We all know the excitement that comes with finding out the gender of a new baby. So, if we’re approaching it more traditionally, we run off to buy a bunch of pink accessories or blue ones. We also decorate the nursery in preparation for when our newborn arrives. It’s an exciting time!
For this mom, however, she was left shocked after giving birth to a baby boy, after being assured it was a girl!
A woman named Lauren Keen is a 26-year-old mother of three boys. She lives in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. Her third son, Dexter, was meant to be a girl. She’d had a gender scan and been assured she was having a baby girl. Imagine her surprise when her son was born instead.[2]
Lauren spent hundreds of pounds on pink accessories
Both Lauren and her partner, Karl Nunn, were shocked when their little girl, who they had already named Marilyn, was born. Since she most certainly was not a girl! The excited parents who already had two little boys had spent hundreds of pounds on special personalized outfits and pink accessories in anticipation for their daughter.[2]
Lauren had even asked to be sterilized after her little girl was born.
Lauren loved her son the minute he was born, but of course, her heart was simultaneously broken as she had emotionally “lost” the daughter she was so hoping to have.[1][2]
“I was expecting to hold my first daughter, our final child and we knew our family would be complete. I was numb, I didn’t know how to process everything that was happening.
I’d agreed to be sterilised after the birth, because it was my third C-section and another pregnancy would be too risky. So I had to decide on the spot, if I was still going ahead with the procedure.. I was trying to process that the daughter I had dreamt of didn’t exist on top of the realisation that if I went ahead with the operation, I would never have a daughter.”
Lauren Keen
Mom shared her excitement about the news
While pregnant, Lauren had gone in for her 20 week scan to find out the gender of her unborn baby.
“I thought after two boys, our third baby had to be a girl and I was told I was right. As I was being examined the lady said “she looks fine”, and “I’m going to take her measurements.”
Lauren Keen
Of course, other than rushing off to buy pink accessories, she shared her exciting news with her friends and family online.[2]
On her Instagram page Lauren wrote: ‘EVENTUALLY! June 2019 I will be welcoming a baby girl into the world, everyone who knows me knows I cannot explain how happy I am. Roll on June to meet my precious dolly. Love you baby girl.’
Lauren says that she and her partner should have had a 4D scan to be extra sure. Instead, they prepared to meet their daughter and went on a spending spree. To add to it all, they even gave away all the boy-themed baby items from their first two sons. They even went so far as to buy a new pram and car seat in purple.
“I was so excited for a daughter; I bought her an entire wardrobe from newborn to around one year. I was finally having a girl, and I wanted to spoil her from the start. We bought pink blankets and girly clothes with frills and flowers. We spent hundreds of pounds on dresses, cardigans, and outfits”
Lauren Keen
Pink accessories gone to waste
Lauren and Karl think back to 2019, when their son Dexter was born. Of course, they were both thrilled that they had a happy, healthy child. But the initial shock was still there. Not to mention all the pink accessories and clothing that were now going to waste.[1]
“I was lying there, looking up and thinking, “Any moment now I am going to meet my daughter. Any second now I will finally be able to hold her”.
‘One of the doctors suddenly said, “Did you say you were having a girl?” And at the same time Karl shouted, “Lauren it’s a boy. I told him not to joke and he said, “I’m not joking, our baby has b*lls”.
‘Obviously, I felt dumbfounded, I didn’t know what to say. I had a rush of love, but I had so many questions and so much confusion, it was such a mix of emotions. There is a photo of me holding Dexter for the first time and I look blank, the shock was overwhelming.No expression because my mind was racing and couldn’t focus on a single emotion.’ ‘I was honest with Karl and said to him, “You are going to have to be patient with me. I’m going to cry”. My emotions were all over the place.
Mom explains why it was all so much more overwhelming than it seemed
While I am sure many of our readers might be thinking that Laurent should just be grateful to have a healthy kid, she is. She went on to explain exactly why it was more overwhelming and sad for her and her partner than people may realize. And, obviously, it’s more than just having spent so much money on a bunch of pink accessories. Today, she says she can’t even imagine having a girl in the house, she loves her three boys![1][2]
We lay together for around two hours having skin to skin. I loved him to pieces.
I was known as the mum with the baby who wasn’t supposed to be a boy.
Many found it funny, but I didn’t and I was struggling but people just assumed I also thought it was funny. It was a big shock and I wished professionals would have asked if I was OK.
I kept asking myself, “Do we try again?” Would I be having another baby just in the hope of having a girl? I didn’t want to have another baby for the sake of trying for a girl, that wouldn’t be fair on me or that child.
I felt like I had lost a child that never really existed. We had already named her. It was like we had twins, but only got to meet one – and however much I love Dexter, that doesn’t mean I’m not allowed to miss the girl I thought I was carrying ‘I know people will criticise me for having those thoughts, but they are my feelings and they are valid.
Lauren Keen
Lauren says that now, nothing could compare to her three boys, who she loves so dearly
Dexter is my last child, It took me a few months to really process it and I had moments when I was very upset. It was so hard to sell the items that we had ready for our daughter. We sold the pram and car seat and the dresses. It hit Karl as hard as it hit me.’
Back home, it took the couple six days to decide on his name but today, Dexter is a boisterous 20-month-old toddler and Lauren couldn’t imagine her life differently.
I want to stress how grateful I am to have three beautiful, happy and healthy children. That is what is most important and we know that. But I am allowed to be upset by what happened.
That doesn’t mean I love Dexter or my boys any less than I would have loved a daughter.
Lauren Keen
Keep Reading: Nurse’s mind blown as mom tells her she’s been pronouncing the name Liam ‘wrong’
Sources:
- “Mother who excitedly gave away her sons’ old clothes and spent hundreds on pink accessories after being told she was having a girl is left shocked when her THIRD boy arrives after scan mix up.” Daily Mail. Claire Toureille. March 23, 2021.
- “Mum expecting a girl spends hundreds on pink clothes only to give birth to a boy.” Mirror. Rosaleen Fenton. March 23, 2021.