23andMe

I finally bit the bullet, saved up my pennies, and purchased an item that's been on my wish list for the past year — a DNA Testing Kit from 23andMe.

This innovative contraption made it onto our February Must Haves list, but let me refresh your memory on the details of the test kit.

For $199 (down from their original price tag of $499), 23andMe mails you a kit, which includes detailed step-by-step instructions and the necessary materials. First, you create an online profile at the site and register your kit; then, you just need to spit in the provided tube, and mail it off to a fancy lab for analysis. From just a tiny saliva sample, using the latest DNA technology, scientists extract DNA from cheek cells in your saliva. From there, the DNA is copied multiple times so that it can be used in the genotyping step. Here's a more in-depth, scientific explanation on how the entire DNA analysis process works.

Here's what happens when you get your DNA results.

Part of the fun of making a baby is the surprise of it all. Expectant parents become giddy over the suspense — will it have his eyes or hers, be a boy or girl, have curly or straight hair? Some people find out the answers to the big questions around the 18-week ultrasound reveal while others keep it a mystery. For those who don't want to leave anything in question, there is the $399 23andMe genetic testing kit.

The simple spit test can reveal the genetic likelihood of hazel eyes versus blue or brown. For nearly that price, I think I'd want a portrait of the child. Oh wait, I already get some of those. I can think of a few better ways to spend that kind of dough and think the health benefits of the test (predicting diabetes, downs, etc.) would be discovered with traditional genetic testing, which is typically covered, at least partially, by one's insurance. To be fair, the test can tell someone details about the baby's ancestry which could be enlightening, interesting or even lifesaving. But to many, ignorance is bliss. Would you spend that kind of cash to determine your offspring's hypothetical genetic makeup or your own background?