InteliGender ad
Printed From: OHbaby!
Category: General Chat
Forum Name: General Chat
Forum Description: For mums, dads, parents-to-be, grandparents, friends -- you name it! And you name the topic you want to chat about!
URL: https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=30971
Printed Date: 01 October 2025 at 2:18am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.05 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: InteliGender ad
Posted By: Gardengirl
Subject: InteliGender ad
Date Posted: 15 January 2010 at 1:12pm
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So, OhBaby is currently running an ad for a product that claims to be able to tell you the gender of your unborn child as early as the 8th week of pregnancy.
(Maybe it's been there for ages and I only just saw it) I'm a bit surprised at this choice of advertiser......In fact I'm a bit surprised you can even buy this product here at all. I wondered what others thought. |
Replies:
Posted By: bext1
Date Posted: 15 January 2010 at 1:19pm
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I think some of the other mummies were interested in it, only from a finding out the sex early side of things. But it's pretty expensive, so doubt many people would really buy it.
It was considered controversial, but then there are always products like that. I don't have a problem with it myself, wouldn't buy it because I can wait for 20 weeks and just find out then. ------------- 
http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: babyg
Date Posted: 15 January 2010 at 1:21pm
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There obviously must be a market out there for it if they can afford to advertise it so I guess like any other business out there - good luck to them!
Wouldn't be my choice to find out by this method or so early and it clearly has some relevance to this site - not sure I agree its a good move to advertise a product like that but I'm painfully aware of how hard advertising can be to sell at times. Its not a product that's harming anyone (that I'm aware of) and I don't find it particularly offensive (though I completely understand why some would) so I guess my honest and personal opinion is that I'm not against the product or its advertisement here. Will be interesting to see others' comments tho. ------------- Ev, Mum to: Carys Ruby - 4 October 2007 Spencer James - 2 July 2010 |
Posted By: kebakat
Date Posted: 15 January 2010 at 1:24pm
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Doesn't bother me in the slightest. I'd be tempted with it.
Ohbaby have to have those kinds of adverts to stay viable. I just ignore most of the adds on these sites |
Posted By: Gardengirl
Date Posted: 15 January 2010 at 1:37pm
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I completely get that the site needs adverts. That's a given. i don't expect access to such a great site for free and expect it to somehow function without advertisers.
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Posted By: AzzaNZ
Date Posted: 15 January 2010 at 1:44pm
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I'd imagine its ok here? Probably less ok in China/India where certain genders are prized above others.
I'm happy to wait to find out the gender personally and wouldnt use the product unless it was 100% accurate. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
http://intermittentblogger.wordpress.com |
Posted By: Hopes
Date Posted: 15 January 2010 at 1:51pm
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Doesn't bother me. I'm not going to buy it (have better ways to spend that much money) but I don't mind it being advertised.
Like someone on the charting thread said, it's the Womama model in the header add that bothers me (not really at all... but who on earth waltzes round hanging up the washing in a bra? Do your shirt up, woman  )-------------   
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Posted By: Shezamumof3
Date Posted: 15 January 2010 at 2:02pm
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I didnt even notice lol, I dont read the ad's at all. ------------- |
Posted By: fattartsrock
Date Posted: 15 January 2010 at 2:33pm
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I think the woman looks like a man in drag....sorry if I've offended... ------------- The Honest Un PC Parent of 2, usually stuck in the naughty corner! :P |
Posted By: cuppatea
Date Posted: 15 January 2010 at 3:15pm
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I don't have an issue with it, I can see why some people may think it is wrong, but I don't think in our culture the test would be used for anything other than people with too much money being too impatient to wait until the 20 week scan to find out the sex of their baby. If I had lots of spare cash I would probably be tempted to use one, why not really, no worse than finding out at the 20 week scan.
I think the bra women looks like she is mid dance move rather than hanging out washing, she looks like she is clapping. And you're right fattartsrock she does look like a drag queen. ------------- 
 
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Posted By: cuppatea
Date Posted: 15 January 2010 at 3:16pm
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I'm actually surprised that more people aren't upset about the formula one instead. -------------
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Posted By: lilfatty
Date Posted: 15 January 2010 at 3:23pm
Isabelle likes the advert with the teddy bear, she does shout out BOOBIES when she sees the bra one. Neither her nor I have noticed the gender one 
The ad doesnt bother me in the slightest, although im pretty clueless as to why people would have a problem with it. And as people have stated, they need to pay the bills somehow.  ------------- Mummy to Issy (3) and Elias (18 months) I did it .. 41 kgs gone! From flab to fab in under a year  http://www.femininefitness.co.nz/category/blog - LFs weight blog
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Posted By: WRXnKids
Date Posted: 15 January 2010 at 3:27pm
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doesnt bother me i just see it as a bit of fun like the ring test and chinese calendars just a bit expensive for me tho. Some scan places will tell you at your nuctual scan now anyway if they can tell and you want to know so whats the harm in a few weeks earlier?
I think there was a thread about the formula ad ages ago although i dont understand why there could be controversy over it?? Its toddler formula which is advertised all over tv anyway. Personally i think formula for toddlers is a waste of money but some parents like to feel they are giving their children everything they need to be healthy in those toddler years when lets face it only a handful of children are still being breastfed. I would like to see advertising for Newborn Formula but i guess thats never going to happen since its so taboo and against what the authorities on these things think everyone should be doing. -------------   
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Posted By: GuestGuest
Date Posted: 15 January 2010 at 3:32pm
When this product first became available there were complaints from people because they thought that if a woman found out she was having the gender she didn't want she may terminate as it is within the number of weeks in which you are legally allowed to do so. I can't seriously believe anyone would actually do that though??!?? |
lilfatty wrote:Posted By: chonni
Date Posted: 15 January 2010 at 3:33pm
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the vid on the side of their website about the parents that found out they were having a boy. if you click on it, it takes you to youtube were you find out that they had a girl the test was wrong lol ------------- 
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Posted By: WRXnKids
Date Posted: 15 January 2010 at 3:35pm
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hahaha Classic!! Thats why you have to see it as an expensive bit of fun -------------
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Posted By: Gardengirl
Date Posted: 15 January 2010 at 5:09pm
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Fair enough. I guess I just saw the ad and was a bit startled. I think the percentage of people that would use it for the reasons stated by Littlesal is probably (hopefully) minute, but they are out there. The thing with talking about 'our culture' is that we are a very multicultural society these days and there may be mothers out there that could find themselves under some very unpleasant pressure if it was thought so very early on that they were having a girl. It's probably easy as a forum member to look around and think "but none of us think like that" but there are probably far more non-members clicking through the site than members.
I did see the forum about the formula ads. Personally I think information about infant formula should be more readily available to mothers so that they can make informed choices, but I wouldn't like to see it advertised/pushed, purely because the days when formula was seen as being superior to breast are not that far behind us. Thanks for everyone's comments
ETA: that is so true about the womama bra woman. A far more realistic representation may be seen at our house any day of the week - my DH is still teasing me after seeing me hanging our washing out clad in dressing gown and gum boots...... |
Posted By: weegee
Date Posted: 15 January 2010 at 5:25pm
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LOL cuppatea I started a thread a while back b!tching about the formula one I don't have an issue with the intelligender ad, mainly because I'm not a finder-outer - my only issue with it is how much it costs, and for the only person I know who's tried it, the test was wrong! ------------- 
Mum to JJ, 4 July 2008 & Addie, 28 July 2010 |
Posted By: cuppatea
Date Posted: 15 January 2010 at 6:44pm
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Must have missed that thread Weegee -------------
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Posted By: Red
Date Posted: 15 January 2010 at 7:26pm
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Doesn't bother me either, I would probably get one if it wasn't so expensive. ------------- http://lilypie.com">  http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: mummyofprinces
Date Posted: 15 January 2010 at 7:59pm
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Eh, advertising... There was something not so long ago that got everyone upset.. cant remember what it was but funnily enough I think i didnt like it either... long lasting impression it made on me LOL.
Effectiveness V Cost = Waste of money.... IMO -------------   
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Posted By: Katherine
Date Posted: 15 January 2010 at 8:44pm
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What interesting observations! I interviewed the NZ/Australia distributor for the magazine and there has been a great deal of controversy surrounding the test, but it seems to be confined mostly to New Zealand -- this is where the anti-abortion lobbyists had a field day when it was first released, anyway. The manufacturer, whom I believe is in the US, and the NZ/Aus distributor were really surprised as they hadn't had that kind of response anywhere before.
Actually, the product is not marketed or sold at all in either India or China, and when I asked him, the NZ/Aus distributor wouldn't be drawn at all as to why. I think the answer to that is fairly obvious. We made our marketing manager Juliette our Intelligender guinea pig and had her take one of the tests. The test said "girl", and when she had her 20-week scan, it also said "girl", so I'm going to reserve judgement until she pops in April of this year! I think for people who feel they absolutely HAVE to know, this product can help to quiet their wondering minds. Or for people whose babies wouldn't show their "bits" in the scan (like mine!) and still want to know... But it's not foolproof, and it's not 100% accurate. Neither is an ultrasound. The most basic difference between the two, if you are solely looking at finding out the gender of your unborn child, is that one is invasive and one is non-invasive, and one can be used earlier while the other one isn't able to be used until halfway through the pregnancy.
It's illegal to advertise infant formula, which is why you'll never see it advertised anywhere, and rarely written about in the media. I've got my own opinions about that too, but it's a whole 'nother topic! |
Posted By: Katherine
Date Posted: 15 January 2010 at 8:48pm
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I think another thing to remember is that if a woman *is* thinking about a gender-selective abortion, she's not going to be looking at the OHbaby! website anyway. She's going to be plugging whole different search terms into Google and our website won't be one of her search results. |
Posted By: pepsi
Date Posted: 15 January 2010 at 8:51pm
Feels like dejavu.. I remember a thread being started about the ad for plastic surgery too haha None of the ads bother me, heck I don't even notice them really. Except the Agent Oso one. I entered that competition
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Posted By: Katherine
Date Posted: 15 January 2010 at 8:57pm
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Pepsi, I am obsessed with Oso ever since I interviewed Sean Astin... I watch it just to listen to his cute voice! Yes, I am weird. LOL |
Posted By: Maya
Date Posted: 15 January 2010 at 9:01pm
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I must admit, I think Special Agent Oso is pretty cool too. But then I've always had a thing for pandas, and he's so cute in a bumbling kind of way... -------------  Maya Grace (28/02/03)
 (02/01/06)
The Gremlins:Sienna Marie & Mercedes Kailah (14/10/06)
Lil miss:Chiara Louise Chloe (09/07/08)
Her ladyship:Rosalia Sophie Anais (18/06/12)
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Posted By: pepsi
Date Posted: 15 January 2010 at 9:03pm
I didn't even know he did the voice until I read your article hehe |
Posted By: cuppatea
Date Posted: 15 January 2010 at 9:24pm
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That panda is definitely OH SO SPECIAL....lol.
Yeah the surgery one caused a bit of a disturbance on the board as well. -------------
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Posted By: palomino
Date Posted: 15 January 2010 at 10:02pm
| I really must pay more attention to the ads! |
Posted By: Treen
Date Posted: 15 January 2010 at 10:06pm
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Warning: if you suffer from PCOS it won't work – it defaults to boy. I was about to buy one from the US at 8 weeks when someone from this site actually pointed this out to me. After scouring their US site for quite some time, I found confirmation of this in the FAQs. Would've been a total waste of money for me and I was a bit peeved they hadn't made it more obvious. Hopefully they've corrected this on the NZ site. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: Babykatnz
Date Posted: 15 January 2010 at 10:11pm
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Wow... as a totally aside comment... I never realised it was illegal to advertise formula for NBs!! How on earth does the government expect mums to know what to do should BF simply not work for them? I was lucky in that I was pre-prepared from when my oldest did the same thing... but still...wow!
As for the test... I'm quite happy waiting it out for the anatomy scan... gives you something to look forward to to help mark off the calendar as pregnancy progresses ------------- Brandon - 05/12/2003  
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Posted By: caitlynsmygirl
Date Posted: 15 January 2010 at 10:46pm
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Special agent OSO is a Panda ?! ------------- 
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Posted By: MrsH23
Date Posted: 15 January 2010 at 10:56pm
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The ads don't bother me in the slightest, didn't realise that there was actually an ad for the gender test on here!
I'd give it a go for a bit of a laugh if it wasn't so expensive. I would think it may be a valuable tool for those that may have a heriditary gender-specific condition so they could find out the sex a bit earlier to better prepare themselves, of course that is assuming it read correctly in the first place. ------------- Lisa mummy to Ryan http://www.alterna-tickers.com"> 
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Posted By: Hopes
Date Posted: 15 January 2010 at 11:55pm
I know. I never even thought about this, until someone thought to let me know (after we found we were expecting Bubs) that some of the medical issues I've got tend to really stuff up milk production, and that I should at least prepare to have to bottle feed. And now I so notice it in everything I read - this huge spiel about how 'breast is best' and a teeny comment at the bottom about how 'in some cases, bottlefeeding can be a good second-best', with no other info at all. I mean, I'm going to do my best to breastfeed, but I've got to be realistic that it might not work - and d'ya think there's any information out there?! Sorry, rant over, I know that wasn't the topic of the board -------------
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Posted By: Katep
Date Posted: 16 January 2010 at 6:58am
Illegal to advertice NB formula, but we can still advertise beer on TV? Doesn't make sense to me. It is like putting formula and cigarettes in the same boat. 
It is nice to have something to look forward to at 20 weeks, like said, marks the half way mark. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
Mum to the Gorgeous Leah! 7 months |
Posted By: cuppatea
Date Posted: 16 January 2010 at 7:20am
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I have a book that has quite a bit on bottle feeding and how to prepare bottles safely etc. It's really not that hard though, their are instructions on formula tins and then you just need a way to sterilise, boiling bottles for 5 mins does that job.
There is a huge huge huge difference between providing info on formula feeding (which does seem to be lacking) to allowing huge corporations to bombard us with ads about it. Look at the toddler ones and the crap they come out with in those ads, I dread to think what they would tell women about newborn formula and there is no way the government funded breast is best campaign could compete with corporate advertising. -------------
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Posted By: Katep
Date Posted: 16 January 2010 at 7:39am
Wow I had no idea the tins told you how to prepare bottles., Thank you. ------------- http://lilypie.com">
Mum to the Gorgeous Leah! 7 months |
Posted By: Hopes
Date Posted: 16 January 2010 at 8:52am
Yea... I can see that. With a bit of money, it would be very easy for them to make it sound like bottle-feeding is the 'best' option for baby, and it would be a real pity to trick gullible people who would have been perfectly happy and able to breastfeed into spending gazillions on formula. At the same time, I think we've gone a bit far the other way, with all the adds on TV and everything it feels a bit like bottle-feeding is a social crime. -------------
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Posted By: pepsi
Date Posted: 16 January 2010 at 9:41am
"He's Special Agent Oso...the unique stuffed bear..." Hmm..no info about being a panda in the song, but I guess if he's a unique stuffed bear, his colour schemes don't have to be true to reality 
Also, despite the colours, I think he looks more like a red panda. |
Posted By: WRXnKids
Date Posted: 16 January 2010 at 9:54am
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Thanks Katherine i thought i was illegal but wasnt totally sure so didnt want to come out and say it incase i was wrong. I dont see why they cant just control how it is advertised rather than ban it altogether which just ads to making it more taboo for those that have to use it. I didnt have any problems finding out how to prepare or use formula which was helped by it being early on and my mw being very helpful but i did rely on my MW for what brand i used and in hindsight had i known there were more options i might have tried a couple to find a better one as i found out later that s-26 agreed better with Josh than Nutricia.
Sorry thread can go back to gender testing and agent OSO now -------------
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Posted By: myfullhouse
Date Posted: 16 January 2010 at 12:55pm
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The ad doesn't bother me but then I am happy to wait 40wks to know if I am having a boy or girl
Re forumla, isn't it the WHO that has banned formula advertising? Correct me if I am wrong but I think it was because quite some time ago it was advertised as the best way to feed your baby and therefore mums weren't even trying to bf they were going straight to FF. I am lucky that I have bf very easily but I can imagine that it would be very hard to find info if you needed/decided to FF ------------- Lindsey 
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Posted By: lizzle
Date Posted: 16 January 2010 at 5:52pm
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see, i would get one. mainly cause my DH doesnt want to find out the sex and I do...and this would be a sneaky way to find out....then again, I wouldn't be able to keep my big mouth shut.
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Posted By: fattartsrock
Date Posted: 16 January 2010 at 6:43pm
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Linzy you are correct, it is the World Health Organisation (WHO) that forbids advertising of infant formula. It isn't the government at all, however, that said, each countries government sets the age limit - in australia you can't advertise infant formula for under 12 months here its only under 6 months. Not too sure how much that has to do with the massive drop off in BF after 6 months, thats a whole other thread.
And it also isn't the DHB's or government that set the lack of information about FF either, once again that is the WHO. Sorry to say that will never change and will very likely get stricter in years to come for a number of reasons. If you ask your midwife tho, she does have to provide you with information, especially about preperation (sterlising, etc) and the companies themselves al lhave helplines. That said, she (as is every health prof you will come across in your baby journey) has to, is duty bound to tell you about the benefits of BF and the risks of FF, which I do understand can make you feel angry, upest and judged if you don't want to or can't BF. Unfortunately that is part of their job, and they aren't doing it to make you feel stink. Sort of like when you get admitted to hosptial and are telling your history 100 times over to 100 diff DR's they all ask you about smoking and tell you to give up, offer quit packs etc wtc. It's their job. But it feels worse. ------------- The Honest Un PC Parent of 2, usually stuck in the naughty corner! :P |
Posted By: fattartsrock
Date Posted: 16 January 2010 at 6:46pm
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oh and back on topic, I wouldn't waste my money, I like the surprise, however if you want to spend your cash on it, then go for it.
And none of the ads bother me, except the karicare ones, but thats my beef with the formula compaines preying on mums insecurities about their own bodies ability to produce quality or ther abilityt o feed their children well full stop, not about FF at all. ------------- The Honest Un PC Parent of 2, usually stuck in the naughty corner! :P |
Posted By: Rachael21
Date Posted: 16 January 2010 at 9:29pm
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Meh no problem with the ad if I was a millionaire I'd buy one.
Can't stand special agent Oso that freaking song is always stuck in my head |
Posted By: jazzy
Date Posted: 17 January 2010 at 9:48am
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I don't have a problem with the add, I don't pay much attention to adds anyway.
I would buy it & give it ago, but only way for accuracy is a scan or amnio, so would do it for a bit of fun.
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Posted By: Aprilfools
Date Posted: 17 January 2010 at 5:03pm
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I don't ahve a problem with the ad.
We'll be getting one for a bit of fun. Will probably wait until closer to our scan time though otherwise it'll drive me batty wondering if it's right or not. There is actually a chemical you can buy yourself and when you mix it with urine it supposedly changes colour depending on the sex you're having. Can't remember what it's called off the top of my head. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: minik8e
Date Posted: 17 January 2010 at 5:08pm
| Total threadjack but OMG Aprilfools....congrats!!! |
Posted By: jazzy
Date Posted: 17 January 2010 at 6:04pm
yay congrats, so let us know if you do try one
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Posted By: Aprilfools
Date Posted: 17 January 2010 at 9:10pm
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Thanks
Yep Jazzy will let you know. ------------- http://lilypie.com">
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