policing pregnant people

My doctor acted really disappointed in me when I announced that I would be needing my caffeine. Image: Thinkstock.

10 Shameful Acts I Committed While Pregnant

I drank caffeine, ate candy, ignored What to Expect While You're Expecting — and nothing bad happened.

Read...
The expectation of women in TV news to appear exactly as viewers want them to normalizes the commodification of a woman’s (ANY woman’s) appearance. Image: KTLA/screenshot.

Women Aren't Mannequins: Liberté Chan, KTLA, And The Sweater

Liberté Chan, a weather anchor at KTLA in Los Angeles, was handed a sweater by her male co-anchor and told to cover up on-air because of these types of viewer emails. People watching her weather report determined that her dress, which showed her arms, was too revealing. This is ironic, because so many of us who have worked in news have felt a trend toward wearing less and less clothing.

Read...
Experiences like Alexandra’s, where a barista undermined her autonomy, explain a lot about why modern motherhood is laced with expectation and guilt. Image: Georgina Dent

“No Coffee For You": Why Do People Still Feel They Can Judge Pregnant Women?

I vividly recall being 30 weeks pregnant with my first baby in a London pub. I was lining up at the bar for a soda water, when the man beside me pointed at my tummy and loudly told me I should be at home. Apparently, that was “where I belonged”.

Read...