Secretly Sad: Overcoming Gender Disappointment

Resolution

In the three months since that fateful day at IKEA, my own ambivalence about having a boy has eased significantly. Support from my husband and family, as well as speaking to other parents about how they worked through similar feelings, has been invaluable.

But the biggest turning point came to me by chance. I was visiting my in-laws one evening when they popped a tape of some home movies in the VCR. There was my husband as a baby, a sweet and curious little person exploring the world around him. I cheered when he managed his first steps and laughed when he crawled into a basket full of puppies and nuzzled their bellies.

Sitting beside me on the couch was the man this little person had become. By far, my husband is one of the most compassionate, patient, and insightful people I have ever met, male or female. Seeing that video convinced me that if our son grows up to be anything like his father, I won't be needing any "better luck" next time.

Helpful Hints

1. Don't censor or deny your feelings. It is OK to feel angry, disappointed, guilty, or depressed. Admitting these feelings to yourself is the first step to working through them.

2. Talk about your feelings with someone you trust, such as your husband, your partner, a family member, or a healthcare professional like a midwife or therapist specializing in women's mental health.

3. Let time help you heal. Pregnancy and the first few months after birth can be an emotional and physical roller coaster. Hormones, sleep deprivation, and adjusting to an entirely different lifestyle can make you especially vulnerable to disappointment and depression.

4. Your feelings will come and go. Even with support and help, feelings of disappointment over the sex of your baby may be triggered every now and again. Remember that this is normal, and don't be hard on yourself when it happens.

5. Find creative ways to give. There are plenty of children and teens who need you. Volunteer to coach a peewee football team or buy a prom dress and donate it to a teen who can't afford one. A good place to start is the Big Brothers and Big Sisters Association of America.

6. Pass it on. There is very little clinical literature or formal resources for women grappling with disappointment over the sex of their baby. Let people know that you would be willing to talk to other women about their feelings. Pregnancy and parenting websites such as BabyZone.com have chat rooms and bulletin boards where women can lend support and advice on a variety of topics, including gender disappointment/grief.

7. Get more help if you need it. An estimated 50 to 75 percent of new mothers suffer from the baby blues after the birth of a child. Symptoms of baby blues can include crying, impatience, anxiety, and irritability that set in usually within three to five days after birth. The baby blues usually disappear within a few days to two weeks after delivery.

   More intense feelings, including anger and resentment toward your child, thoughts of hurting yourself or your child, insomnia, fear of losing control or "losing your mind," or uncontrollable crying, may be a sign of postpartum depression (PPD), a less common but more serious condition affecting 10 to 20 percent of women. Unlike the baby blues, PPD usually lasts more than two weeks and can appear within days of delivery or gradually over time, sometimes up to a year after the baby is born. If you suspect you are suffering from PPD, take it seriously and seek help immediately. With proper treatment and support, this is a treatable condition.

Additional Resources

• Postpartum Support International: Treatment of a wide range of postpartum disorders including postpartum depression, postpartum anxiety, and postpartum psychosis. Includes a list of national resources and links. Call 1-800-944-4PPD (4773) or visit www.postpartum.net.
• The Postpartum Stress Center: PSC provides counseling, resources, literature, and Web links to a variety of resources for PPD. Call 610-525-7527 or visit www.postpartumstress.com.
• The US Department of Health and Human Services: Articles on clinical studies, links, and resources on a variety of mental health issues. Also lists resources in Spanish. Call 1-800-789-2647, TTY: 1-866-889-2648, or visit www.mentalhealth.org.
• National Women's Health Information Center (NWIC): NWIC lists information and resources (in English and Spanish) for a variety of women's health issues including depression and pregnancy. Call 1-800-994-WOMAN, TTY: 1-888-220-5446, or visit http://www.womenshealth.gov/.
• The National Mental Health Association (NMHA): "The country's oldest and largest nonprofit organization addressing all aspects of mental health and mental illness," NMHA has hundreds of affiliates and offers information, links and help on a wide variety of topics. Call 1-800-969-NMHA (6642), TTY: 1-800-433-5959, or visit www.nmha.org.