A dad was told he could not find out his babys sex because he was not the mother of the child.
Ben Hopper married Kelly Netherton today and wanted to reveal the sex of their baby as a surprise present after the ceremony.
The 26-year-old says he called up Hull Women and Childrens Hospital to ask if he could be told at the 20-week scan whether Miss Netherton was pregnant with a boy or a girl.
![A dad who had planned a surprise gender reveal for his expectant fianc?e has been left devastated after being told he wasn't allowed to know the baby's sex - because he was not ?the mother of the child.? Ben Hopper is set to marry Kelly Netherton today [November 24], and he was keen to reveal the sex of their baby as a surprise present to his new wife after the ceremony. Caption: Ben Hopper from Hull, East Yorkshire, who was refused permission to find out the gender of his unborn baby](https://metrouk2.files.wordpress.com/2018/11/sei_41310807-9d09.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&zoom=1&resize=540%2C359)
He was planning an emotional gender reveal after the couple experienced three heartbreaking miscarriages in just 12 months.
Mr Hopper, who has a seven-year-old daughter with Miss Netherton, said: We lost twins six months ago and then six months before that we lost another one and we were told we might not be able to conceive.
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It broke my heart and I thought it would be really nice to do a gender reveal. I rung up personally beforehand and said this is something that means a lot to me.
They said it would be fine as long as Kelly rang up and gave her consent. They said there was no reason they couldnt allow it.
After giving her consent beforehand, the happy couple arrived at the hospital on Wednesday ready for their scan at 3.30pm.
However, when Mr Hooper asked about whether the arrangement could still go ahead he was dealt a shattering blow.
Mr Hooper said: They were insistent they wouldnt tell me the gender and when I asked they said the reason they wouldnt give me the gender was because I was the father of the child.
Even with my fiancées consent they said no straight away because I was the father of the child and not the mother of the child.
In the end she just told my partner and I went out of the room. Im her dad. Im on my other childs birth certificate and I dont see why they wouldnt tell me.
Although the 20-week scan can give a very good indication of the identity of a baby, its always stressed that it is not 100% accurate.
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Mike Wright, chief nurse at Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust, said the 20-week scans purpose is to assess the babys health and to ensure it is developing correctly.
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Mr Wright said it is not to identify gender and the results of such a test can only be revealed to the patient.
He said: We are sorry Mr Hopper is disappointed that we cannot pass on the results of a clinical test to him, even with his fiances consent.
We understand entirely the couples reasons for wanting us to do so but our sonographers must follow strict rules regarding information governance.
Results of any clinical test must only be divulged to the patient, even if they ask us to tell someone else, unless legal documentation such as Power of Attorney is in place.
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