Why call babies "it"?

When some people (mostly men) complains that I use "She" and "Her" in reference to God instead of "He" or "Him"....I was like fine, here goes with "It". That would shut them up.
 
You often hear, "It's a boy!" or "It's a girl"... so they are already referring to the baby as it.
 
Well, yes, at the moment of birth. Somehow that seems different to me than referring to the little one as an "it" before it's (oops!) born.

Mostly I use "the baby," too. "Can you feel the baby kicking yet? When is the baby due?" and so on and so forth.
 
I used the baby, when people call my son a her ( he's very cute, long eyelashes, wavy hair...)

I just politely correct them. - "Thank-you, -he- is (whatever they said)."

I just ask, "How old?"

The response is usually, "S/He's is ## months old"

Almost always they give the gender pronoun.
 
pinecone said:
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'Zie' or 'hir' are a few examples of genderless pronouns that I have seen being used. I definitely would not use a male pronoun if I wasn't sure of a babies gender. I think saying 'the baby' is best.
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Interesting! I never heard of those words until you mentioned. I am not sure if I want to use them. Hmm...
 
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KarissaMann05 said:
pinecone said:
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'Zie' or 'hir' are a few examples of genderless pronouns that I have seen being used. I definitely would not use a male pronoun if I wasn't sure of a babies gender. I think saying 'the baby' is best.
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Interesting! I never heard of those words until you mentioned. I am not sure if I want to use them. Hmm...
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I'm not surprised. Those terms are not very common, however there are cases all over the world where being gender neutral is becoming more socially and legally acceptable. There are people fighting the restrictive nature of the gender binary.
 
Speedy Hawk said:
I do same. I never use "it". Didn't know hearing people do. That interesting.
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I'm hearing and I've never called a baby "it." I usually say baby if I don't know the sex or name.
 
I have used all of the terms..

If I know the sex.. I called it him or her.

I have called it the baby.

I have also called it an It.

It depends on the sentence and who I am talking to. What ever fits into the conversation.
 
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