Search Results for: blog the myth of the perfect woman

Miscarriage Myth

I once had a someone tell me that it didn’t matter how many biological kids I had because I have so many spiritual children to look after and care for. Needless to say, I doubt the words would be considered comforting to someone who just suffered a miscarriage… or even someone who hadn’t. Miscarriage is an extremely sensitive subject for many parents, moms and dads alike. Interestingly, a new report just published in Current Biology is trying to set the record straight on the cause of miscarriages. The research reveals that roughly 40 percent of all fertilized eggs are lost … Continue reading →

Sleeping Beauty: A Strange Fairy Tale

Charles Perrault’s “La Belle au bois dormant” (literal translation “the Beauty sleeping in the wood”) is a bizarre little tale. Some people might find Walt Disney’s adaptation of the story as soporific as the curse upon Aurora, but at least it has narrative consistency. So many of the things that happen in Perrault’s story leave (modern) readers scratching their heads, and that’s on top of the hefty dose of terrible messages for women, something that didn’t come as a surprise after I read the 17th century Frenchman’s take on Cinderella. Up until the point of the teenage princess’ pricking of … Continue reading →

Disasters and Marriage

Disasters affect relationships in one of two ways. They can bring a couple closer together as they cling to each other for support and comfort and love. Or they can produce so much anger that people turn against each other and take out their frustrations on those closest to them. This is eyes exactly what is happening in Christchurch. Reports show ‘domestic violence has surged by 50 percent after a major tremor rocked New Zealand’s second city last September.’ That tremor was ‘the prelude to Tuesday’s quake that left at least 123 dead and destroyed parts of the city centre.’ … Continue reading →

Always Get a Second Opinion

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According to a recent news piece in the Irish Times, a woman was told at an early prenatal appointment last year that her baby had died. She was given an abortive drug and set up an appointment to have the fetus removed. When she continued to suffer morning sickness, she decided to get a second opinion. It’s a good thing she went with her gut instinct, because it turned out that the baby was just fine. It’s extremely important, particularly in early pregnancy, to request a follow up scan if the first ultrasound seems to indicate the pregnancy is not … Continue reading →

Misdiagnosed Miscarriages

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Occasionally, women who are diagnosed with a miscarriage after an episode of cramping and bleeding go on to have a healthy pregnancy. It’s called misdiagnosed miscarriage, and it happens more than you might think. What is worse is that many women are pressured to end their “doomed” pregnancy medically via D&C or other means. Miscarriages can be misdiagnosed when the estimated date of conception is off. When the ultrasound is done, the doctor may expect to see an embryo of a certain size, but if the dates are off, the baby may not be visible yet. This may lead the … Continue reading →

Book Review: Hands Off My Belly!

I have a bad habit of starting about five new books or novels at the same time and it ends up taking me months to finish just one of them. Maybe one day when all my children are in school I will have the time to sit down and finish a book in a few days like I used to in college; but that is just the way things go when you are chasing a little one around the house. If you are pregnant for the first time, you probably have a lot of time on your hands, and if … Continue reading →

Take a Step Back and De-Stress This Christmas

Instead of stressing out about food and baking and so on at Christmas, why not let everyone chip in? A lot of get togethers of people I know, work on the basis of people combining food to make a birthday or special occasion or Christmas feast. Someone might bring dessert, another salad or a casserole or nibbles. It doesn’t matter. If people have a special dish they like make and want to bring it, fine. We often take dessert because I’m gluten free and some people seem to think it’s a hassle making gluten free cakes and desserts. It’s not. … Continue reading →

Thoughts on Soul Mates and Single People

In the Single Side of Things article I wrote in as part of my analysis of Today’s “Why I Got Married, Why I Stayed Single Series”, I ended by saying I didn’t really buy that the single women interviewed were truly happy with their decisions to stay single. Tainted View My thoughts on this are kind of corrupted, because my sister’s a 51-year-old never-been-married single woman. Back in her 20s it was common to hear her declare, “I’m never going to get married. I don’t need it.” Then in her 30s she found someone she thought she might marry. Actually, … Continue reading →

The Empty Nest Syndrome (1)

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“Help me. I miss my little girl!” This was the opening cry for help from the middle-aged female client who sat before me. “How old is your little girl?” I inquired. The woman dabbed her eyes and looked at me and looked away. “She’s 21.” This lady was in real distress. Her daughter had moved away to college and she was a SAHM of one, and her “one” had just flown the coup. She was profoundly sad. She had what is commonly known as the “empty nest syndrome.” Though not a registered psychological condition, the empty nest syndrome is very … Continue reading →

Super Skinny Me

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Kate Spicer – Honestly Showing us the Ugly Side of Weight Loss Last week I watched a BBC program called “Super Skinny Me” and I related to it much more than I’d care to admit. In it, two British journalists agreed to spend five weeks doing whatever they had to do to reach the mythical size zero. I should mention here that both of them were very healthy and attractive women before they ever started their weight loss journeys. The one journalist I related to most was Kate Spicer. She is 38, 5’8″ tall and weighed 140 pounds. That weight … Continue reading →