quick clicks

preconception articles

preconception q&a

community & groups

research baby names

prepare a birth plan

content channels

ip channel rss feeds

read birth stories

read parenting stories

recommended books

e-newsletters

safety recalls

ip diaries

ip store

mom of the month

dad of the month

editor's letter

letters to the editor

The Boy-Girl Baby Blues

Is a Sex Preference Normal?

By Lisa A. Goldstein

The Thays are preparing by imagining the baby as a boy or girl. They've come up with names they like for both. They've tried to imagine the moment of finding out and have placed a heavier emphasis on the good aspects – such as sharing a room, sister stuff, etc. – of another girl. This way, if it's a boy, they'll be pleasantly surprised. They're also focusing more on the health of the baby, so that sex doesn't override other aspects of the ultrasound, where they'll find out the sex.

"We have agreed that it's OK to feel disappointed, but it's not a disappointment about the baby, just about the dreams we have of raising a son," says Thays. "We've tried to separate those feelings a bit. That will help us to still be excited about the baby if it's another girl."

Parents who have a sex preference may feel like it's wrong. However, "Sex preference is more the rule than the exception, no matter what parents say," says Joshua Coleman, a San Francisco author and psychologist specializing in family issues. He says sex preference is only a problem in situations where the preference is so strong that the child gets neglected or devalued. This is a real problem in families or cultures where sons are strongly preferred.

Want to see more?

• Low-tech Ways to Choose Your Baby's Gender: Using the Shettles Method or Whelan Method to Conceive a Boy or Girl
• Assisted Sex Selection: Proven Ways to Choose Your Baby's Gender
• Boy or Girl: Should You Choose the Sex of Your Child?
• Join the discussion on our Family.com community!
• Gender Prediction Kits: The Pros and Cons of Gender Prediction Kits

Post As:
Enter your comment below:
Title
Comment Text
CAPTCHA
Please note that any comments submitted become the property of Disney Family / iParenting and can be edited and posted at our discrection.