This particular case that is being reported in the media, and talked about on TV; this morning I saw something about it being discussed on The Wright Stuff, is regarding a lady who drank alcohol when she was pregnant with her daughter, now aged 6. The baby was born with FAS - Foetal Alcohol Syndrome.
This landmark case is primarily interested in gaining compensation to pay for the care the child now requires.
But if this case is successful it could pave the way for a change in the law to make drinking alcohol when pregnant illegal, a criminal offence.
I'm not going to go into detail about this particular case, if you haven't already read about it you can find out more in the Telegraph, here, or the Guardian, here.
I was saddened when I first heard about this case, but not only for the obvious reasons; the health of the baby.
Obviously FAS (Foetal Alcohol Syndrome) is serious, and the rights of the baby/child should be taken into account, but what about the rights of the woman?
If the rights of the baby are to be legally more important that the rights of the woman, then doesn't that mean women are just wombs with legs?
If the law says drinking alcohol when pregnant is a crime, and brands women who do so as criminals, how can that ever be OK? And where will it end?
How can the government be allowed to dictate what a woman can and can't do with her own body?
If there is a new law brought it to make drinking alcohol when you're pregnant, how long before other laws are made to further keep us in line?
Will you be breaking the law if you pop into a shop to buy certain cheeses, such as Brie, Gorgonzola, or Camembert, or pate, or sushi?
All of these foods are considered to be best avoided when pregnant, as they may cause food poisoning or harm the baby.
What about drug addicts?
Will pregnant drug users be prosecuted?
And if this test case is a success, will they extend things even further?
Will overweight people be committing a criminal offence if they buy food that is full of saturated fat, or too much salt?
Will people be forced to buy vegetables when all they popped into Tesco for was a packet of crisps?
And what about smoking? Will it be illegal for anyone to smoke, incase they are near a pregnant woman?
There are lots of things that can potentially harm a baby in the womb, what about driving; there may be an accident.......
I could list lots of things, as I'm sure could you, but it's all too silly to think how far this craziness could go.
What about all of the woman who don't know they're pregnant straight away?
There are lots of ladies who have only realised, or found out they were pregnant when they were several months into their pregnancies.
And some women even go the full 9 months without ever knowing they were pregnant.
What about them?
Will they be charged with poisoning their baby? Manslaughter? Attempted murder?
What?!
Where will it end?
It's all very scary, and ridiculous. The state seems ever more concerned with controlling women and their bodies.
If this test case does bring about a change in law in Britain, it could have a serious effect on other laws.
For example, when a woman who is pregnant is murdered the murderer is charged with taking one life.
They are not charged with double murder, because the baby is not considered to be a person.
There are lots of other things that would have to be considered, and no doubt other existing laws would have to be changed.
Potentially it's a minefield.
My mind boggles just thinking about the ramifications.
I read that 5% of alcoholics who drink during their pregnancy have babies with FAS Foetal Alcohol Syndrome.
That's still 5% too many, but not as many as the media hysteria about this topic would have you think.
The age of the mother; older mums, malnutrition, smoking, stress, and genetics are also correlates to FAS.
But then again, you can't believe much of what you read, and most statistics are completely made-up to support whatever the writer wants to prove.
The reason I said I was saddened, and not only for the obvious reasons; the health of the baby, by this news is because it feels as though we, as in the human race, have not come very far at all. We aren't very evolved, are we?
We are so sophisticated in so many ways, and at the same time it's like we're still living in the dark ages.
Woman are still treated like second-class citizens, like property, or pieces of meat.
It's amazing that women are even allowed out of their homes, allowed to buy alcohol, allowed to have sex and get pregnant if they want to, without being forced to ask the government for permission beforehand.
It is 2014. I just wish it felt like it.
Yes, it is sad, very sad, that the child in this case was born suffering from FAS Foetal Alcohol Syndrome.
But isn't it also sad that the baby is considered the innocent victim, and the mother of this child is being vilified as evil?
Doesn't the woman need help, and not judgement?
Wouldn't we all be better off if instead of making nasty judgemental comments about the lady in this case, we asked how we could help her? And then actually help her.
I have never drunk alcohol when pregnant.
By stating that fact I am not saying I am better than women who do drink alcohol when they are pregnant.
It's just I know that by writing this blog post it may seem as though I am advocating getting slaughtered when pregnant. I am not.
I have never drunk alcohol when pregnant because that is my choice. My body. My choice.
That's the point, it is my choice. My body. To do with, and to, what I choose.
Surely every woman should be in charge of her own body?
Big Brother already has way too much of a say in how we live our lives - Don't do that, do do this, don't eat that, do eat this, etc. etc. etc.
It should never be illegal to drink alcohol when pregnant. Never!
Having said that I also think that being pregnant is a blessing, and doing everything you can to ensure the good health of the baby is of the utmost importance.
Drink alcohol when pregnant, if you want to.
Don't drink alcohol when pregnant, it may harm your baby.
See, I am contrary by nature.
As I don't own any photos of pregnant women, or babies that I can share on this blog post, I decided to add a couple of photos of booze, just to break up the text.
And maybe to celebrate the fact that I have beer and wine.
At the moment I have beer and wine.
But who knows for how much longer?
How long until the powers that be come and confiscate my booze?
Disclaimer:
My blog posts are usually a pretty jumbled rambling rant, but I think this may be slightly more mad than usual.
I'm blaming tiredness, sore throat, chest infection, and the fact that I'm really quite angered by this whole subject - all of which mean I haven't expressed my thoughts properly.
But hopefully you get the jist.
One last thing before I finish; I thought I was finished with that last bit, but then I had another thought.
What if it was men who got pregnant? Men who carried babies in their wombs?
I bet the state would never, ever consider telling men that they couldn't drink alcohol, or in fact telling them anything that concerned their own bodies.
Pfft! It's not easy being a woman in a mans World is it?
I would really love to hear what you think.
What's your opinion, or thoughts about this whole subject?
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