Wednesday, May 23, 2012

When can you tell the sex of the baby?

There are various reasons why one wants to know the sex of an unborn baby.Commonest reason in India has been selection of foetal sex by mid trimester abortion.Doctors,Govt,Media and Aamir Khan are doing their bit.And I hope they succeed in their mission.
Now their are other reasons as well......plain simple curiosity.Majority of my Patients who wish to know if I could comment on the sex of the baby after looking at the scan or who ask when will I tell them the sex of the baby are the curious kinds.Who have read an American book or seen an American Video,which talks of shopping based on the gender of the baby.I don't blame them.But when ever such a question is asked it irritates me to no end.All these people are aware of the existing law,then why do you try to take a chance.........Initially I used to tell them it isn't legally correct to even talk of it.Then When I came out with the Pregnancy Folder for these women,I specified and addressed these questions separately......with the implication of being behind the bar(Both Doctor and Patients).Now when then tell me that .....yes we have read what you have written still we want to know......It Irritates me!!.I try to continue behave my normal self but if I get rude any time on being asked these questions.......I won't blame myself.Not all doctors are involved in female foetocide but still I know  few who were wrongly penalized while having a benign conversation just like the ones I have mentioned above and were stripped of their registration for no fault of theirs.Just they tried to be the polished well behaved doctors to get involved in this kind of talk.They didn't realize that the patients were a part of a STING OPERATION.
My Hand Folded Sincere request : I do understand your urge to know whether to shop blue or pink,but at the same time you irritate me when you ask me this question.I don't know the sex of your baby.Ultrasonologist knows.And if I knew I will never ever comment on it.Till the baby is born Purchase a yellow or a green or any neutral shade of your choice.Once baby is born........it is not even 2 hours job to go to a mall and complete the shopping.
There are people who are so desperate to know the sex of the baby to shop that they visit a foreign country,get a scan done and then proceed for the shopping of desired colour.If you are so desperate.......please do that it isn't illegal.But never ask me this question again.
Hope I won't need to loose my cool over 'the sex of the child'!!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Well said Doc !! I think this cn b njoyd more if its a surprise .. Ankita

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