As an expectant parent, finding out your unborn child's sex is one of the most exciting things.
While a lot of parents like the element of surprise and wait until the baby arrives to find out, many others prefer to know beforehand so they can be better prepared for their bundle of joy.
These days, not only do people throw baby showers revolving around the baby's gender, many hold gender reveal parties to announce the news to their family and friends.
Knowing the baby's gender ahead of its birth makes it easier to pick out a name, buy clothes and set up a nursery, that is if you're not planning on raising your child as gender-neutral.
This is why the ultrasound appointment to reveal the baby's sex is one of the most important ones. However, it doesn't always go according to plan.
It doesn't happen often, but there have been instances in which the ultrasound reading is inaccurate, but the mom-to-be is usually asked to return, so they can get a clearer one.
When Madeleshia Hiscock was pregnant with her second child, she had three ultrasounds to figure out the baby's sex. All scans confirmed that she was having a girl.
Madeleshia admitted that she already had a gut feeling that her baby will be a girl, and even picked out a name: McKenzi.
Then came the news she was not expecting at all.
After a fourth scan, Madeleshia and her husband were told that there had been a mistake, and the baby was actually male.
"It felt like our baby's sex was changing every other minute, but I didn't expect there to be a problem after the birth," she said.
Understandably, the couple was a little bit disappointed because they had already been preparing for the arrival of a daughter, but they were still excited over welcoming a son.
"Even when he was born the doctors said Kenny was a boy. We had been buying blue baby grows and toy cars for weeks," the mother told Daily Mail. "Our first child Zadeleshia was a girl so we were really excited to be having a boy and had got everything ready."
Their lives proceeded as usual, and little Kenneth finally came into the world.
However, five months after his birth, doctors dropped another massive bombshell.
Shortly after baby Kenneth was christened, his parents started to sense that something was not right.
They couldn't point their fingers on what exactly was wrong with their son, so they took him to see a doctor.
After multiple tests, the five-month-old baby was diagnosed with a condition that left Madelisha and her husband in "utter shock."
Turns out, Kenneth suffers from a disorder known was congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH).
According to the Mayo Clinic, CAH "is a group of inherited genetic disorders that affect the adrenal glands." Individuals with CAH don't have the enzymes that "the adrenal glands use to produce hormones that help regulate metabolism, the immune system, blood pressure and other essential functions."
There are two forms of CAH, the more severe form of the disease, Classic CAH, is often detected before birth and can lead to the excess production of male sex hormones in females.
This often leads to genital abnormalities, including ambiguous genitalia, which is why doctors had a tough time determining baby Kenneth's sex before and after birth.
It wasn't until the diagnosis that Madeleshia and her husband were able to finally understand why their baby kept changing so much. They also finally received that confirmation that their baby is indeed a girl.
Although it was hard to accept at first, the couple eventually renamed Kenneth as McKenzi, and applied for a new birth certificate.
"Now we had to tell everyone that we got our baby's sex wrong and buy different toys and clothes - I just couldn't take it in at first," said Madeleshia.
While the confusion surrounding their child's sex has finally been cleared up, the parents still have quite the journey ahead.
There is no cure for CAH, but there are treatment options that Madeleshia and her husband can look into for McKenzi.
Many who suffer from the disease take daily cortisol tablets to manage their symptoms, but some have to undergo surgery.
Since McKenzi is still very young, tests are being done to understand the severity of her condition, which will help determine the course of her treatment.
"We are now seeing what medical help we can get her to make her life as normal as possible," said Madeleshia. "The doctor told us her condition is extremely rare. He said it means the baby is not really male or female, but somewhere between."
Further tests and scans will also clarify whether or not the 10-month-old has a womb and fallopian tubes.
"Her treatment, which is likely to include surgery can go ahead while she's small. The doctors have told us she will grow up as normally as possible," explained the mom-of-two.
Madeleshia said their family and friends were "shocked" at first, but have been supportive throughout the ordeal, but dealing with strangers hasn't been easy.
"McKenzi is always happy and smiling all the time - everyone falls in love with her. But whenever strangers ask if she's a boy or a girl, I still have to catch myself not to say she's a boy," she added.
Even if her condition is treated while she's a baby, McKenzi could develop complications once she reaches puberty, so doctors will continuously monitor her as she grows up.
Despite all the uncertainty, there is one thing that is for sure: the way McKenzi's parents feel about her will never change.
"We have a beautiful daughter, and we're both incredibly proud," said Madeleshia. "It's been a strange few months, but what matters most is that McKenzi is healthy, loved and happy."
