Sweet surprise: Canonsburg couple wait until birth to learn baby’s gender
In today’s world, there are very few surprises.
But Jayna and Jacob Ronald got a sweet one.
The Canonsburg couple is among the minority of parents-to-be who actually forgo ultrasound results and wait until the birth of their baby to find out the gender.
And on May 3, the Ronalds welcomed a daughter, Margot Jayne, who was born at UPMC Washington.
Margot joins her brother, Roman, 2, just in time for Mother’s Day.
“We thought it could be fun to be surprised,” said Jayna, development coordinator for Washington Health System Foundation, which supports UPMC Washington and its programs and services. “It really was fun because all of our family and friends were anticipating finding out the gender as well, so it was a big surprise for all of them.”
Everyone had an opinion, some based on old wives’ tales.
A housekeeper at UPMC told her, “I bet you’re having another boy because you’re all belly,” while a friend’s mother tried the “ring on a string” test – supposedly, if the ring swings back-and-forth, it’s a girl; if it swings in a circular motion, it suggests a boy.
Jayna suspected she was having a boy because her pregnancy was similar to her first one.
“When my husband announced it was a girl, my first response was, “Are you sure it’s a girl?” said Jayna.
According to studies, about 60% to 70% of couples choose to find out their baby’s gender during routine ultrasounds, typically around 18 to 20 weeks. Parents can find out even earlier, through a blood test at around 10 weeks into the pregnancy.
The Ronalds held a gender reveal party when Roman was born.
But this time around, Jayna and Jacob, a registered nurse and administrator on duty at UPMC Washington, opted to wait to find out.
Most of the couple’s friends told them that they could never wait, Jayna said. Older family members and friends said they liked the idea of waiting, and reminded Jayna and Jacob that decades ago, couples didn’t have that option.
As for names, the couple had picked out a boy’s name and a girl’s name.
“But we threw around names while we were still at the hospital because I wanted to make sure that was her name,” said Jayna, who waited until immediately before she was discharged to write down Margot’s first and middle name on the birth certificate.
Initially, Margot was due to enter the world on Mother’s Day, but an ultrasound showed she likely would arrive sooner and set her due date for May 2. Margot made her grand entrance one day later.
The growing family will celebrate the occasion with a luncheon.