Things are pretty much the same as usual, except that I’m doing course prep to get ready for my return to teaching/commuting next week. At the end of last semester (in late December), many of my students and colleagues were still unaware of my pregnancy; I hardly think they could miss it now! Two random [...]
During a decade of teaching undergraduate courses, I’ve noticed that the vocal majority of my students generally agree about feminism. It used to be pretty useful, but we don’t need it anymore. You see, sexism was real in the hazy past, and it’s real in Other, foreign, dark parts of the world. But unless you’re talking about [...]
Earlier in this pregnancy, I filled out my “Initial Health History” form for prenatal and birth care. You know: check the box if you’ve experienced severe headaches, diabetes, all sorts of things. After the usual “Emotional abuse,” “Physical abuse,” “Sexual abuse,” I got to this very interesting item: ”ANY unwanted/undesired physical or sexual contact.” And I [...]
Last week, I got sick again, the third illness in a row without breaks. Fortunately, that cold passed pretty quickly (though not before getting me snotty enough to vomit bile twice after not having thrown up for quite a while, ugh). I’m just pregnant-sick now, not additional-illness-sick, and I’d like to stick with that, please. Other [...]
Welcome to First the Egg, a collection of practical information, links, and cultural criticism. This site is a feminist intervention in our rigidly-gendered culture of childbirth and parenting. It aims to provide a nonsexist space for people who want to learn, reflect, commiserate, or laugh about being pregnant, giving birth, and helping children grow up whole and happy.
Feel free to contact me with ideas or questions at
links for thought, January 2012 (1 of 2)
from Nancy Carter and Christine Silver in The Washington Post, “For women in business, the squeaky wheel doesn’t get the grease” Catalyst found that, among those who had moved on from their first post-MBA job, there was no significant difference in the proportion of women and men who asked for increased compensation or a higher position. [...]