Tag Archive for "pregnancy"

Posts Tagged pregnancy

Martha Plimpton on being bugged about having babies

This week’s issue of New York magazine has a short profile of Martha Plimpton, the Broadway actress who you might also recognize from TV’s Raising Hope. At one point, Plimpton describes her frustration at how often she’s asked whether or not she wants, or plans, to have children.

Oh, God, this subject! You’re 40, you’re getting old, your ovaries are drying up. The gynecologist is like, ‘So, are you thinking about it?’ It’s just the question every¬body—no offense—feels like they can ask. Like, ‘So, what are you going to do with your reproductive organs?’

Something tells me that there aren’t a lot of men being asked intrusive questions about what they’re going to do with their reproductive material. Granted, it lasts ...

By aclu • 12 years ago

Pregnant Women Need Health Care, Not Jail Time

By Alexa Kolbi-Molinas, Staff Attorney, ACLU Reproductive Freedom Project

June 2011 marks the 40th anniversary of President Richard Nixon’s declaration of a "war on drugs" — a war that has cost roughly a trillion dollars, has produced little to no effect on the supply of or demand for drugs in the United States, and has contributed to making America the world’s largest incarcerator. Throughout the month, the ACLU has been blogging daily about the drug war, its victims and what needs to be done to restore fairness and create effective policy.

Deciding to continue a pregnancy, even if you are struggling with addiction, should never be a crime. But in the 40 years since ...

By Alexa Kolbi-Molinas, Staff Attorney, ACLU Reproductive Freedom Project

June 2011 marks the 40th anniversary of President Richard Nixon’s declaration of a "war on drugs" — a war that has cost roughly a trillion dollars, has produced ...

By Chloe Angyal • 12 years ago

On giving and misgivings

Not long ago, I was making my way home from Manhattan to Queens after meeting a friend for dinner. In the passage way between the 4-5-6 trains and the 7 train was a young woman, sitting with her back against the wall, with a backpack beside her. Against her legs she had propped a sign:

“7 months pregnant, boyfriend left me, stranded.”

I walked right past her, ignoring the twinge of concern and guilt and pity I often feel when I see a homeless person asking for help. I walked right past her, as you have to learn to do when you live in a big city like New York. I walked right past her, and, as you also learn to do ...

Not long ago, I was making my way home from Manhattan to Queens after meeting a friend for dinner. In the passage way between the 4-5-6 trains and the 7 train was a young woman, sitting with ...

By Vanessa • 12 years ago

What We Missed

Pregnant lady flash mob!

Miriam has a great piece in Colorlines on the negative impact that teen pregnancy prevention programs have on teen parents.

The Texas legislation that would force women to get a sonogram before an abortion is on its way to Gov. Perry’s desk, who has every intention of signing it.

Melissa on the point that Time Magazine missed in its recent piece on masculinity.

Pregnant lady flash mob!

Miriam has a great piece in Colorlines on the negative impact that teen pregnancy prevention programs have on teen parents.

The Texas legislation that would force women to get a sonogram before an ...

By Chloe Angyal • 13 years ago

New study finds that men suffer postpartum depression too

According to new research published this month in the journal Pediatrics, new fathers are susceptible to postpartum depression.

Researchers from the University of Michigan collected data from 1,746 new fathers in 20 cities, finding that over all, about 7 percent showed signs of depression. More than 40 percent of depressed fathers spanked their children, compared with 13 percent of fathers who weren’t depressed.

As is the case with postpartum depression in mothers, depression in new dads affects children. Depressed fathers are more likely to report substance abuse than fathers who are not depressed, and they’re less likely to read stories to their children. And among certain groups, male postpartum depression is alarmingly common. According to the study, among fathers of infants ...

According to new research published this month in the journal Pediatrics, new fathers are susceptible to postpartum depression.

Researchers from the University of Michigan collected data from 1,746 new fathers in 20 cities, finding that over all, ...

By Jos Truitt • 13 years ago

Mike Huckabee thinks Natalie Portman’s baby bump is hurting America

Natalie Portman just won the highest honor in her field, she’s gorgeously pregnant, and she’s engaged to possibly the most beautiful man in the world. Yeah, I’m jealous. Mike Huckabee, shockingly, has a different take. He thinks Portman’s setting a bad example by rubbing her unwed mother-ness in our faces.

On Monday’s The Michael Medved Show the host bated Mike Huckabee to go after Portman:

MEDVED: [Natalie Portman] got up, she was very visibly pregnant, and it’s really it’s a problem because she’s about seven months pregnant, it’s her first pregnancy, and she and the baby’s father aren’t married, and before two billion people, Natalie Portman says, ‘Oh I want to thank my love and he’s given me the most ...

By Lori Adelman • 13 years ago

Deceptive Crisis Pregnancy Centers on Trial in NYC

Yesterday, New York City Council held a hearing to consider bold new legislation to regulate crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs) in New York City.

You’ll remember that crisis pregnancy centers use deceptive tactics and mislead women about whether they perform abortions, often setting up shop in close proximity to actual abortion clinics and mimicking their style or name to confuse and trick women. Some go so far as to provide misinformation about women’s pregnancy status or due date, or spread patently false myths about abortion. You would think that with all these shady practices, CPCs would already be illegal, or at least exist on the margins of acceptability, but thanks to the support of radical anti-choice activists and policymakers, they have ...

Yesterday, New York City Council held a hearing to consider bold new legislation to regulate crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs) in New York City.

You’ll remember that crisis pregnancy centers use deceptive tactics and mislead women about whether ...

By goddessjaz • 13 years ago

Mother Murders Baby Over Farmville?

I saw this outrageous story today about a young mother who killed her 3-month-old son because he was crying while she played the popular Facebook timesuck game, Farmville. The mother, 22-year-old Alexandra V. Tobias, told the police that she shook the baby, left to smoke a cigarette to compose herself, and then returned and shook him again. She offers that he may have hit his head when she shook him and has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder carrying a possible sentence of 25 to 50 years in jail.

There is no doubt that this story is absolutely appalling and quite sad. The natural reaction is to ask how a mother could be so evil to kill her ...