Strollerderby : pregnant women

Amy Poehler: Coolest Pregnant Lady Ever

Jen Chaney — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 18:32:00 GMT

Tina Fey has been winning much praise lately for her impression of Sarah Palin, and rightfully so. But let's pause for a minute to give it up for Amy Poehler, another hard-working comedy star who is about to push out her first child any minute now.

Poehler is hardly the only pregnant woman to ever work right up to her due date. But she is one of the few who has done so while working on a high-profile, weekly, live comedy series. Even though she has announced her plans to exit "Saturday Night Live," she is still appearing in numerous sketches, not to mention pulling double duty with the "Weekend Update Thursday" editions of the show. (The final one of those airs tonight on NBC, after "The Office.")

But Poehler really outdid herself on last Saturday's "SNL" with her Sarah Palin rap, not just because she had the cojones to bust (gently) on Palin in her presence or because she sounds pretty awesome when she shouts, "Can I get a what-what from the senior section?" She deserves props for shaking that big baby-belly of hers proudly on national TV, and looking pretty good while doing it.

Some people presume that pregnant ladies need to have their feet up at all times, or should be resting when they're not busy wolfing down pickles and ice cream. (Never craved that. Not. Even. Once.) Poehler reminds us that it's possible to be both with-it and with-child at the same time. I salute her for that. Apparently so does feministing. And perhaps you do, too.

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The Flu Shot: Do You Dare Not to Get It?

Jen Chaney — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 12:04:00 GMT

It's that time of year again: Flu shot season. As items like this remind us, it's especially important for pregnant women to get the vaccine because the flu carries potential risks for both baby and mother. Really, anyone with a child under the age of five is encouraged to sign-up for a shot for the same reason: It's no good for a kid that young to contract a potentially serious virus.

All that said, I find myself wondering how many pregnant women or parents ignore this advice and don't bother getting flu shots. I ask this as someone who never once got the shot until I was pregnant and felt like I had to. I had absolutely no solid medical reason for believing this, but I always thought the flu shot was b.s. I knew people who got it and still wound up sick. And I knew people who didn't and were perfectly fine.

Of course, once I was pregnant and a walking candidate for an HOV lane, I figured the potential benefits of the flu shot outweighed any doubts I had about it. And I'll probably get my third consecutive one this year, primarily to protect my son from any germs I might inadvertently pick up.

But what about you? Is anyone bold enough to admit to avoiding the flu shot during pregnancy or while raising young ones? Or, on the flip side, do you have a flu horror story that will scare all of us into running to the nearest doctor's office to get the vaccine? If so, by all means, post a comment. Just do me a favor: If you must cough or sneeze while adding your thoughts to this post, please -- cover your mouth.

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Global Approach to AIDS Overlooks Children

Hannah Tennant-Moore — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 16:04:00 GMT

A general consensus that has emerged from the International AIDS conference currently being held in Mexico is that the global approach to fighting AIDS does too little for children. According to health workers at the conference, much of the government money earmarked for combating AIDS in developing countries goes to consultants and overheard costs, with little of that money directly helping children.

Infected pregnant women need expanded access to antiretroviral drugs to avoid passing the HIV virus onto their babies. And even healthy children in AIDS-affected communities need much more nutritional and psychological help than they are currently getting—it’s estimated that only about 6 to 10 percent of children who need therapy are getting it, compared with 30 percent of adults.

One health worker suggested that one way aid money could more directly benefit children would be to give the money directly to communities and families. She pointed out that it has been shown that poor people make good decisions about how to obtain nutritional and medical help for their families if they are given the resources to do so.

Photo: Maciej Dakowicz/photo.net

Angelina’s Not the Only One Having Hot Pregnancy Sex

Hannah Tennant-Moore — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 20:31:00 GMT

It probably didn’t come as a shock to anyone to learn that Angelina Jolie found her pregnancy body attractively “round and full”—and that she was, therefore, having great sex just a month before she gave birth to her twins.

But not all pregnant women are lucky enough to see their swollen feet, back pain, and huge bellies in the same light as Angelina. Many couples, particularly those who underwent fertility treatments, are apprehensive about having sex during those pre-baby nine months.

In a recent installment of MSNBC's Sexploration column, Brian Alexander addresses this pregnancy sex apprehension, and argues that one need not be Angelina Jolie to enjoy sex during pregnancy. A Polish study has found that “experiencing sexual satisfaction by pregnant women improves their self-esteem, facilitates [the] mutual relationship between partners and tightens the marital bond.” And a UCLA researcher found that women’s sexual enjoyment stays about the same during pregnancy. This average level of sexual enjoyment is, to my mind, depressingly low (18.9 on a scale of 2 to 36), but that’s a different issue.

As for fears of hitting the baby on the head, sorry to break it to you, gentlemen, but you’re just not large enough to do any damage.

If you find yourself putting off sex until after the pregnancy is over, you might want to consider this: if you think having sex with the baby inside the womb is difficult, just wait till Junior is spitting up on your shoulder.

Photo: George Doyle/Getty Images

Pregnant Binge Drinker Faces No Criminal Charges

Hannah Tennant-Moore — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 21:45:00 GMT

If there’s anything sadder than domestic violence, it’s domestic violence involving a pregnant woman and an insane quantity of booze. Last week, New Zealand police, responding to a 4 a.m. domestic violence complaint, found a heavily intoxicated woman whose partner had hit her over the head with a bottle. She was nine months pregnant, and had been drinking with her partner for eight hours straight.

The man was imprisoned on assault charges, but police were uncertain about how to deal with the mother-to-be. They considered bringing charges against her for endangering her child by binge drinking, but ultimately decided to refer the case to Child, Youth, and Family—largely because maternal substance abuse is not explicitly outlawed. In some rare cases, pregnant drinkers have been charged with attempted fetal homicide, but New Zealand, like the United States, does not criminalize the simple act of drinking while pregnant.

This recent case has New Zealand police hoping to change that. Detectives involved in the case have called for legislation banning maternal substance abuse, believing that's the best way to stop addicted mothers-to-be from endangering their fetuses. But others feel that throwing pregnant women in jail is not the answer. Furthermore, legislating pregnant women's behavior could be a slippery slope. While many pregnant women feel comfortable having a daily drink, others would never consider consuming even a drop of wine.

What do you think? Should drinking while pregnant be against the law?

Photo: The Daily Mail

Mothers Behind Bars

Erin White — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 16:42:00 GMT

People love to talk about how and where women should give birth. Birth without drugs is barbaric! Epidurals are evil! Do it in the tub! No, no, do it on the bed! Do it at home! Don't even think about doing it at home!

But no one ever seems to talk about giving birth in shackles.

According to this heartbreaking article by Marion Wright Edelman, President of The Children's Defense Fund, the birth experiences of incarcerated women are humiliating, lonely, and sorrowful. And while relatively few women give birth while in prison, over two-thirds of all women in jail have young children. Children who live with relatives, or are in foster care. Children who, in most cases, live more than 100 miles from where their mothers are imprisoned.

Edelman advocates for more programs like Girl Scouts Behind Bars, which allows mothers and daughters to get together for regular troop meetings. And while my own exerience with Girl Scouts sort of felt like jail, I actually think this is a really hopeful idea. She also supports programs that allow for overnight visits, sustained phone or video contact, and the creation of more nurseries to provide care for young children.

Because your mother is your mother, even when she's in jail.

photo source: Getty Images

You're too pregnant. Can I bang someone else?

Brett Singer — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 12:23:00 GMT

I think my head just exploded.

Over on Yahoo!'s new site Shine, someone in the "Love + Sex" section posted a query:

"Will U allow your husband 'eat out' while U are pregnant ?"

Now, before you jump to conclusions… well, go ahead. Jump. But read this first:

"A friend of mine is seven month pregnant now. As her figure is out and not convenient to perform sex, her husband request to have sex with somebody else !!!!!"

Oh, would I love to have a tape of that conversation.

"She is now very unhappy about it................."

Ya think?

"If this happen to U , what would U do ???"

In one sense, this guy might have the biggest cojones on the planet. In another, more realistic sense, he might be the biggest a-hole ever to crawl out of the ooze, bonk a woman on the head and start procreating.

So what would you do?

image: Orbitcast

Note: to the best of my knowledge it wasn't Andrew Dice Clay who said this, but his photo seemed the most appropriate.

Don't Say This Stuff To a Pregnant Woman

Kelly Mills — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 14:34:00 GMT

People like to go on and on about how pregnancy makes women crazy (knowing wink) but in fact, I think it must have some sort of impact on people in the vicinity of the burgeoning mama, perhaps a hormonal contact high of sorts. My evidence for this theory is the sheer number of dumbass things people say and do to pregnant women. It's like all social filters fall away and people feel real comfortable in commenting on things like weight and sex--not to mention the grabby manhandling of the belly. The Poop tackled some of the ways significant others can "open mouth, insert foot" but we all know strangers and family are equally guilty of the obnoxiousness.

Judging by the comments, weight and size remarks are among the most common of crimes (my fav: saying someone looked like she was carrying a litter) as are queries about conception and the amount of barfing taking place. Birth horror stories are also right up there, and probably should be outright banned, as should any advice about what a women should or should not consume during her baby-building time. Really, if you wouldn't say it to a women when she wasn't pregnant, it's probably wise to keep your yap shut, and then some. Just not a good time to think about future siblings, projected weight loss, or whether pregnant ladies should be designated drivers.

Share anything particularly heinous you heard as well.

Pregnant Woman Kicks Ass and Takes Names!

Rachael Brownell (Redsy) — Sat, 02 Jun 2007 15:21:00 GMT

For purposes of argument, let's all agree that there are many many things about pregnancy that suck and some that don't. And even though pregnancy isn't always a conscious choice (after a point) I'm nevertheless filled with admiration for the ladies in that state. I was never anything but a big grump.

So reading this story about a woman who reads the riot act to a mean bullying man in a coffee shop made me so proud. Proud of being a woman, a mother, a human being.

There is nothing as heartening as a tough-loving woman!

[Photo Credit: Big Pond]