Pregnant Women

[Eponine]

I once saw an extremely pregnant woman running on a treadmill, doing a solid 5 miles an hour.

Life was simpler before that.

What's not simple about that? My coach, who was an Olympic trialist, jogged up to 8 months (and 5 mph is barely breaking a sweat to someone who can run a 16:xx 5K). Her labor was 15 minutes. Anecdotal, but awesome.

[Guest Raidne]

OTOH, if a pregnant woman is slamming repeated whisky shots at the bar, or smoking crack, then she is probably deserving of our contempt, no? Those are very hyperbolic examples, but this is what I mean - we ALL agree that there is a line somewhere, I think, except for Chaldanya who has staked out a position where nobody could or should ever say anything under any circumstances. Is that the position you also ascribe to? And if not, where do you draw the line?

I mean, I would surely intervene if a mother or father was beating their child in public, or starving them. But plenty of men smoke in front of a newborn without anyone doing a goddamn thing about it.

[Angalin]

pregnancy is a stressful situation

Having the flu while pregnant affects the fetal development. Having a stressful home affects it too. If a woman is affected by food shortages while pregnant (the father can be a factor as well if his sperm were produced while nutritionally deprived), the child may have a higher risk of obesity as an adult as his or her metabolism was set early on to compensate and hold on to calories. At some point you just have to say, gimme that espresso, I need to wake up for an hour.

AE, congratulations on your twins, and hope everything is going well. :)

[Rune Targaryen]

Yup, and most large fish these days have mercury (they me a list at my first appointment), nitrates are bad for you, so nix the bacon and hotdogs, you might get listeria so make sure you only eat pasteurized milk and cheese (nevermind that the most recent listeria outbreaks have come from non-dairy sources or, you know, PASTEURIZED dairy), forget about cold medicine (which is misery, because pregancy makes you more snotty than normal), you have to sleep on your left side, sushi might as well be arsenic, and, hmmmm, what am I forgetting, I'm sure some of the currently or more recently pregnant ladies can remind me. Let's not even go into the feeding wars that exist after you deliver.

I don't understand, your point is because nothing is safe every thing is ok?

@Angalin, the question apply to you too.

But, just to clear, I don't think that is ok to tell the women what to eat or drink, I just saying that I would not give (or sell) drinks or smoke (or drugs) to a women I know is pregnant.

I know that almost everything can be harmful theses days, but somethings are more harmful than others.

[salt]

Yup, and most large fish these days have mercury (they me a list at my first appointment), nitrates are bad for you, so nix the bacon and hotdogs, you might get listeria so make sure you only eat pasteurized milk and cheese (nevermind that the most recent listeria outbreaks have come from non-dairy sources or, you know, PASTEURIZED dairy), forget about cold medicine (which is misery, because pregancy makes you more snotty than normal), you have to sleep on your left side, sushi might as well be arsenic, and, hmmmm, what am I forgetting, I'm sure some of the currently or more recently pregnant ladies can remind me. Let's not even go into the feeding wars that exist after you deliver.

Certain types of food can be harmful. Alcohol is always harmful. Its a poison, thats what it does, and its the only thing it ever does. This isn't some vegan hippie theory or new-age pregnancy bullshit, the only thing drinking alcohol will ever do is poison people's bodies. It is its sole reason for its existence. The average person doesn't really have any way of knowing if the sushi they're about to eat could be harmful, but everyone with a brain knows that putting alcohol into the system of a devloping baby is an extremely shitty thing to do.

It isn't difficult to go 9 months without drinking. Its incredibly easy.

[Guest Raidne]

Raids? Probably. I can see the thread now, about how the pilot and jump instructor are doing everything wrong.

:P

Jesus, in the context of having just seen my mother this weekend, that's fucking harsh. Really???

[Edda van Heefmstra Ruston]

NM, just saw your edit.

[Mlle. Zabzie]

I don't understand, your point is because nothing is safe every thing is ok?

No. My point is that there are a lot of things that are considered to be bad for a developing fetus, and I do not want the goddam "experts" who are my waiters, barristas, mothers-in-law, and co-workers telling me what I can and cannot put into my body. This is not to say that I didn't take good care of myself when I was pregnant. As I said, I had doctor-sanctioned sip of champagne at a wedding and on New Years, and I believe a half glass of wine at a dinner on our anniversary. I'm not exactly a candidate for AA. However, I happen to think that the trend of treating pregnant women like their brains are consumed by the parasitic being growing inside them so that their every move must be monitored, discussed and regulated is insulting and ridiculous.

Certain types of food can be harmful. Alcohol is always harmful. Its a poison, thats what it does, and its the only thing it ever does. This isn't some vegan hippie theory or new-age pregnancy bullshit, the only thing alcohol has ever done or ever will do is poison people's bodies. It is its sole reason for existence. The average person doesn't really have any way of knowing if the sushi they're about to eat could be harmful, but everyone with a brain knows that putting alcohol into the system of a devloping baby is an extremely shitty thing to do.

It isn't difficult to go 9 months without drinking. Its incredibly easy.

Ok, I'll bite. You ever been pregnant?

[awesome possum]

Is that the position you also ascribe to? And if not, where do you draw the line?

I mean, I would surely intervene if a mother or father was beating their child in public, or starving them. But plenty of men smoke in front of a newborn without anyone doing a goddamn thing about it.

I have just as much of a right to tell someone what I think they're doing is stupid/harmful as they do to ignore me or tell me to piss off.

It just depends on if you want to risk taking someone's ire.

I don't understand, your point is because nothing is safe every thing is ok?

I think the point is that you can find harm in almost anything these days if you try hard enough.

Certain types of food can be harmful. Alcohol is always harmful. Its a poison, thats what it does, and its the only thing it ever does. This isn't some vegan hippie theory or new-age pregnancy bullshit, the only thing drinking alcohol will ever do is poison people's bodies. It is its sole reason for its existence. The average person doesn't really have any way of knowing if the sushi they're about to eat could be harmful, but everyone with a brain knows that putting alcohol into the system of a devloping baby is an extremely shitty thing to do.

It isn't difficult to go 9 months without drinking. Its incredibly easy.

What a load of ignorant tripe.

I suppose the loads of scientific studies that have proven alcohol in moderation can be quite healthy for you or the longitudinal studies that have consistently shown that people who don’t consume any alcohol at all tend to die before people who do are just the evil alcohol lobby poisoning people's minds just as their products do their bodies?

Your irrational hatred for alcohol is cute, but really, go educate yourself a bit before spewing such ridiculous musings as this again.

[Mya Stone]

Yup, and most large fish these days have mercury (they me a list at my first appointment), nitrates are bad for you, so nix the bacon and hotdogs, you might get listeria so make sure you only eat pasteurized milk and cheese (nevermind that the most recent listeria outbreaks have come from non-dairy sources or, you know, PASTEURIZED dairy), forget about cold medicine (which is misery, because pregancy makes you more snotty than normal), you have to sleep on your left side, sushi might as well be arsenic, and, hmmmm, what am I forgetting, I'm sure some of the currently or more recently pregnant ladies can remind me. Let's not even go into the feeding wars that exist after you deliver.

Eat NO cold cuts of meat (bye bye, Subway), no hot tubs or super hot baths (even when your muscles are aching like an arthritic 90-year old), oh, and forget peanut butter, because that's not really recommended either - something about increasing the risk of a peanut allergy. Artificial sweeteners are out, but hey, sugar? Why the hell not?

[Rune Targaryen]

No. My point is that there are a lot of things that are considered to be bad for a developing fetus, and I do not want the goddam "experts" who are my waiters, barristas, mothers-in-law, and co-workers telling me what I can and cannot put into my body. This is not to say that I didn't take good care of myself when I was pregnant. As I said, I had doctor-sanctioned sip of champagne at a wedding and on New Years, and I believe a half glass of wine at a dinner on our anniversary. I'm not exactly a candidate for AA. However, I happen to think that the trend of treating pregnant women like their brains are consumed by the parasitic being growing inside them so that their every move must be monitored, discussed and regulated is insulting and ridiculous.

Ok, I'll bite. You ever been pregnant?

I agree with you that you should be in charge of what you eat or drink, but I also agree with Salt that you can easily don't drink or smoke while pregnant.

And I never been pregnant but I don't think that drink is the only way to relieve stress or participate in a celebration.

(off topic: what is a barrista? google translate also didn't know this word)

[salt]

You're right, posion is probably fine for a devloping baby, as long as you have decided that its an appropriate amount of poison. The only other alternative would be going 9 months without drinking, which is obviously a preposterous idea.

[Nichole]

But, just to clear, I don't think that is ok to tell the women what to eat or drink, I just saying that I would not give (or sell) drinks or smoke (or drugs) to a women I know is pregnant.

I know that almost everything can be harmful theses days, but somethings are more harmful than others.

How do you know she is purchasing the alcohol or smokes for herself? I saw a pregnant woman at the liquor store and I didn't assume she was buying the booze for herself. By the amount she was buying it looked like she was having a party. Even if she had been buying one bottle of wine I wouldn't have assumed it was all for her.

And I must be dumb but I never knew caffeine was bad for pregnant women. Still not too concerned if a pregnant woman wants to have a cup of coffee.

[awesome possum]

You're right, posion is probably fine for a devloping baby, as long as you have decided that its an appropriate amount of poison. The only other alternative would be going 9 months without drinking, which is obviously a preposterous idea.

Please provide a link to a scientific study that proves one 4 oz glass of red wine is equivalent to 4 oz of actual poison.

Please. Or take that tired ass argument elsewhere.

[mouse]

...oh, and forget peanut butter, because that's not really recommended either - something about increasing the risk of a peanut allergy.....

Really? Did not know. I had an English muffin with peanut butter for breakfast virtually every weekday of my second pregnancy.

Great, now I subjected my then-fetus not only to 3-4 ounces of poisonous, evil wine, but also to several jars of life-threatening peanut butter. (Oh, and caffeine. And artificial sweetener.)

[Mya Stone]

Ok, I'll bite. You ever been pregnant?

Zabz, I'm 99.9999999999% sure salt is a guy. You can tell by the way "he" posts with such absolutism, especially when it comes to pregnancy.

(off topic: what is a barrista? google translate also didn't know this word)

Rune, a barrista is someone who prepares coffee at a coffee shop (a la Starbucks).

[Mlle. Zabzie]

Eat NO cold cuts of meat (bye bye, Subway), no hot tubs or super hot baths (even when your muscles are aching like an arthritic 90-year old), oh, and forget peanut butter, because that's not really recommended either - something about increasing the risk of a peanut allergy. Artificial sweeteners are out, but hey, sugar? Why the hell not?

Oh God. I forgot about no baths. That was the WORST. Particularly when I got so big that I was afraid I'd keel over if I tried to wash my feet.

I agree with you that you should be in charge of what you eat or drink, but I also agree with Salt that you can easily don't drink or smoke while pregnant.

And I never been pregnant but I don't think that drink is the only way to relieve stress or participate in a celebration.

(off topic: what is a barrista? google translate also didn't know this word)

Barrista = starbucks word coined to describe the person who makes your coffee.

[salt]

I would never walk up to a pregnant woman and smack a glass of wine out of her hand, if she wants to put posion into her child's body that is her decision. One glass of wine is almost certainly not going to harm a baby, but its still a generally shitty idea. I could personally never fathom giving even a drop of poison to a child, and before having a baby with a woman I would make sure we were both on the same page about that.

There just aren't that many cases in life where you adbsolutely need to drink. The life of a child is just too important to treat with an attitude of "well, it will amost certainly be fine". Nine months is not a long time by any stretch of the imagination.

[Mya Stone]

Really? Did not know. I had an English muffin with peanut butter for breakfast virtually every weekday of my second pregnancy.

Great, now I subjected my then-fetus not only to 3-4 ounces of poisonous, evil wine, but also to several jars of life-threatening peanut butter. (Oh, and caffeine. And artificial sweetener.)

mouse, no worries - I had GD with Bran, and I lived off of peanut butter on a spoon. It was my number one go-to snack. And hey, I had artificial sweeteners, and oh, yeah, we already covered my coffee addiction. Oh, and I had a glass of wine (but I didn't drink the whole thing).

Good thing Bran is perfectly healthy and has no medical issues whatsoever, huh?

[Rune Targaryen]

How do you know she is purchasing the alcohol or smokes for herself? I saw a pregnant woman at the liquor store and I didn't assume she was buying the booze for herself. By the amount she was buying it looked like she was having a party. Even if she had been buying one bottle of wine I wouldn't have assumed it was all for her.

And I must be dumb but I never knew caffeine was bad for pregnant women. Still not too concerned if a pregnant woman wants to have a cup of coffee.

I wouldn't know, but this is a hypothetical situation.

I was thinking more like If a pregnant women comes to my house for a dinner or a party and ask for a glass of wine I would say no.