• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

By Root 350 0

keeping your “quiver” full of babies—ick) and think that women should have as many kids as they can in order to build an army for god. And (naturally), they think that women should be submissive, and that “women’s attempts to control their own bodies—the Lord’s temple—are a seizure of divine power.”1 So essentially, your body isn’t your own; it’s god’s. Now, of course this is an extreme example. But it isn’t far off from what some policymakers think about women and motherhood.

When South Dakota tried to outlaw all abortion, for example, the task force in charge of discussing the ban came out with this gem:

❂ It is simply unrealistic to expect that a pregnant mother is capable of being involved in the termination of the life of her own child without risk of suffering significant psychological trauma and distress. To do so is beyond the normal, natural, and healthy capability of a woman whose natural instincts are to protect and nurture her child.2 [Emphasis mine.]

So you see, expectations about motherhood and what women should feel are used against us in all different areas of our lives—particularly when it comes to controlling our own bodies.

Treat Yourself Like You’re Pregnant . . . Even If You’re Not

A really disturbing aspect of this obsession with all things mommy is that most of it has nothing to do with the woman—it’s all baby, all the time. We’re just the carriers, after all. Sounds harsh, I know, but it’s true. Even public policy reflects the idea that a woman’s worth lies in her lady parts (the baby-making ones, not the fun bits).

In 2006, the Centers for Disease Control issued federal guidelines asking all women who are able to have babies (so, most women in their reproductive years) to treat themselves as pre-pregnant—even if they have no plans to have children anytime soon.3 Seriously.

This basically means that any woman who is capable of getting pregnant should be taking folic acid supplements, not smoking, and keeping herself generally healthy—but not for herself, mind you, but for the baby (the one that doesn’t exist yet).

The vessel will make sure to treat its uterus and surrounding matter with care for the preparation of the almighty fetus. The vessel puts the lotion in the basket.

You know, I’m all for being healthy—but I’d like to think of myself as a bit more than a potential baby-carrier. And I’m sure you would too. But unfortunately, this treatment of motherhood as having nothing to do with women is all too common. And it’s getting scarier and scarier.

It’s Never Too Early to Start Punishing Mothers

A new trend in sexism that’s somewhere in between repro rights and perfect-mommy standards is going after pregnant women. For anything and everything.

A new wave of laws dedicated to “fetal protectionism” is popping up like crazy on a state level—but they’re more about punishing pregnant women (and, by proxy, their babies) than about helping them.

Just a few examples: Arkansas legislators are considering making it a crime for a pregnant woman to smoke a cigarette;4 a Utah woman was brought up on murder charges after refusing to get a cesarean section and giving birth to a stillborn boy;5 a bill passed in the Idaho state senate would send pregnant moms to prison if they’re caught using illegal drugs;6 and laws in Wisconsin and South Dakota allow for arresting pregnant women for alcohol use.7

Now, don’t get me wrong. I don’t think anyone wants to see babies born addicted to drugs or harmed by alcohol or cigarettes. But all of these laws actually harm infants and their mothers, rather than help them. After all, healthcare in prison is atrocious, and if these bills become laws, the number of babies born in prison (which isn’t exactly a drug-free zone) would increase significantly.

Lynn Paltrow, the executive director of National Advocates for Pregnant Women, wrote an article about this rash of new laws, noting that while we should be concerned with the health of pregnant women, we should not be lining up to punish them.

❂ Focusing on pregnant women as dangerous people who require