Pregnancy Awareness Month – doing my part

I just got wind that today marks the beginning of Pregnancy Awareness Month.

I have to admit (a little sheepishly here) that I hadn’t realized that there were so many people not aware of pregnancy in this country–I though that only happened in exotic faraway countries like Northern Canada.  But since I now stand corrected, I’m pleased to know that pregnancy now has its very own month just to correct the terrible lack of awareness.

I’d hate to think that every time a woman with a protruding belly waddled onto the subway, some teenager would make a crack about laying off the Oreos. Or that we could potentially have millions of women sharing that same crazy birth story about how they just thought they had to poop at the prom and suddenly a baby came out. (Although I’d imagine those surprise babies wouldn’t only come out at proms; they would only account for about 78% of the births and the rest would happen in places like airport lounges and power plants.)

And seriously, can you imagine what would happen if not one otherwise healthy pregnant women took those prenatal vitamins every single day? On the other hand, that would greatly reduce the number of women lying about taking those prenatal vitamins every day. So the one small downside of pregnancy awareness is that it’s correlated with lying.

Then again, so is motherhood. So without pregnancy awareness, we really aren’t getting the preparation for parenting that we so desperately need.

In any case, thanks for the press releases about this important month, makers of baby products for sale. I’m glad I can do my part to spread the word.

{39 Comments}

39 thoughts on “Pregnancy Awareness Month – doing my part”

    1. Well it probably is, because I was not aware of any awareness month festivities and now I am. So maybe it’s kind of meta that way.

  1. I really think we need a “I have a crazy, screaming toddler so quit with your judging” week. Or month. It would be a lot more helpful than some of the “awareness” things I’ve seen.

  2. Love the reference to Oreos………..given all the ridiculous press recently

    1. Ha, that’s probably why it seeped into my consciousness. I might have you to blame for that, Doug.

  3. I agree with Amanda. I think toddler awareness month would be much better. If we spread the word maybe people will stop judging when I take my 3 year old out of the house with mystery substances in her hair.

  4. I spent 2 years in the rural Altoona, PA working specifically with pregnant teenagers and teen moms – they could have really used pregnancy awareness year round. and quite frankly – what motherhood does to your life awareness.

    that abstinence only education really is great – huh?

  5. i share your opinion of pregnancy awareness.

    on the other hand, until i had friends trying to get pregnant and actually have a baby, i had NO idea how common it was to have problems. one year, i had eleven (yes, 11!) baby showers to go to and of all of the people i know who now have children – and this number is somewhere in the dozens – i can think of maybe 4 people who didn’t have some sort of major, life-threatening problem. MOST of my friends lost at least one baby, some lost several. these were women around the country, of many different ethnic backgrounds and social and economic statuses.

    now, most of my friends who wanted them have happy, healthy babies but the hell that they had to go through to get them still appalls me. more, i remain stunned that no one ever seems to say anything about it.

    so i’d totally be in favor of some sort of “getting a healthy baby is WAY harder than you think and you are not alone in your struggles” month. probably they’d have to find a way to shorten the name a bit though…

  6. I would prefer there was a Parenthood Awareness Month, wherein we all sit a drum circle– Kumbaya-style– and tell people all the parenthood crap that I wish someone had told me. Birth plan, indeed! No wonder the nurse laughed at me… I laugh at me. 😛

    1. Can’t we just make each other aware of parents? “Hey! There are parents out there!”

      Soooo much easier.

  7. If they really want to help with awareness, I think links to Etsy shops that sell long necklaces that will dangle over the stains you get on the belly of every maternity shirt that you are afraid to swab with stain sticks for the warnings about the dangers of chemicals to your unborn belly, would be most helpful.

    1. You’re smart, Amanda. You go and start that Etsy shop. You have proof right here that you came up with it first. We just need a catchy name. “Stain-hiders” just doesn’t sound fashionable.

      Ooh…”Stayn hiderzz?”

  8. Considering that life insurance for women is higher not just because we live longer but because of our reproductive organs and the fact that bad stuff can really go down during pregnancy, I can see why there’s a movement for more awareness. I’m sure it’s also a way for healthier babies to be born when moms stay away from sushi, get exercise, and all that fun stuff we had to do when pregnant.

    1. The sushi thing is a total myth disseminated by very competitive pizza joints. Also, everyone knows that the biggest risk to unborn babies is listening to too much 80s music in utero. That’s what Nate always said to me, at least.

  9. In fact, Liz, I have it on good authority that exposure to excessive 80s music in the womb produces children with above-average intelligence and very nice hair. And by “on good authority,” I obviously mean my own.

    1. Jaelithe, if I ever breed again I want it to be with you. Or at least you can be my doula and play Love and Rockets in the delivery room.

  10. I am in favor of Not Pregnant Awareness Week, which would be a relief both to those who mistakenly assume others are pregnant and those who field the questions and comments about their non-pregnancies.

  11. While I did get a chuckle, I certainly wish we did have a “Pregnant Women Have a Right to Receive Respectful and Evidence Based Care” because unfortunately in this country this is not the case.

  12. We should have “pregnancy fads awareness week”, to warn mothers-t0-be (and fathers-to-be, they get to be involved) of all the fad things that various establishments will sell you as “must haves” for pregnancy and baby-ready.
    – parenting books (including infamous sleep training books)
    – sushi fame (or just about any food whether good or bad)
    – vitamins
    – maternity clothes galore
    – baby proofing every nook and cranny
    – birth plan kits
    – make up dangers, shampoo-induced birth defects, organic food, hiding from sun… plenty more that I forgotten

    Yeah, there are lot of things we are all not aware of it… despite all the screaming pitches from all the well informed and vendor-backed magazines and morning shows. Apparently having a growing belly and morning sickness makes you eligible for big spending.
    If only my wallet would agree and I would suspend my brain.

  13. Thanks for this valuable info
    re Pregnancy Awareness Month! We do not have
    this initiative in Canada. Perhaps a group can be
    formed to lobby the government? Despite your
    remark regarding ‘Northern Canada,’ not nearly
    enough is known on the subject.

  14. I think I need more literature on this “pregnancy” you speak of. Are you sure this isn’t something the democrats made up to justify spending on such silly things like healthcare?

  15. Wait, wait, wait. So you are saying I was PREGNANT? I’ve always wondered where those two kids who look a lot like me came from.

      1. No, but I do remember thinking maybe Ridley Scott was on to something and that some Alien was going to burst out of my stomach. I’m relieved that it was pregnancy and not an alien invasion. PHEW!

  16. I am not aware that this is the pregnancy awareness month.. Anyway, Thank you for the information and the things you have provided here.. Great job!

  17. I spent 2 years in the rural Altoona, PA working specifically with pregnant teenagers and teen moms – they could have really used pregnancy awareness year round. and quite frankly – what motherhood does to your life awareness.

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