Emily Ratajkowski Says She ‘Won’t Know Gender’ Of Baby Until They’re 18

Following the announcement of her pregnancy, Emily Ratajkowski has said she and her husband won’t know the gender of their baby until the child is 18 years old.

The model broke the news on Instagram yesterday, October 26, when sharing Vogue’s digital cover of her which shows the 29-year-old cradling her pregnant stomach.

Alongside the cover she wrote, ‘Grateful & growing […] Thank you @voguemagazine for this very special cover.’

Emily and her husband Sebastian Bear-McClard were inundated with congratulations from fellow celebrities such as Gigi Hadid and Ashely Graham – both whom have recently welcomed a baby themselves – Paris Hilton, Jen Atkin, and Kourtney Kardashian, to name a few.

As well as featuring on this month’s cover of Vogue, the model penned an open letter for the publication where she discusses her pregnancy and her child.

Emily wrote in the letter:

There is a truth to our line, though, one that hints at possibilities that are much more complex than whatever genitalia our child might be born with: the truth that we ultimately have no idea who—rather than what—is growing inside my belly.

Who will this person be? What kind of person will we become parents to? How will they change our lives and who we are? This is a wondrous and terrifying concept, one that renders us both helpless and humbled.

The Gone Girl actor continued that she wants to impose ‘as few gender stereotypes on [her] child as possible’ but despite this, she understands the desire of wanting to know the gender of her growing baby.

She said, ‘No matter how progressive I may hope to be, I understand the desire to know the gender of our fetus; it feels like the first real opportunity to glimpse who they might be. As my body changes in bizarre and unfamiliar ways, it’s comforting to obtain any information that might make what’s coming feel more real.’

It’s not uncommon for people to ask expecting mothers whether they want a boy or girl, or to be asked what they think they may be having. In response to this, Emily wrote, ‘I don’t necessarily fault anyone for these generalizations—a lot of our life experiences are gendered, and it would be dishonest to try to deny the reality of many of them. But I don’t like that we force gender-based preconceptions onto people, let alone babies.’

She continued:

I want to be a parent who allows my child to show themself to me. And yet I realize that while I may hope my child can determine their own place in the world, they will, no matter what, be faced with the undeniable constraints and constructions of gender before they can speak or, hell, even be born.

Congratulations to Emily and Sebastian.

If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact the LGBT Foundation on 0345 3 30 30 30, 10am–6pm Monday to Friday, or email [email protected]