A mum felt “disappointed” after finding out she was expecting a baby girl, “numb and disconnected” when she was born and had therapy to come to terms with not having a boy. <br /><br />Emily Duncan, 26, had her heart set on having one of each and felt sure she was pregnant with a boy after the birth of her eldest daughter, Sophia, four.<br /><br />The eldest of six girls, Emily felt "pressure" to be the "supplier of a grandson" and was shocked when she found out she was having another girl at her gender reveal.<br /><br />She spent the rest of her pregnancy "digesting" the news, did therapy and painted the nursery pink to help her "heal" - and now couldn't imagine having boys.<br /><br />Emily gave birth to Alice in July 2022 but felt "numb and disappointed but so determined to love her".<br /><br />Now the mum-of-two is "very happy" with her daughters and no longer feels any disappointment.<br /><br />Emily, a stay-at-home-mum, from Santaquin, Utah, US, said: "I’d always pictured having a little girl and having a little boy.<br /><br />"I had this expectation for my life and that I was going to have a son.<br /><br />"When we opened up that box and saw the little pink balloons it was quite shocking and not just to me but everyone in the room.<br /><br />"I went straight to bed and bawled my eyes out.<br /><br />"Everyone around me told me it was silly and stupid, and I should just be grateful for having a baby.<br /><br />"I never felt ever like I didn’t love my child.<br /><br />"I only ever felt disappointed.<br /><br />"When she was born, I was numb and disconnected but so determined to love her.<br /><br />"Now my daughter, Alice, is my best friend.<br /><br />"It’s a joy and pleasure to raise two baby girls. I'm not disappointed at all."<br /><br />Emily was "surprised" to fall pregnant with her first daughter after being told it would be unlikely she would have children due to her polycystic ovary syndrome - which affects how the ovaries work.<br /><br />She said: "I’ve always been a dreamed of being a mum.<br /><br />"I really wanted one of each.<br /><br />"I am one of six. <br /><br />"We have a joke that we have a generational curse.<br /><br />"I was very excited about having my first baby. I wasn’t upset as I wanted a girl first."<br /><br />After having Sophia in January 2019, Emily and her husband, Koby, 27, a city inspector, tried for their second child.<br /><br />They struggled to conceive naturally again so tried intrauterine insemination (IUI) - a fertility treatment that gives sperm a better chance at fertilising an egg.<br /><br />Emily fell pregnant in October 2021 and was certain she was having a boy.<br /><br />She said: "I already had a daughter.<br /><br />"It was important to break the curse.<br /><br />"There was a lot of pressure put on me to be the supplier of a grandson.<br /><br />"We were sure it was a boy.<br /><br />"I had different cravings - my demeanour was different - I checked off every single one of the old wives' tales."<br /><br />But at the gender reveal in December 2021 the couple found out they were having another girl - which disappointed Emily and her family.
