New baby sex and gender

[Iliketoparrty]

My SIL is pregnant and texted folk yesterday about finding out the sex of the baby.

Text said something like - SIL and DH are expecting a male child in ...2016.

So DH texted back congratulations on having a baby boy ... Etc. MIL also phoned them to congratulate them as it will be the first grandchild for MIL.

SIL responded we don't know if baby is a boy, need to wait and see. Baby sex isnt important, it doesnt mean anything. Hopefully its a girl. This was also reiterated to MIL and other family.

MIL has been on the phone asking DH (he is a doctor) what does that mean, is the baby ok? DH tried to explain the sex/gender difference but MIL is still worried.

In the last hour we have had 4 family members phone us about this as they don't want to call SIL in case she gets upset.

Aibu to think there was no need to tell folk about the sex of the baby if she doesn't think its important?

Is she not getting enough attention or something?

Really strange. Maybe the scan wasn't 100% clear on the sex so they are trying not to get too attached to the baby being a boy? Although in that case, why tell you all?

January87

Let me clarify; they're having a penis owning male child but they hope aforementioned child will identify as a 'girl'?

So their baby is a boy but she doesn't want to put a label on it just is case the male child wants to be a girl when they grow up?

Is she going to bring the baby up as gender neutral or as a girl then?

Yep I'm intrigued now as to whether the SIL had a dodgy scan, or if she wants a gender fluid child or if she is just trying to mess with people's brains.

thelouise that's how I'm reading it... But I keep thinking it can't possibly be. What a strange thing to hope for...

So it's ok to label the new human as being a 'male' child, but not OK to call it a 'boy'...?

She is expecting a baby with a penis and said so. When êople congratulated her on a boy, she said that she did not know how the baby would feel (could be a transgender) and she hoped it would be a baby born with a penis but that would feel inside like a girl.

Odd way to deal with 'gender' disappointment (gender conversely usually used in this circumstance to actually mean sex and not to mean innate identity)

So she is hoping her child will have to deal with the mental and physical trauma associated with transgenderism? Sounds like a nice woman.

Bet she follows Everyday Feminism.

posted too late

OP can you explain it again please?

Is she very gender conforming herself?

Blinking heck. She's hard work.

I hope she doesn't make her little boy feel bad for not being pan gender. Or transsexual.

If, y'know, he just wants to be a boy.

I agree with worra - I've only seen people get frothy about gender/sex in an unborn foetus on MN!.

Let me clarify; they're having a penis owning male child but they hope aforementioned child will identify as a 'girl'?

That made me actually LOL ;)

So she is hoping her child will have to deal with the mental and physical trauma associated with transgenderism? Sounds like a nice woman.

This is exactly what it sounds like - and just so that she can have her 'girl'. That's a tad selfish, is it not?

With all due respect Qwebec, why would you wish that on your child?

Sorry Qwebec, I realise you were just explaining your take on it, not your opinion.

So she's using her foetus to to stake out some ideologically correct high ground? As a pp has said: bonkers.

Blimey, sounds like she's got major GD. If she didn't want to tell people the gender, why tell them? Like that couple who wouldn't let friends/family change their babies nappy so they didn't assign the baby a gender based on its sex until it picked one. If I'm using those the right way round!

What? She's having a male child but it might not be a boy?

What fresh new bonkersness is this?