SALT LAKE CITY 𔄤 Boy or girl? It's the first question parents wonder about when they learn they're going to have a baby. For most the answer comes as the routine 20-week ultrasound, but there's a growing number who don't want to find out.

Author Brenda Stanley recently explored the phenomenon with expectant parents and ultrasound technicians in an article for FamilyNews.com.

Lee and Kalli Anderson, who are expecting their first child, said they decided long before Kalli became pregnant that they wanted to keep it a surprise.

"Most people just can't figure out how we have the patience to wait when the option is there to know," Kalli told Stanley. "They want to know how we are decorating the nursery, what we are going to do for our baby shower, and how we are purchasing any clothes."

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On About.com's Pregnancy and Childbirth section, author Robin Elise Weiss outlines the following five reasons many parents cite as to why they want their baby's gender to be a surprise:

1. It helps "prevent sexual stereotyping or gender bias"
2. The sex of your child is "life's last great mystery"
3. Not knowing the gender makes labor more exciting
4. Ultrasound technicians don't always get it right
5. There is no medical need for an ultrasound. If waiting until the birth to find out the sex of a baby is too long for some parents, many keeping the information classified until family and friends can gather for an "announcement party.""I've had people ask me to put the gender in a sealed envelope, and then they will give it to a baker. And then at the party, the inside of the cake will either be blue or pink," ultrasound technologist April Nelson told Stanley.

But for those who do wait, it's important to remember there will be some "hurdles" to clear on the way to a surprise birth. On Oprah.com, author Friz Lenneman shared some of the difficulties he and his wife had with not knowing whether their bundle of joy would be wrapped in a pink or blue blanket.

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The first hurdle, he writes, was ensuring he and his wife didn't "accidentally find out" during the ultrasound. But once that was assured, they had to gear up for dealing with frustrated family members and friends.

"I suspect they wanted to know the sex for one very simple reason: shopping," Lenneman writes. "You can get newborn clothes in any color you want, as long as it's blue or pink."

But when the blessed day finally arrived, both parents were ecstatic to learn the old-fashioned way that they were the parents of a beautiful baby boy.

Whatever you decide, and whatever method you use to make the announcement, Stanley points out there are some things that never change: "The mystery and miracle of birth will always remain."

Jordan is the senior content manager for ksl.com. She also manages and writes for the site's Motherhood Matters section, which is devoted to keeping mothers updated on the latest parenting news and tips.

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