A pregnant mum-of-three says gender disappointment should be normalised, after she shared her heartbreaking reaction to discovering she was having her fourth boy.
Ellen Bailey uploaded a gender reveal video to Instagram, where she and her husband used a cake to find out whether they were having their fourth son, or their first daughter.
And Ellen wasn’t able to hide her disappointment when the cake turned out to be blue.
“Firstly I want to say that as you can probably tell by my immediate reaction, yes I was disappointed and yes I was hoping for a girl,” Ellen, who is due in August, explained in the caption.
“In all honesty, I’ve always wanted a little girl, to braid her hair and take her to dance. I just always thought I’d be a girl mama.
“However, this DOES NOT at all take away from how grateful I am for our boys or how much I love them. Nor does it change or take away from how much this little bub is wanted, needed and loved. I am grateful and blessed that after a few scares this little bubba is happy and healthy.
“I know it doesn’t seem right for me to be upset as at least I’m having another baby. After experiencing a miscarriage in October I fully understand why so many people say just be happy it’s healthy. And trust me I am!”
But Ellen wanted to explain why she felt the way she did, when she realised her dream of having a little girl wasn’t coming true.
“It’s on my heart to shed a little light and to normalise that gender disappointment is real…
If you’ve experienced this like me, know that you’re not alone.”
“Remember we all deal with and experience things differently, don’t compare yourself to others or think your not a good mama if you’ve ever had these thoughts. It DOES NOT mean you love your little one less or anything like that!
“You are grieving a part of your life and experiences you always thought or assumed you’d get to have. Be kind to yourself, allow yourself to feel the emotions you need to feel and grieve if that’s what you need.”
Her candid confession was met with supportive comments from other mums who have also dealt with gender disappointment.
“I wish we didn’t have to explain ourselves like this,” one mum commented. “When I found out I was having my third (and final) boy I was DEVASTATED!!! It doesn’t mean I don’t love my kids. Heck I did IVF to have all 3. My third is a year and a half and I still feel devastated I won’t ever have a daughter.”
“Oh Mama, my heart aches for you. It’s SO normal to feel that disappointment. It’s a whole lifetime of how you thought things may be. Doesn’t mean you love them any less,” commented another mum.
Did you have gender disappointment? Feel free to share in the comments below.
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