Gender disappointment plagues some mamas

We've looked at the issue of baby gender disappointment here at Pregnancy & Baby before. Having wanted a girl then finding out I was having a boy, I went through this experience and I'm not the only one. I've met plenty of mamas who admit they wanted a specific gender and ended up with another.

Recently the issue of gender disappointment made big time news when msnbc posted It’s a boy? Disappointment plagues some moms. The piece takes an in-depth look at what it's like for mamas who don't get the baby gender of choice, and experts say it's a very real issue for many women that can cause depression, withdrawal from the baby, and cause problems with the bonding process. According to the piece at msnbc, gender disappointment is not really something that's discussed because other people would perceive the disappointment as being ungrateful. That's exactly what I did too, so I can relate. One psychiatric nurse interviewed notes that, "The problem mainly involves women who wanted a daughter." Important points in the article include...

• Just because a woman has a gender preference does not mean she is a bad mother or that she doesn't want the child.
• Women have the right to want the certain sex.
• It's perfectly normal to want a specific gender and equally as normal to feel badly when you get the other gender.
• Women who are seriously invested in the idea of a specific gender should find out the gender of the baby during the pregnancy so they can deal with any disappointment before the birth.
• Women should find someone to talk with about their feeling and if the woman is depressed, she should talk to a therapist.

Read the entire piece - It’s a boy? Disappointment plagues some moms.