My father didn’t come to the hospital when I was born. I discovered this later in life. In Kyrgyzstan, parents often wish for sons. When a girl is born first, it is no problem – a son is still likely to come. When the second child also turns out to be a girl, the family begins to worry. And to pray.
They might sacrifice a ram, study eastern calendars to work out which days are good for conception. God forbid if the third child turns out to be a girl. This would now be a serious problem.
