The experience of “gender disappointment”—the feelings of sadness and disappointment in the sex of an unborn or living child—has been made real across online parenting communities. Though it appears to be a widely experienced and understood phenomenon, there remains a lack of scholarly review of the concept. This review intended to synthesize current knowledge in order to better understand and begin to respond to this seemingly negative experience in the lives of parents, better supporting families of today. This review examined published peer-reviewed articles in dozens of major social science databases (PsycArticles, PsycInfo, Social Services Abstract, etc.) across all years 1974 to present and identified 7 articles for inclusion. Examining gender disappointment that results from gender preference, rather than preference itself, the results of this review support the need for more in-depth research on gender disappointment as well as a better understanding of the experiences of parents suffering it. Further, a discussion of the gender selection debate is provided.
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