Masculine womancand navigating the world pregnant
Hello! I am hoping to get some help from masculine women who have been the biological parent and how you navigated the world and its stereotypes? A little bit of background of the situation I am in:
I am a masculine presenting woman who loves being a woman and has no interest in transitioning, I just like baggy clothes, short hair, working out and playing sport. My whole life people have mistaken me for a teenage boy, which has never bothered me.
Recently my wife (36f) (who is more femme presenting) and I (29f) have been talking about having children, and I explained to her that I would like biological children. I also told her about my fears of going through pregnancy with people on the outside being weird about the way I present. She's been nothing but supportive and has really tried to understand my perspective, even if the day-to-day challenges aren't always visible to her.
Today was our first doctor's appointment for genetic testing and other pre-pregnancy stuff, and my experience was so frustrating.
The appointment was under my name, Sarah. My partner Claudia joined me. When we were called in I introduced myself, said this is my partner, and sat in the chair closest to the doctor while Claudia moved the second chair near the door, maybe 1.5m away.
The doctor and I chatted for about five minutes about why I wanted genetic testing, my history, all of it. Then Claudia said something in the conversation, and suddenly the doctor got completely confused, waved her hands around and said 'sorry, who is Sarah and who is this appointment for?'
Even after five minutes of talking directly to me about my medical history and reasons for being there, the moment my more femme-presenting partner spoke, the doctor's brain just forgot everything.
Has anyone else experienced these kinds of assumption, particularly around pregnancy or trying to conceive? How did you navigate it socially, with strangers and just the world in general?