*sigh*

[omorka]

My flist is awash in baby-celebration today.

I distrust this for many reasons, not least of which is the constant pressure from my father's family to hurry up and get with the babymaking (fortunately, my parents themselves have cut this the heck out), and the omnipresent social pressure for the same, but also because a lot of this seems to be a sly, half-couched way of making women who have made the choice to terminate a pregnancy to feel guilty about their choice, or to feel that they were manipulated into making it. There also seems to be some anti-birth-control sentiment sneaking about.

Interestingly, none of the individual posts seem to quite state either of the above positions out loud, and it's possible I'm seeing patterns between multiple posts where none of the individual posters intended any of the above. But it's depressing, all the same.

Comments

[altamira16.livejournal.com]

Explain this anti-birth control sentiment more. I think that there have been a lot of people saying that if you have a normal cycle, staying aware of your cycles can actually be a legitimate form of birth control. I am not sure if I worded it correctly because I didn't read Taking Charge of Your Fertility (http://www.amazon.com/Taking-Charge-Your-Fertility-Reproductive/dp/0060937645). They said it is not to be confused with the rhythm method, but in my head at this moment it is confused.

[omorka.livejournal.com]

READ IT, READ IT, it's an awesome book and I think the basics of it should be taught in sixth grade health class. It's astonishing and ridiculous that we think of the basic functions of the female reproductive cycle as Forbidden Knowledge that she's only initiated into if she's trying to get pregnant and Something's Terribly Wrong With Her and she can't.

It is not the rhythm method because the rhythm method (a) uses what has previously happened to predict what will happen, rather than what your body is doing right now, and (b) does not involve Touching Yourself Down There, because that might cause Impure Thoughts, whereas the fertility awareness method is all about sticking your fingers up your hoo-ha to find out what your cervix is doing today. And taking your temperature, but that's not nearly as exciting.

The anti-birth-control thing was more about people suggesting that using consistent birth control (FAM, condoms, the Pill, or otherwise) either (a) meant that one was anti-children in a more broad social sense and thus couldn't be trusted as a teacher, or (b) meant that one didn't trust one's partner to love and take care of one if one happened to get knocked up. I have been seeing more and more "If you really loved each other, you'd trust each other and not need to use birth control" lately, and it's seriously pissing me off.

[tenshihitomi.livejournal.com]

...one didn't trust one's partner to love and take care of one if one happened to get knocked up.

That is complete and total bullshit. I trust my partner, but he sure as hell couldn't afford to support a baby. Therefore, NuvaRing for me. I think people who use birth control are doing the responsible thing. There are too many people out there having babies who have no damn business having babies.

/rage