health
A moment that changed me: I was wary of men
When I became pregnant, all I wanted was a healthy baby. Discovering I would be having a son gave me a new perspective on the narratives around masculinity
TL;DR
- The author, raised in a female-dominated household, developed a wariness and distrust of men due to negative experiences and engagement with gender politics.
- Discovering she was pregnant with a boy initially caused trepidation, as she had no clear vision of herself as a mother to a son.
- Societal reactions to her having a boy ranged from dismissive comments to veiled insults, often reducing the experience to a challenge.
- A moment of confusion at birth, where the baby's sex was initially unconfirmed by medical staff, highlighted how definitive sex can seem before it's incidental.
- The author aims to raise her son to be adventurous, sensitive, and brave, hoping he won't believe he's automatically a problem because he's a boy, and she will strive not to express negativity about men in front of him.