I just hope I'm looking the other way.

Eva Bradley is an award- winning columnist.