New Community for Moms in School
I just started a new communityfor moms in school. Join community.livejournal.com/momsinsc… if you are looking for advice/support along the way!
Octuplets Mum 'Already Has Six'
Article here.
Why are we not allowed to have frank, honest discussions about pregnancy in this country? Neither the pro-life nor the pro-choice crowd would dare to criticize this woman - one because she has autonomous control over her own body, and the other because she decided not to terminate any of the embryos.
But what about the initial decision to undergo fertility treatments at all, when she already had six children? Where is the discussion about the implications of fertility treatments on the health of the woman and the health of the children in the case of multiple births? Where is the honest discussion about the medically responsible decision to tell this woman that, no, it is not a good idea to undergo fertility treatments except in the most extreme conditions, and those conditions are not met by someone who already has six children.
Why are we so selfish when it comes to having 'our own' children? Believe it or not, I see this as the flip side of the coin that tells us it is okay to terminate an unwanted or unplanned pregnancy. The highest ethical priority is given to the desires of the parent, not to the health or well-being of the child.
Why are we not allowed to have frank, honest discussions about pregnancy in this country? Neither the pro-life nor the pro-choice crowd would dare to criticize this woman - one because she has autonomous control over her own body, and the other because she decided not to terminate any of the embryos.
But what about the initial decision to undergo fertility treatments at all, when she already had six children? Where is the discussion about the implications of fertility treatments on the health of the woman and the health of the children in the case of multiple births? Where is the honest discussion about the medically responsible decision to tell this woman that, no, it is not a good idea to undergo fertility treatments except in the most extreme conditions, and those conditions are not met by someone who already has six children.
Why are we so selfish when it comes to having 'our own' children? Believe it or not, I see this as the flip side of the coin that tells us it is okay to terminate an unwanted or unplanned pregnancy. The highest ethical priority is given to the desires of the parent, not to the health or well-being of the child.
Recommend some books!
So what are some good pro-life books that you'd recommend?
I found Margaret Sanger's Eugenic Legacy to be incredibly eye-opening, if really, really depressing.
I found Margaret Sanger's Eugenic Legacy to be incredibly eye-opening, if really, really depressing.
ttcf...
how did your blogswarm go? i forgot about it! so i missed it :( and didn't post anything
(no subject)
Law requires women to view ultrasound before having an abortion.
I wish women would not have abortions because they feel supported enough to go through with a pregnancy, not because they feel scared or shamed out of it. =/
I wish women would not have abortions because they feel supported enough to go through with a pregnancy, not because they feel scared or shamed out of it. =/
Adoption
Sometimes I think no one understands how adoption works, not pro-lifers, not pro-choicers. A lot of pro-lifers seem to act like the choice to give up your child to be raised by a stranger, even if you know you can't take care of a baby yourself, is an easy decision for an expectant mother to make. I always hear "well just give it up for adoption!" held up as an alternative to abortion without any acknowledgment of the need for emotional support when making that decision.
And I hear pro-choicers saying that pro-lifers who offer up adoption as an alternative to abortion are clearly hypocrites if they haven't adopted a child themselves. Apparently in their world adoption is not a lengthy, difficult, and expensive process, and anyone who can't afford it or whom an adoption agency won't let adopt is not allowed to have morals.
And I hear pro-choicers saying that pro-lifers who offer up adoption as an alternative to abortion are clearly hypocrites if they haven't adopted a child themselves. Apparently in their world adoption is not a lengthy, difficult, and expensive process, and anyone who can't afford it or whom an adoption agency won't let adopt is not allowed to have morals.
Hullo!
Hullo, just trying out LiveJournal. All of this is new to me.
Anyway, I'm a introverted office worker from Alabama and I guess I wouldn't be one's first choice of an "unconventional" pro lifer. I'm an ex-conservative (the strangest thing I did in my 20s!), practically agnostic, and definitely have some issues with the mainstream pro-life movement. Lately I've gotten in trouble with some "bad" prolifers in the traditional sense (they don't fit the image, are pagan/goth, etc) because I'm willing to really criticize the movement as a whole.
I do think they rely too much on traditional gender roles and misconceptions that have never been scientifically proven. (Not so much "bad" prolifers in general, but just prolifers in general). I won't cahnge my mind about how I feel about things, but I worry about the infighting.
Anyway, I'm a introverted office worker from Alabama and I guess I wouldn't be one's first choice of an "unconventional" pro lifer. I'm an ex-conservative (the strangest thing I did in my 20s!), practically agnostic, and definitely have some issues with the mainstream pro-life movement. Lately I've gotten in trouble with some "bad" prolifers in the traditional sense (they don't fit the image, are pagan/goth, etc) because I'm willing to really criticize the movement as a whole.
I do think they rely too much on traditional gender roles and misconceptions that have never been scientifically proven. (Not so much "bad" prolifers in general, but just prolifers in general). I won't cahnge my mind about how I feel about things, but I worry about the infighting.
A real story about a real pregnant woman
The New Republic doesn't understand why the New York Times sees anything wrong...
......with women having more than one abortion in a short period of time, or having abortions instead of using contraception. Read it here.
(no subject)
Talking to your kids about sex helps delay sexual activity.
Says Sarah Brown, CEO of the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, “Teenagers are under a lot of pressure to be sexually active." Nationwide polling by the group has found most boys believe sexual activity is expected of them as teens, and most girls believe attracting boys and looking sexy are among the most important things they can do.
It's a hard balance to try to discourage teenagers from having sex without acting like sex is something dirty, wrong, or shameful. But I think the best thing we can do is to be honest and open about sex, instead of acting like it's something to hide, and to emphasize the fact that people should have sex or not have sex because it's something they want to do, rather than something they feel they're pressured or expected to do.
Says Sarah Brown, CEO of the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, “Teenagers are under a lot of pressure to be sexually active." Nationwide polling by the group has found most boys believe sexual activity is expected of them as teens, and most girls believe attracting boys and looking sexy are among the most important things they can do.
It's a hard balance to try to discourage teenagers from having sex without acting like sex is something dirty, wrong, or shameful. But I think the best thing we can do is to be honest and open about sex, instead of acting like it's something to hide, and to emphasize the fact that people should have sex or not have sex because it's something they want to do, rather than something they feel they're pressured or expected to do.