Parents Open Up About Their Gender Disappointment Stories

Every parent hopes that their child is happy and healthy, but most also hope for just a little something more. Many already have a preconceived idea as to whether they want a boy or a girl.

More often than not, the opposite of what they intended winds up happening. So in an effort to help calm the stigma, parents have begun to open up about their gender disappointment stories.

1. Pregnancy can be a lot like Murphy's Law.

Unsplash | Aditya Romansa

Mainly, anything that can go wrong will go wrong. That's precisely how MrSnowflake2 felt when she was given the news that her unborn child was a girl.

Ironically, now that she's pregnant again, she's hoping for a boy!

2. Personal childhood trauma often influences our opinions.

Unsplash | Jimmy Dean

Redditor itsmefakenamehere says,

"I went through (am going through still somewhat) the exact same thing. From worrying about passing down body-issues[sic] to fear for her being bullied or whatnot when she's older...I definitely felt more comfortable having a boy."

3. Sometimes our own parents play a part.

Reddit user Definitely-a-bot writes, "My own relationship with my mother was complicated and I just felt more confident in my ability to parent a boy. Soooo of course we're having a girl."

4. It helps to talk about it.

Unsplash | Priscilla Du Preez

When pilates_mama learned that she was having a boy, she was ashamed at her own disappointment.

It compelled her to seek out others who felt the same and try and learn from their [stories and experiences.

5. When fake it till you make it doesn't work.

Unsplash | Lesly Juarez

No matter how hard dedicednu tries, she can't get over her disdain for girl clothes:

"I hate looking at girl clothes and trying to fake the "aww!" when someone holds up some frilly pink thing. I'm still struggling with dosapontment[sic], especially since my husband is super excited to buy all things pink."

6. If you don't have anything supportive to say, don't say anything at all.

When MundaneButterfly decided to announce her baby's gender to her colleagues, she was already feeling upset over the news she was having a boy.

The last thing she needed at that moment was to hear her co-worker exclaim "damn!"

7. The fear of passing along an ailment to a child.

Unsplash | Adrian Swancar

Eloquence 224 explains, "I have been terrified that we might be having a girl since I found out we were pregnant. On top of that[sic] I suffer from a disease that mostly affects women - so I am praying I don't pass that along genetically."

8. Environmental beliefs may prevent this mom from ever having a daughter.

Many parents are incredibly conscious of their carbon footprint.

This mother says that she feels it irresponsible to have more than one child, and since her first was a boy — she'll never get to experience having a daughter.

9. Do you try for a third or cut your losses?

Unsplash | Austin Pacheco

Many parents are forced to come to terms with this question when they have two children of the same gender.

Redditor slothsandmoresloths wasn't sure if she should keep trying, especially since the odds for a boy were over 50%.

10. The right partner can make all the difference.

Unsplash | Kelly Sikkema

Reddit user pashminamina writes, "I'm so scared of having a boy because I know NOTHING about boys. But I know that if I'm going to raise a boy, at least I have the best partner in the world to do it."

11. Conflicting information can be cruel.

After Redditor jennnnnnnnnn 's DNA test said that she was having a girl — she couldn't be happier.

You can imagine her heartache when the anatomy test very clearly showed that she was having a boy.

12. Try not to set yourself up for disappointment.

Unsplash | Camylla Battani

"We find out in another 6 weeks or so and I'm going to go crazy waiting," said Redditor ModAnnDIL.

"I just want to be able to imagine my family. And if I'm honest I'm already imagining it with two girls and I'm desperately afraid that vision is going to have to disappear."

13. You never know until you know.

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Redditor PenguinWithKnees convinced herself she wanted a boy.

"When we found out at 24 weeks, we were SHOCKED. We had been so sure it was a boy!! I was very disappointed but I didn't want my husband to know so I pretended to be over the moon while inside I was grieving a little."

14. What if they aren't like me?

Unsplash | Nik Shuliahin

It's a question that many parents ask themselves in their darkest moments.

But as phixlet came to realize, knowing from the start that her son would be different from her helped shape and prepare her for what was to come.

15. Sometimes parents need some time to warm up to the idea.

Reddit user wivsta admits that "We found out at our 12 week[sic] scan that we're having a girl. Husband was so upset - he did not say a word for 2 hours. He's come around, and is always talking to his "little princess" in my tummy."

16. Khloe Kardashian couldn't believe the news that she was having a girl.

When Khloe found out about the sex of her baby, she couldn't hide her disappointment — it just felt as if she was having a boy.

Her sister Kim tried to comfort her by explaining that she too cried after learning that North was going to be a girl.

17. Brian Austin Green felt conflicted over trying to have another child.

Brian told the Hollywood Pipeline that he desperately wanted a girl, but was afraid to try again. "I’m worried that if I try, I’ll just get another boy. Not just, because I love my boys, but I’ll have another boy ... and I don’t know if I’m ready for five.”

18. Alexa PenaVega felt her daughter disappear from within her.

She explained to Fit Pregnancy that “We were so convinced that we were having a girl that we picked out a name and called the baby that. Big mistake."

Naming her unborn daughter made everything that much harder.

"I’d focused on what I thought was a little girl in my tummy, and when the doctor told us it was a boy, I felt a little crushed, like she just disappeared.”

Not long ago, Alex recently gave birth to her third child. After years of waiting patiently, she finally got the daughter she'd always dreamed of.

19. Ashley James was sick of men.

Ashley said that at the time she was pregnant, she had a very strong distaste for men. Being single and having her heart broken on more than one occasion caused her to keep her guard up.

20. Rob Kardashian wanted the same relationship he had with his father.

Rob Kardashian found out he was having a girl during an episode of Rob and Chyna. “It’s an emotional moment," he said. "Me wanting to have a boy, it definitely stems from my dad. But I’m sure I’ll have the same relationship that I had with my father with my daughter.”

21. Snooki desperately hoped that her first child would be a girl.

As she explained during an interview with In Touch magazine, she hoped for a girl because all women (according to Snooki) secretly hope for girls.

When she learned she was having a boy, she admitted to feeling sad and let down.

22. Britney Spears once admitted that she feels alone without a daughter.

The pop icon once said that she hoped her future daughter would be just like her; a mini Britney clone.

Britney said that she often feels alone in the world and that having a baby girl would help diminish those feelings.

23. Sometimes, allowing yourself to hope can be torture.

Unsplash | Xavier Mouton Photographie

adventuresofmrbaby said that "I cried when I found out DS was a boy. this time around I feel so sure it's a girl. but[sic] I have to keep reminding myself I have nothing to base that on. I have even bought a few girl outfits. I know.... "

24. Rachel Zoe was inconsolable after she learned she was having a boy.

The celebrity fashion stylist said that she was so upset at the news, that she cried for a week straight — maybe longer!

Rachel explained that for as long as she could remember, she'd always dreamed of having a little girl.

25. When mother's intuition isn't so intuitive.

Unsplash | Kelly Sikkema

BabyCenter Community member ChaeMae has an incredibly relatable story. She said that "My first I want ed[sic] and swore it was a girl so the 20 week[sic] exam I was shocked.How[sic] was he a he ?what[sic] about mothers intuition?

"After the check up[sic] I cried, later that night to cheer me up we went and saw a movie, and in the credits[sic] I choose my son's name."

Unsplash | Alvaro Reyes

If that story doesn't bring a tear to your eye, then nothing will. I have to admit I'm incredibly curious about not only what movie ChaeMae saw, but also what she decided to name her son.

26. Ashton Kutcher wanted his second child to be a girl, just like his first.

Ashton explained to Seth Myers that having two girls first would have better improved his odds of having a third child with Mila.

Now that they have one of each, Ashton isn't so sure.

27. Would it have been better to find out the sex of the baby ahead of time?

Unsplash | Guillaume de Germain

"I was sure my first was a girl even tho we were waiting till delivery to find out the gender," Fancy2015 explained. "After a 48 hr labor he came out a boy... the stressful delivery prob didn't help but I was in total shock and disbelief..."

28. When time isn't on your side.

kasta14 shared how "I found out as well via blood test that we're having our 2nd boy. I'm almost 38 so time isn't on my side. I was 99% positive that we were having a girl this time around."

29. Gwen Stefani has always wanted a girl.

Gwen has three children of her own, all of whom are boys. It should come as no surprise to fans of Gwen's music that she's always wanted a daughter.

Here's hoping that Blake Shelton finally makes her dreams come true.