Do babies "look" like boys or girls?

Luvmy2sons · July 2012

Someone called DD a boy the other day. She was in a blue and white striped ruffled tank (with a gigantic yellow flower on the strap) and yellow shorts. I laughed and corrected them. A friend of mine said that DD "looks" like a girl. So i'm thinking, put a baby in a gender neutral outfit, could you tell if it were a boy or girl? Like all the standard hospital recieving blankets and hats? Or is it as she's getting bigger, that she has girl features? What do you think? I'm just kind of curious. If I put DD in boys clothes would she look like a boy? Or a girl in boy's clothes?

Tambcat · July 2012

To me, DD looks like a girl, but I guess she could also be a really pretty boy.

Luvmy2sons · July 2012

Tambcat:
To me, DD looks like a girl, but I guess she could also be a really pretty boy.

That's what I think about my DD. People ask if she looks like her brothers. Well, yes, she resembles them... but she looks like herself. Whereas my DS's look alot alike.

erniebufflo · July 2012

I think babies just look like babies.

PooDanga · July 2012

I think E looks like a boy, and so far no one has thought he's a girl. It could have a lot to do with his clothes too though.

MsCat19 · July 2012

Take away the hair cuts and clothes that define boy looks and girl looks and everyone could pass for the opposite until about 7-10 years old when the beginnings of puberty start happening...

ChelseyB5186 · July 2012

Anytime someone has said L is cute, and put a gender to it, they've always said, "She's so cute!" It's happened at least 3 times. He doesn't wear blue all the time...lol, he's usually in something "gender neutral" but people always assume he's a girl.

AshleyC0117 · July 2012

One of my friends has a boy and he looks like SUCH a boy. You could definitely tell he was a boy in neutral clothes. When my DD was first born I thought she looked like a girl and all the nurses in the hospital kept saying it too. Now I think it could go either way haha.

huahualove · July 2012

My mom said that everyone thought my brother was a girl but no one has said anying dumb around ds. My brother has black hair and long, thick eyelashes. I have pretty good eyelashes myself, but ds's are even thicker than mine I think. He gets those from dh for sure. So I thought it was gonna happen to him like my brother but it hasn't. Maybe I never dress him gender neutral enough.

Luvmy2sons · July 2012

MsCat19:
Take away the hair cuts and clothes that define boy looks and girl looks and everyone could pass for the opposite until about 7-10 years old when the beginnings of puberty start happening...

You think? I dunno. My 4 year old is built like a boy. He's stocky, thick legs, thick arms. He's not fat at all, just a solid build. I don't know if he could pass as a girl, even with long curly hair!

geekychic · July 2012

ChelseyB5186:
Anytime someone has said L is cute, and put a gender to it, they've always said, "She's so cute!" It's happened at least 3 times. He doesn't wear blue all the time...lol, he's usually in something "gender neutral" but people always assume he's a girl.

Same except everyone says 'HE's so cute' to DD. She wears a lot of gender neutral stuff, but sometimes it happens when she is wearing all pink. Come on, people!

But yes, babies look like babies, unless they are wearing all pink. Then it is a pretty safe bet she's a girl.

eav2c · July 2012

Colin has been called a girl but I think he looks all boy =D

Tambcat · July 2012

ChelseyB5186:
Anytime someone has said L is cute, and put a gender to it, they've always said, "She's so cute!" It's happened at least 3 times. He doesn't wear blue all the time...lol, he's usually in something "gender neutral" but people always assume he's a girl.

really? Yours was one that came to mind as definitely looking like a boy!

CTbride79 · July 2012

I have definitely been confused about the sex of some young babies...if I'm unsure I might say to the baby in front of the parent..."Oh you're so cute...what's your name?" which gives them the cue to (the parent) to respond and hopefully reveal their gender. With so many gender neutral names nowadays though that isn't foolproof of course!

I do think DS looks like a boy...he just has a boyish face to me. I think he's maybe been called 'she' only once so far, and it was when he was in a boyish outfit so I was like really? lol

ChelseyB5186 · July 2012

Tambcat:
ChelseyB5186:
Anytime someone has said L is cute, and put a gender to it, they've always said, "She's so cute!" It's happened at least 3 times. He doesn't wear blue all the time...lol, he's usually in something "gender neutral" but people always assume he's a girl.
really? Yours was one that came to mind as definitely looking like a boy!

I thought so too! Maybe it's his eyelashes, they're pretty long? Sometimes his hair doesn't stick straight up, and it looks long and fluffy, haha.

MsCat19 · July 2012

Luvmy2sons:
MsCat19:
Take away the hair cuts and clothes that define boy looks and girl looks and everyone could pass for the opposite until about 7-10 years old when the beginnings of puberty start happening...

You think? I dunno. My 4 year old is built like a boy. He's stocky, thick legs, thick arms. He's not fat at all, just a solid build. I don't know if he could pass as a girl, even with long curly hair!

I've seen experiments where they test this - they'll put kids in gender neutral clothes, hair tucked up in hats and you really can't tell... I was thrown off more often then not. Once the hormones start kicking in, then the facial structure becomes more one or the other... there are always exceptions, but it's true for the majority.

laurack · July 2012

I had someone ask me the other day if it was boy or girl, but she was wearing a dress and had a headband with a bow. OK so it was a navy blue dress so not pink or anything, but the BOW! haha

Luvmy2sons · July 2012

CTbride79:

I have definitely been confused about the sex of some young babies...if I'm unsure I might say to the baby in front of the parent..."Oh you're so cute...what's your name?" which gives them the cue to (the parent) to respond and hopefully reveal their gender. With so many gender neutral names nowadays though that isn't foolproof of course!

I do think DS looks like a boy...he just has a boyish face to me. I think he's maybe been called 'she' only once so far, and it was when he was in a boyish outfit so I was like really? lol

This is such a good idea!

jessandandy09 · July 2012

some babies have a more feminine or masculine look to their features. but I think most just look like babies, not girls or boys. My DD looks stikingly like her dad. This could be a fun photo op for us. Put baby in a plain white onesie with nothing else and see how gender nuetral our babies look to each other!

xproudxnerdx · July 2012

I think DS looks very boy now, but I've had people ask when he's wearing a black hoodie and soccer shorts with black Chucks. Really?

erniebufflo · July 2012

When we go out, people always think I have one boy and one girl, but it varies as to which one they think is the boy. It's Claire more often, though, I guess because she's bigger? I've even had people say "oh, two boys?" when I had them both in purple tiered sundresses. Luckily, it doesn't bother me a bit. It's not like it hurts the girls' feelings.

Moneypenny424 · July 2012

I think LO looks like a girl, but I agree, at this age, her hair and long eyelashes might not be enough to say "girl." LO could be a very pretty boy Big Smile

FusionLMT · July 2012

I think they all look fairly boyish as babies. I know it's a biological thing to resemble daddy at the beginning. My son looked like a clone of my husband as a baby, but now looks exactly like I did as a toddler. Baby girl looks exactly like her daddy also, so it will be interesting to see how her features develop.

Daniellemf1228 · July 2012

I agree with pp that babies just look like babies. I always get that dd looks like a boy and "What is his name" I just ignore it and say "HER name is Kiernan" As for looking like a boy...I think it all depends on how they are dressed because if you put a boy in a dress he is going to look like a little girl baby, they don't really have different features yet imo.

SKWCM80 · July 2012

Lots of people have referred to ds as she. I've been told that he's really pretty, when I corrected them.

gekeler6 · July 2012

I think people should pay attention to clothing when they are looking at a baby...it's kinda a clue. Second, I'm sure lots of babies can look like both sexes depending on their features. I've seen boys who look like boys, and girls that look like girls. To me, any of my girls could have passed for boys if I put them in boy clothing. Don't take it personal, some people just don't pay attention to the details. To me, bow=girl, no matter what clothing they are wearing.

JNoelleE · July 2012

I think most little boys look like boys. Like little old men. haha

So, this makes me feel that girls look like girls, because they don't look like little men. kwim?

CPhillz · July 2012

DS has never been mistaken for a girl before. I guess he looks like a boy? But I dress him pretty boyish too so maybe that's it. And Chelsey, I can't believe Layne was called a girl before! I agree with Tamb, he definitely makes me think all "boy"!

jesbeth · July 2012

If I put DD in a "non-girly" outfit, she looks like a boy. I don't mind, because I don't adhere to "traditional" gender roles. We were Team Green, so we have a lot of gender neutral clothing and her nursery is very neutral. We bought most everything in shades of red.

jesbeth · July 2012

JNoelleE:
I think most little boys look like boys. Like little old men. haha
So, this makes me feel that girls look like girls, because they don't look like little men. kwim?

DD had a receding hairline like a little old man when she was a newborn!

ChelseyB5186 · July 2012

CPhillz:
DS has never been mistaken for a girl before. I guess he looks like a boy? But I dress him pretty boyish too so maybe that's it. And Chelsey, I can't believe Layne was called a girl before! I agree with Tamb, he definitely makes me think all "boy"!

One of the times was at the hospital last week to visit with a LC...and we had to walk through the maternity ward to get to her office. One of the maternity nurses said, "Oh she's so cute!" You would think nurses that work there would know not to assume, considering they see all types of babies. He was wearing a white onesie with brown monkeys on it...didn't look particularly "girly" that day, I don't think.

bellablue2 · July 2012

erniebufflo:
I think babies just look like babies.

This. There are a few that really look like boys or really look like girls. But, in general they look like babies. I am told that my Amelia looks a lot like her brothers but a girly version.

Monkeybabe · July 2012

Daniellemf1228:
I agree with pp that babies just look like babies. I always get that dd looks like a boy and "What is his name" I just ignore it and say "HER name is Kiernan" As for looking like a boy...I think it all depends on how they are dressed because if you put a boy in a dress he is going to look like a little girl baby, they don't really have different features yet imo.

Same here. Zoe's totally androgynous, imo. I just pretend like I didn't notice and use a female pronoun when referring to her.

biblionerd · July 2012

I don't think you can tell with most babies. For the majority of people who posted on this thread that they can't believe someone would mistake their baby for the opposite sex, I easily could.