Melinda Tankard Reist Rosie became pregnant at 17 last year. She was labelled a slut. Melissa, 14, ran away from home so her parents couldn’t force her to have an abortion. Jackie, 33, had a violent partner who didn’t want their baby. There was no public housing available and refuges were full. She […]
‘What it’s really like to be a teen mum’ starts off: ‘Babies might seem cute, but having one of your own is no joke’. Is anyone really saying having a baby is a joke? Do girls really think it’s a bit of a laugh to be pregnant in a culture where they will be punished […]
Our finances were crippled, our mental health shattered As I wrote in my Sunday Herald Sun piece on the weekend, we rarely hear from those who don’t end up with a baby at the end of the line. We mostly hear the success stories. So I thought it important to give this letter some prominence here. […]
MTR in Sunday Herald Sun I DON’T want to discuss the personal IVF journey of Tony Abbott’s staffer Peta Credlin. Others can examine the politics of the Opposition Leader’s foray into the issue this past week. But there is a new opportunity to talk about IVF. It is difficult to criticise a procedure seen as […]
Cold term cannot disappear central experience of pregnancy and birth Gestational carrier is an ugly term THE objectification of women’s bodies and commodification of childbirth came together yesterday in a single antiseptic phrase contained in the announcement of a second child for actress Nicole Kidman and her musician husband Keith Urban. The baby’s birth three […]
With a big scarlet letter on the back as a sign of their shame In the US, teen fashion chain ‘Forever 21’ has launched what has been labelled a “controversial” maternity line called Love 21 Maternity. The range can be found in Forever 21 stores in five states. Apparently, three of these states have the […]
