It's a boy....feel overwhelmed

[WeGoAgain123]

Hello!

As the title states, I'm having a boy!

Before anyone thinks I'm unhappy about this I just want to put you straight that there is no gender disappointment here.

In fact I have 2 daughters, aged 11 and 10 and before the 20 weeks scan me and my partner where quietly hoping to have a boy, partially due to the big age gap and also to experiencing the other side.

Now it's not hypothetical anymore I'm feeling very overwhelmed at thr thought of being 40 and not knowing anything about baby boys!

For those that have had girls and then a boy, what did you find to be the most different? I've been warned about nappy time already 😆

@Driposaurus

Practically, apart from the nappy, there’s no difference.

People’s reactions border in the sexist though. That can be hard to deal with politely (so I don’t tend to).

Exactly. Mind you, people seemed to be assuming I'd been dying for a girl, and was being stoical and refusing to admit I was terribly disappointed (my first child, born at an age when it was clear I was unlikely to have another).

I found my boys way more energetic and hectic. My DD could sit and concentrate and was empathic and aware of others from a very early age unlike my DS. This of course could just be personalities not gender.

I have to say my baby boy was an absolute dream. I couldn't have asked for a more chilled, happy baby. He slept through the night from very a very young age, he ate brilliantly and he was always so happy and loving.

The only thing I have noticed is that he was later to pick up potty training than some of my friends girls. No other developmental issues at all though.

I am clearly biased but in my opinion boys are brilliant. I'm currently pregnant again and would feel the same as you if I end up having a girl.

@Donebeingitchy if a boy wees while you're changing them it will go upwards and onto your shirt. Also you're generally less aware of having to wipe front to back as you are with a girl because the contents of the nappy are different.

It was definitely the nappy thing for me.

DS was an absolute dream baby. He fed well, and slept so well I had to keep checking on him to make sure he was ok! And he was sleeping through at 6 months 8-8 like clockwork with a dream feed at about 1am. No terrible twos either! I don't know if I got lucky or if if was because he was my second baby and I was more comfortable and confident as a mum, but honestly he was perfect!

Congratulations! As pps have said there's no generalisable difference apart from a boy can see in your face during a nappy change.
My first was a boy and he was and is the most lovely charming little thing. Wishing you a happy rest of your pregnancy and a baby that sleeps well!!

It’s definitely down to personality, although my parents have girls then a boy, and they said they weren’t prepared for how physical he was.

He crawled early, walked early, climbed everywhere. You couldn’t put him down past 5 months and expect him to be in the same place.

My DS is exactly the same.

Never had any issues with nappy time. Our boy is loving, funny and so caring! We are expecting baby two in May and have no preference whatsoever, I can't imagine feeling that way.

Congratulations on your pregnancy x

Congratulations

I had two girls then two boys. I found the main difference was establishing breast feeding. Fed both girls with no real problems, was I thought quite confident with breastfeeding, but really struggled with my older boy, less so with my younger. No tongue tie or other issues, I just found them more likely to unlatch and yell and fuss, where the girls just always fed hungrily.

I’ve got two boys and they are both completely different personalities so I don’t think you can generalise about what your child will be like. I have found that both of them like classic boys toys, so the gender neutral stuff doesn’t really fly in my house. It’s all vehicles and construction
toys.

There's no difference at all. People saying oh yes there is a difference, IME, are telling the truth. But what they're failing to recognise is that the difference is them and the way they unconsciously parent differently due to the baby's biological sex. They then claim it's innate to the baby but I've watched several friends use certain language, shift their expectations and manage behaviours differently based on their child's sex. Even the differences I see through work (from a neurodevelopmental pov) seem linked more to socialisation and expectation than anything else.

I have a boy and a girl. It's the girl who talks about Minecraft and frame rates, she didn't tantrum at all and is v loving. If you listen to the stereotypes on here, you'd be forgiven for thinking my children were born in the wrong bodies.

It's nearly all personality. There is some amount of not having lived experience as they get older. I can talk to DD about periods with a personal basis for reference and DH can talk to DS about testicle maintenance with some knowledge of actually doing it. But they're only technical queries. The nuts and bolts (pun intended) of parenting, actually differ v little.

I only have one child - DS who is 6. He is so funny and lovely and has always been happy and smiley.

He loves his dad and grandads but me more than anyone, which I secretly love.

Congratulations OP

@leahwyn if you'd like a response it's best to start your own thread

Watch out for being peed on though!

Two boys and one girl here , having another boy at 39.
Now I have a boy and girl in teens ... I'd have five more boys at once over one hormonal pit of a girl. Boys are loving and easy and happy. Girls are amazing but much harder ! Xx

Oh .. they are slower at potty training ( though amazing how they can whip it out in the garden to pee in the summer ) and personally a bit slower at dressing themselves. Or they don't care as much ? Obviously personality plays a huge part, both my boys are very different but I can see a difference it their approach to life from their sister.

@Livpool

Watch out for being peed on though!

Oh yes. You quickly learn to cover the nappy area with a small folded towel or terry nappy while undoing a nappy, which would frequently trigger a vertical pee in my son.

And please...it's sex not "gender".

I have boy, girl, boy.
In my experience the boys have been better sleepers, easy going, happier and generally more chilled.

Eldest is 9 and is only now becoming stroppy. He is getting an attitude but my daughter has been like that her whole life haha!

There isn’t really a difference I don’t think, I have 2 girls and 2 boys and as babies they were all the same (never had the nappy weeing thing either 🤷‍♀️) the only thing I can say is my first was a girl and was an absolute nightmare she use to cry all the time when I had my son after her he was so calm and peaceful and rarely cried but I think that’s just down to personality rather than anything else

@FreeBritnee

I read somewhere that they did a test on chimps (or some primate I don’t recall) where they gave young chimps of both genders the option of choosing from either toys of various vehicles and toys of simplistic (human) baby dolls, the males Universally moved the wheeled toys around and examined them and the females universally took the dolls and held them. Obviously a chimp doesn’t even understand what a car is and may not have even seen one, so what the scientists speculated was that the young male chimps were drawn to a toy which could be moved around and manipulated and that the girls chimps were drawn to the baby like body of the dolls.

I thought that was interesting as my two boys were both very into cars and trucks and all that (and stories about them) at a young age. Now they’re older one is still very much into cars and motorbikes but the other couldn’t care less about them (he is quite fond of spaceships though)

Didn't have a problem with potty training, all DC were dry during the day roughly at the same age and DS was actually dry at night quicker than the girls.

[quote TarasCrazyTiara]@FreeBritnee

I read somewhere that they did a test on chimps (or some primate I don’t recall) where they gave young chimps of both genders the option of choosing from either toys of various vehicles and toys of simplistic (human) baby dolls, the males Universally moved the wheeled toys around and examined them and the females universally took the dolls and held them. Obviously a chimp doesn’t even understand what a car is and may not have even seen one, so what the scientists speculated was that the young male chimps were drawn to a toy which could be moved around and manipulated and that the girls chimps were drawn to the baby like body of the dolls.

I thought that was interesting as my two boys were both very into cars and trucks and all that (and stories about them) at a young age. Now they’re older one is still very much into cars and motorbikes but the other couldn’t care less about them (he is quite fond of spaceships though)[/quote]
I actually saw that. It was part of a chimp rehabilitation documentary and they did do exactly that. The female chimps picked up the babies and showed maternal, nurturing behaviour and the males started playing with ‘boy stuff’. I might see if I can link to the video. It was certainly interesting.

I have 2 of each. All of them are very different! I really don’t think it’s anything to do with being boys or girls just different personalities!

Congratulations op!