Thursday, April 2, 2009

Proudly Putting Children Second!

New mom Freeman Hunt tweeted this referencing France's coverage of plastic surgery after birth, presuming the "damage" done was caused by being pregnant or giving birth. But I just assume that they write these things to piss people off. It's about getting the mother "back in the saddle" as quickly as possible after delivery.

Now, this seems like not a bad idea, exactly, if not entirely the correct focus. I think there's a reason for women to have sex drive kicked down a notch after delivering. That is, they're supposed to be focusing on the baby they already have.

I feel like this is the key graf, designed to inflame:

Whereas in England, childbirth is all about what is best for the child, in France there is much more emphasis on the mother. And by default, the father - or at least his carnal desires. Returning to a normal sex life is seen of paramount importance.

If we wanted to get brutally biological here, contrary to folk wisdom, nature does not protect the unborn baby over the mother. A fertile female is worth considerably more than the potential represented by a single child. This accounts for the huge percentages of miscarriages. The baby represents a huge gamble, survival-wise. (Indeed, one of the great parts of Defiance focuses on that.)

But I've never met a mother worthy of the title who wouldn't sacrifice herself for her children.

As I read this article, it sounded increasingly like there was massive social pressure to neglect the baby.

Maybe I'm reading too much into it but the whole thing sounds like it comes from a country with a low reproduction rate.

3 comments:

  1. My wife was pregnant with our second about 6 months after delivering our first. I guess I was a big enough man not to notice any changes, hee hee.

    I knew a French woman once who had exactly that attitude about breast feeding (not knew in the bibical sense). They're really weird about sex those Frenchies aren't they?

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  2. France? Yeah, male population gutted by WWI, and all...hell, male population gutted by the Napoleonic Long Walk back from Russia!

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  3. Ron, why did you have to go and get all historical over that?

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