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Original poster

Did my doctor slip up my babys sex?

16 replies

toriandbump · 30/04/2015 15:21

So here goes. Im 39 weeks pregnant and my partner and i wanted to keep the sex of our baby a suprise. I had an appointment at the doctors this morning due to not feeling very well. I had to see another doctor due to it being emergency appointment. While there she referred to my baby as a he. I think it may have just been a slip up and she possibly doesnt know and she did say i don't know why i called the baby a he as i dont know. But since getting home its all i can think about. I guess im asking if there is even anyway she can know? From my notes or something. I probably sound like a real idiot here. Im so grateful to be carrying a healthy baby but just feel like a element of my pregnancy has now been spoiled. I wanted it to be a suprise! and i only have 1 week to go. I have no preference over the sex of my baby as long as the baby is healthy and happy. Am i just being hormonal and thinking about it to much? Blush

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GlitzAndGigglesx · 30/04/2015 15:23

It's pretty common for this to happen. When I was pregnant with dd she was referred to as 'he' quite a lot. I suppose it sounds nicer than 'it'

LittleRedDinosaur · 30/04/2015 15:25

I don't think sex will be recorded. I bet doctor was just trying not to call your baby "it" so as not to offend.

Allstoppedup · 30/04/2015 15:26

I doubt there was anything in your notes identifying sex, generally the anomaly scan just does generic checks so I'd be surprised if your Dr (a GP from your post?!) would have that information. I would think it would only be your sonographer that would know.

Lots of pregnancy sites/articles refer to the baby as 'he' or 'she' throughout as a means to communicate quicker. I'm pregnant with my second and don't know what I'm having but occasionally say 'he' (I think because I already have a DS)

I would think it's a slip of the tongue and nothing more.

Good luck with your birth and congratulations!

applecore0317 · 30/04/2015 15:37

The consultant and sonographers that I have seen throughout my pregnancy always refer to my baby as a he, I already know it's a girl, I think it's just something they automatically go to rather than saying IT

TheTravellingLemon · 30/04/2015 15:40

The sex is definitely not recorded anywhere, so no way the doctor could have known from your notes. It's still a surprise! Congratulations Flowers

YouMakeMyHeartSmile · 30/04/2015 15:42

It is not recorded anywhere, dr will have referred to the baby as 'he' out of habit, or because they don't like to say 'it'.

sycamore54321 · 30/04/2015 15:47

My obstetrician told me she calls all babies 'he' as it distinguishes from the mother clearly, e.g."her heartbeat" could be either mother or baby, "his heartbeat" is clearly the baby's.

As others have said, the gender is not generally recorded in a secret code in your notes so I would be very surprised if this is what happened you. Go back to enjoying your pregnancy!

avocadotoast · 30/04/2015 15:50

The sonographer at our 20-week scan did this too, and considering we'd said not five minutes earlier that we didn't want to know, I doubt she'd have been so daft as to slip up.

And then when I was monitored at around 28 weeks the midwife referred to baby as "her". So again I think it is just one of those things to avoid "it"!

Original poster
toriandbump · 30/04/2015 19:42

Thanks everyone for your messages. You have put my mind at rest. I will hopefully find out for myself next week if baby arrives on due date. Smile

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Lily1995 · 30/04/2015 20:03

My midwife called my baby an it today. She knows it's a boy as I referred to him as a he a couple of minutes before hand.
I don't think the gender is written in your notes, so try not to let it get to you. You still don't know wether your baby is a boy or a girl.
It's if they slip in an ultrasound scan you'll know.

HawkeyeInChaos · 30/04/2015 20:13

At one of my appointments, the doctor made the specific point to me that he didn't know the baby's sex, would refer to it as "he" but that I was not to read anything into it.

MissTwister · 30/04/2015 22:41

They don't know. My MW asked me if I knew sex after scan so its definitely not written on the notes anywhere

MissTwister · 30/04/2015 22:42

And I call it he all the time too. Sometimes I say they but then people think its twins!

Gileswithachainsaw · 30/04/2015 22:47

It will just be a standard saying. I'd always say he as it's better than saying it.

don't read anything into it.

having said that one of mine let it slip and it was really obvious

EugenesAxe · 30/04/2015 22:58

Yes, I would also say the doctor just plumped for a gender. I even did this when I didn't know what I was having... I switched it about in conversation.

I actually have a real issue with people saying 'baby', as in "Let's see what baby's up to"!

Of course it's 50:50 you will have a boy, so if you do have one don't be sad that you 'knew' - it was probably just chance. In terms of your question, I don't think gender would be plastered on your notes (especially if you've asked to not know) so I do genuinely think there will be no obvious place for the doctor to have found out. I always got the impression it was just something that you could be told at your 20 week scan; there would be no particular medical reason for the sonographer (if that's the word) to record it.

Original poster
toriandbump · 01/05/2015 11:02

Miss twister it's sooooo funny you say they. I do that all the time and have people thinking I'm having twins but it's only because I don't wanna say it. Then I find myself having to explain why I say they but I can't help it Smile

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