We just ran an article on Babble this week called "The Six Biggest Pregnancy Myths: In defense of sushi, cheese, hair dye - and common sense." It immediately, inevitably got a gazillion comments about fetal alcohol syndrome. But the author of the story, L.J. Williamson, isn't saying pregnant women should go out and become raging alcoholics or eat cat litter. She's just saying the anxiety about what pregnant women eat and drink has gone too far. She writes:
As I was preparing to leave the hospital after the birth of my son, a nurse sat me down and solemnly told me that it was very important, while breastfeeding, to "avoid all spicy foods like Mexican or Indian." I imagined a sari-clad wife cradling a newborn and looking on sadly as her Mexican husband cleared their refrigerator of tikka masala, pork vindaloo, and chorizo sausage, restocking it with a twelve-month supply of Swanson's Hungry Man Meatloaf Dinners.
She's right. In America, from the moment you find out you're pregnant, it's just one big no, followed by all kinds of confusing exceptions:
It would be impossible for a pregnant woman to follow every last piece of advice anyway, because so many warnings contradict each other. Don't drink during pregnancy, unless you're having Braxton-Hicks contractions - then your midwife might tell you to have a glass of beer or wine to relax them. Eat plenty of vegetables during your pregnancy, but don't touch that salad - it's raw, and might have toxoplasmosis.
Doing the right thing by your baby is essential. That means taking prenatal vitamins, eating well, getting proper medical attention. But it's also important not to go so far in your quest to have the 'perfect' pregnancy that you're in a constant state of miserable self-denial, such that you enter motherhood with a martyr complex. That's supposed to come later, right, when the kids leave home and never call?
Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 1)
1. Teenagers who have grown up with the Internet might not understand, but we didn't always have access to good advice about what to do during pregnancy.
I wanted to go back to your previous blog about one of my comments. The standard should be "the Truth." And when it comes to Jesus, that's difficult to come by.
Why? Well, maybe you don't know much about the New Testament. Originally, there might have been an interesting story about the death of Jesus at the hands of the Romans. But about 70 AD, somebody decided to change the Gospel of Mark. They added new sections about
(1) exorcism and demonic spirits
(2) angels
(3) prophecies about the destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem
(4) statements where Jesus predicted his own death and resurrection.
Why? Because, after the Temple was gone, several End of the World cults inside Judaism gained popularity. Many of their favorite Old Testament prophecies involved the Temple, and suddenly it wasn't there any longer. So, it was easy to write predications about 'the end of the age' or the end of the planet.
But the thing to remember is... virtually nothing in the New Testament goes back to the historical Jesus. Everything, including the direct quotes, were invented decades after the real Jesus was dead. Thus, my impression of Jesus as a drunk is just as credible as any "Bible scholar's" opinion. Because all they can do is give you the Wrong Answer, saying that a STORY invented 40 years after Jesus died is credible. And it's not.
Britney has just returned to a treatment facility. If the Romans had been compassionate, they would have sent Jesus to rehab instead of murdering the guy. Because the real Jesus was a rowdy drunk, not anyone we should admire today.
William Hays at 9:48AM on Feb 1st 2008