First of all, Claire just doesn't look pregnant. She's got perfect skin, a small ass, and believe me, if I can't just jump up and down at four months, I can assure you she wouldn't be doing so at nine months... Second, in a flashback scene they go back to when she was about three months, fighting with her boyfriend. She's HUGE. I'm four months right now, and nowhere near that large, and I am not even an anorexic actress.

The thing that really got my blood boiling, though, was when the doctor (played by that guy from Party of Five) freaked out about the fact that she might go into labor "early." By "early," he meant 39 weeks. And he said something along the lines of "if she goes into labor early, out here, with no instruments or anesthetic, well... that would just be bad." Ahem. Let the ever-so-knowledgeable Flygrrl elaborate... anything from 38 to 42 weeks is considered full term. Having a baby at 39 weeks is a blessing, not a crisis. And then, the idea that a healthy woman can't possibly deliver a baby without the aid of a doctor and his instruments is also ridiculous. If something goes wrong, then, yes, on a jungle-covered island you're kind of in a tight spot. But, millions of women give birth without anesthetic every day just fine. A lot of them do it without doctors or instruments. Newsflash, but it's what the female body is designed to do. A lot of research in recent years is showing that the trend towards more intervention in labor and birth has hurt women, not helped them, and the growing resurgence of midwives and doulas is really helping educate people and reverse that trend. Women were not designed to give birth flat on their backs strapped to an IV and fetal monitor.

It's just like the old image of a woman suddenly going in to labor and then giving birth in the taxicab on the way to the hospital... the average length of labor for a first time mama is 14 hours. Unless you're going from New York to DC by taxi, chances are you're going to make it to the hospital just fine.

OK, so this may all seem a bit pedantic and you're thinking "why do I care so much?" and maybe you don't, but now that I'm doing this myself, I realize that how mothers and pregnant women are portrayed in popular culture is as much a part of the problem of sexism and mysogyny in society as anything else. It's just not something I was aware of before. I'm not suddenly a cripple or an invalid. I'm not suddenly going to become a completely different person. Will I change? Absolutely, but I really think being a mother is going to give me more things to rage against than less. And that's a good thing.

C'mon, though; she's pregnant with some kind of evil baby that Tom Cruise's creepy cousin wants for some crazy island reason. That's gotta make the whole delivery process a little bit harder. ;)

Oh, so you believe that the psychic is not a crackpot? I guess if there's monsters on the island, I should just suspend all disbelief... (didn't know Tom Cruise was involved... eh)

I would also like to point something else out. After being taken to task for my assertion that the popular portrayal of pregnancy and childbirth is 'mysogynist' or 'sexist' I would like to clarify. The distorted picture of pregnancy and childbirth presented serves to further distort the picture of women in society, much as the photos of models in fashion magazines. This distortion is perhaps not any more eggregious than the other types of distortions that take place in the media and popular culture, however it isn't something I was aware of until going through the experience of pregnancy myself. Make more sense?

No, I am still confused. Exactly how is the portrayal sexist? I'm not necessarily disagreeing with you... but just because something is inaccurate, that doesn't necessarily mean it is sexist, right?

I think anything that distorts the idea of women as people can have sexist effects... for instance, discrimination in the workplace based on stereotypes about pregnancy is by definition sexist discrimination. It's not so much that the portrayal itself is sexist, rather that it can reinforce sexist thoughts and practices. And again, I'm not saying that it is moreso with pregnancy than with anything else in society--it's just one more little pebble on the pile--it's more that my eyes have suddenly been opened to it. Like you are probably a lot more aware of reinforcement of the stereotype of lawyers as horrible, money-grubbing, ambulance chasing people than you were ten years ago.

I was a little shocked when they stuck an IV in my hand as soon as I got to the hospital the day I went into labor. I was like -- how can I walk around, or get in the shower (pain management) if this stupid thing is on me? Of course, being a scared, first-time mom who was enduring incredible pain, I took it for granted that they were doing the right thing. And in the long run, I did opt for pain meds and then wound up with an emergency c-section... but all this is to say, that first IV stick still pisses me off. They never even asked. The idea that women cannot give birth without invasive measures pisses me off (and this is the prevalent notion of giving birth - get to the hospital, get your epidural, and enjoy the ride). The idea that c-sections are a safe and alternative way to give birth (the skyrocketing elective c-section rate is just staggering)... don't even get me started. I totally hear what you're saying.

I'm sorry you went through that, Carol. Luckily we have a very progressive hospital here, but I am learning that I still have to do my homework and question everything, even with the RNMs. It makes me sad. I do not have the complete mistrust of doctors that some people I know have, but it doesn't help that I have been hanging out with the AP/homebirth crowd. Well, actually, it *does* help, because hopefully even being a scared, first-time mom I will have some idea of what I want and know how to ask for it. It is still hard to go against years of being told that medical people are 'the authorities.' Anyway, if you ever want to talk about it...

Oh, I've got some great storys from my stay at White Plains Hospital -- getting yelled at by the cafeteria workers, snarky lactation consultants, and our billing nightmare afterward. One bit of advice: if, God forbid, you have billing problems after the baby is born, just contact your state department of health. We'll relate the whole story when we see you guys. It's a doozy.

Speaking of total mistrust of doctors, and on a related note, I am wondering if some of these medical perceptions are somewhat regional. I have no intention of ever being pregnant, but I completely get what you are saying about the idea that once pregnant, modern medicine steps in and takes over as the one and only way... But my experiences with doctors in the midwest were if *anything* seemed slightly amiss, they would prescribe (often toxic) medicine, and if the symptoms went away, well, that was your diagnosis. What I am finding on the west coast is completely the opposite: Doctors are loathe to prescribe any kind of medicine unless they have a definite diagnosis, and even then, only if you are in dire straights and seriously need the medication, by way of example. It's really refreshing.

I would be curious to know if the same attitudes cross over towards pregnancy--i.e., leave the woman alone, see what happens, and intervene only if necessary. My guess is probably, sadly, not, but it would be interesting...

I think there are definitely regional variations, and probably urban vs rural variations as well. I think one thing that makes a big difference is how the law treats midwives and such-- in Illinois, direct enrtry midwives, while not technically illegal, can be arrested for practicing medicine without a license if something goes wrong at a birth. Only RNMs working under an OB in a hospital are really "allowed". That right there sets up an expectation of what the experience/philosophy will be. I'm sure the malpractice climate in different states has an effect too. Interesting that it was a California hospital that was recently the subject of an article about how some hospitals are starting to ban VBACs (vaginal birth after C-section)-- mostly due to insurance and malpractice concerns, though most women can safely do it.