Choosing the sex of a baby

[kags]

What do you think about proposals to allow couples having IVF to choose the sex of their baby? Is it the thin end of the wedge, or should we embrace the science that allows us to do this?

[stevie21]

I don't have any major problem with allowing people to choose the sex of their kids as this is quite far removed from modifying genetics.
Some people may get comfortable with this though and think "well, we're already choosing the sex. It's not that different to choose eye colour, hair colour, personality etc."

[Dom Tuk]

While most Asians in the Uk are forward thinking and knowledgeable in this aspect, there is still a minority who would actively pursue sex selection in favour of producing male children. Before you tie me to a whipping post let me remind you that i am of asian descent and I fear the technology will be misused by a minority of the asian population. It is a fear and only time will tell but i am not comfortable with the idea.

[kick3m0n]

Dom Tuk...you are right.  I know for a fact there are health trusts in the UK that will not disclose the sex of a baby if it can be identified in a scan, as they have had cases of abortions involving asian (and some non-asian) women carrying female babies. 

I believe that if you can't leave it to chance, and love the baby, regardless of it's sex, then you are too selfish to have a child.  Babies should be loved for what they are, boy or girl, and you should be glad of the gift. 

[Zen]

Ok by me as long as they pay for what is involved out of their own pockets as opposed to using valuable National Health resources.

[Jooleebobs]

As someone who has had IVF twice I was just desperate for it to work full stop as I suspect are the majority of couples embarking on the long and extremely stressful road of IVF. If I'm honest and we had been given the choice at the time we probably would have opted (if that's the right word) for a girl as my husband already has two sons from a previous marriage, however once I discovered I was pregnant I wouldn't have cared if the baby had come out green with sky blue spots as long as it was healthy! In the end I had a son and there is a not a child in the world who is more loved and cherished than he.

Personally I do not think parents should be able to choose the sex unless there is a medical reason such as congenital health defects to one sex etc. As kick3m0n says it should be left to chance.

[Dark Angel]

Agree with the above. The sex of your baby should be left to chance. God/Nature should be the one to decide, not us human beings.

[Oneeyedvic]

My wife adopted her children (from previous marriage) - she chose sex, race and colourings.

Not sure this is relevant - just thought I would point out that you can already choose the sex of your baby!

[smudge]

Personally, I would prefer it to be left to Mother Nature.

[Hgrove]

I think if someone had, e.g., 4 sons, then I think they should be able to "choose" a girl, or viceversa.

[secretspirit]

I don't think they should be allowed to choose because nature keeps the balance by itself and it should stay that way. How do we know it wouldn't go from choosing the sex to choosing all sorts of other characteristics?

[IVFMUM]

i have 3 sons by ivf, due to the fact i cannot have children naturally. i would really like a daughter to complete my family, as i have ivf anyway i don't see why i shouldn't be able to select a daughter. if i conceived naturally i definately wouldn't choose to have ivf for a certain sex, but i think would have lots of fun with all the different sex selection methods, such as diet and the chinese lunar chart etc. as previously mentioned i cannot conceive without ivf so i dont' see the problem in selecting the sex i want!!