The ability for parents to know the sex of their unborn child was made possible with the advent of ultrasound technology, which became widely available in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Before then, parents had to wait until the very last minute to find out the sex of their baby in the delivery room. As a result, the reactions were kept private and shared between the couple moments after birth.
Highlights
- A father's reaction at a gender reveal party sparked online controversy as he jumped into a lake, seemingly ignoring his partner.
- Many criticized the father for not celebrating with his wife first, with comments suggesting he prioritized himself.
- Some defended the father, stating his reaction was due to sheer happiness and euphoria about having a son.
Fast forward to today, when couples can find out this information around the 18-20 week mark of pregnancy and have turned the announcement into an over-the-top, Instagram-friendly event.
One of these celebrations recently caught the attention of social media users after it was shared by mom-to-be @lucryfer.
A man's reaction at a sex reveal party divided opinions online after he seemingly forgot to celebrate with his partner that they were having a boy
Image credits: lucryfer
"It's a BOY," the Italian woman wrote alongside a video of the announcement. After the long-awaited countdown, she and her partner pressed a button, releasing blue smoke into the sky.
The father was so excited about his future son that he took off his jacket and shirt, ran off stage, and jumped into the lake, seemingly forgetting to celebrate with the woman who was carrying his child.
The clip has received over 25 million views since it was posted on June 17.
The couple announced the news to their loved ones during an outdoor celebration by a lake in Italy
Image credits: lucryfer
Image credits: lucryfer
Many took to the comments section to criticize the man’s reaction, claiming he ignored @lucryfer when he should have celebrated with her.
"I understand your excitement, but you should have hugged your wife first," a TikTok user wrote.
"Beautiful party. The only thing missing was a hug for the future mom," another person agreed.
"How to make everything revolve around you," a third individual chimed in.
"It's a BOY," wrote the mom-to-be on social media alongside the video of the announcement
Image credits: lucryfer
Image credits: lucryfer
However, others believed that the father's reaction wasn't disrespectful to his partner and that he was simply overcome with emotion at learning that the sex of his child was what he had hoped for.
"That's called happiness; they are instant reactions. There's no way to blame him. Euphoria and excitement took over," a separate user argued.
"Don't judge. The excitement of the moment can make you act in a thousand different ways. Congrats!" somebody else added.
"The man also deserves to be happy. Let him enjoy it in his own way…" an additional user stressed.
The video has received over 25 million views since it was posted on June 17
Image credits: lucryfer
Responding to the claim that "no one came to hug her" after the revelation, the mom-to-be uploaded a follow-up video in which she showed her family members and friends embracing her while her partner was in the lake.
The clip ends with the man returning from his quick swim, approaching her, and blowing her a kiss before clapping to express his enthusiasm about the newest addition to their family.
Bored Panda has contacted @lucryfer for comment.
In the viral clip, the father can be seen taking off his jacket and shirt and jumping into a lake after releasing blue smoke into the sky
Image credits: lucryfer
Do fathers have a preference for sons over daughters? According to a study by Enrico Moretti and Gordon Dahl in 2004 using census data about fertility in America from 1960 to 1980, parents who had a daughter were more likely to have another child than those who had a son. The effect was more pronounced as parents had additional daughters, suggesting that the parents were trying for a son.
However, this trend seems to be changing now. A more recent paper published in 2017 used the same technique but with fertility data from 2008 to 2013.
"We were surprised to find that it was not true anymore that having a girl encouraged additional births," Francine Blau, an economist at Cornell and one of the paper's authors, told the New York Times.
Watch the viral video below:
"Beautiful party. The only thing missing was a hug for the future mom," a commentator wrote
It's still true that American fathers express a stronger preference for having a baby boy over a daughter. A 2011 Gallup survey showed that 31% of women wanted a boy and 33% wanted a girl, while the rest were not sure or said it didn’t matter. In contrast, 49 % of men wanted a boy and only 22% a girl.
Now, however, families are no longer having more children to increase the likelihood of welcoming a boy.
Gordon Dahl, an economics professor at the University of California, believes that the difference in data between the 2017 study and the 2011 survey lies in women gaining more decision-making power in family planning.
"It could be men are just as biased as they always were but have less of a say in having another kid," Dahl said.
"He made it all about him," a social media user wrote
