Most often parents spend their pregnancies planning out names, decorating nurseries, and saving up for college 529 plans all in preparation for their new bundle of joy. The mother and father attend prenatal doctor visits, Lamaze classes and even buy books on "What to Expect when Expecting?" But what they are not prepared for is if their child is born with an unusual physical feature.
The book I'm reading touched on the occurrences of baby's born with two genitalia, one being male and the other being female. Historically, the term hermaphrodite has also been used to describe ambiguous genitalia. In previous years parents were encouraged to choose shortly after birth which sex the baby would assume based on the more developed of the two genes present. Nowadays surgery is postponed so that the child can be included in the decision.
In our society, being different is often a concern and issue made to be mocked. Everyone is different, unique and special in their own way and I encourage you to embrace those differences. People who are born hermaphrodites do not choose this life and they need your support not mockery. Could you imagine growing up in a body you felt was unnaturally yours? If the parents decide the wrong sex the male may grow up always feeling as though he should be female and vice versa.
I propose the question, if this was an unfortunate experience for your family, how would you want to decide what sex your child assumed?
