PostingOrder of Parental Honour

Russia is to honour prolific mothers with a presidential award for their baby-making efforts, according to this story in The Telegraph. The move is an attempt to reverse an alarming decline in Russia's population. The Russian government is spreading the message that it is the patriotic duty of all women to bear at least three children. "Pregnancy is now the height of fashion among wealthy women," says the article.

'Height of fashion', indeed. At seven months pregnant, half-crippled with pelvic pain, gripped by every anxiety under the sun and sleeping with a boudoir's worth of cushions to prop up my aching limbs I do not feel remotely fashionable. My hair is a mess: I haven't dared touch up my greying roots for fear of harming the baby.

I hardly go out any more in the evenings - being sleepy by 9pm. My personal space has expanded to a two-metre exclusion zone around me. Talking to strangers scares me. My mind constantly revolves around how to protect the baby from every difficulty she might face in life. I'm terrified that the birth will be a disaster. The indigestion is getting worse. I would love to have three children, but if I can get through this pregnancy with a healthy baby at the end, and without permanently alienating all those whom I love, I'll count myself lucky.

In any case, The Telegraph quotes some so-called 'experts' on Russia saying the real cause of population decline isn't women shirking reproductive duty but .... rampant alcoholism. Oh dear. The average life expectancy for a Russian male is just 58. Poor bastards. They drink themselves into an early grave. But apparently it's easier in Russia to persuade women to have more children than it is to get the men to stop drinking.

Posted 26 May 2008 10:52

Childbirth News Pregnancy

Comments

DownToEarthMother said:

Have just found your wonderful blog...it's inspiring me to remember to get going with the one I intended to write some 8 months ago when my bub made his arrival in the world.



Oh how I remember the last few months of pregnancy and OH how I remember the SPD pain that plagued my every step from 28 weeks onwards....(shudder)....think my personal space was about half a mile so reckon you're doing great.



Thanks for blogging :-)

Posted 26 May 2008 19:14

pierre l said:

Regarding Russia and the number of children, I think they need the good old fashioned Roman Catholic religion. I am originally from Quebec where families with ten children were not rare - my father was one of eight which included one priest and one nun. I left Montreal 35 years ago, and I gather that the priests have far less power now (and my sister and I are both atheists).

I do sympathise (as much as a man can) with your pregnancy pains; my wife (sadly deceased) had two children now aged 30 and 29, but she spent much of her pregnancies being sick, or in hospital (high blood pressure and protein in the urine).

Posted 26 May 2008 21:26

Helen said:

Hi Down to Earth Mother, ah well, another day nearly done - one day closer to delivery. Thanks for kind words.



Hi Pierre I, well, I have a new-found respect for any woman who manages to produce eight or ten children. Because this pregnancy and childbirth lark isn't easy, I don't care what anyone says.

Posted 26 May 2008 21:42

guineapigmum said:

You're nearly there... and then it will all have been worth every painful moment. And, so long as you hide all your blog posts from yourself, you'll forget all about the pain and sickness and discomfort, enjoy No 2 and go for No 3! Good luck with the last few weeks.

Posted 27 May 2008 10:44

Helen said:

Ha ha! Am giggling as I write, after reading your comment GPM. Even if I forget late pregnancy hassles, my husband would be there to remind me. Shame, really, as I'd have loved three. Plus don't forget, I'm getting on a bit too....

Posted 27 May 2008 11:03

beta mum said:

I tried to get my eyelashes dyed while pregnant, and after enjoying ten minutes of lying on my back in a lunch hour, the lady-in-white wiped off the guck to find my eyelashes still determinedly fair.

My pregnant hair had resisted the dye, obviously more concerned about poisoning my baby than I was.

I still paid though, as she had spent the time brushing the stuff on.

Posted 03 June 2008 21:30

Helen said:

Sometimes the pampering is just nice in itself - even if end results not as anticipated.

Posted 04 June 2008 10:35

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