Two great articles in this week's Sunday New York Times Magazine:
This week's cover story, "Childless Europe," takes a look at falling birth rates in Europe, the underlying reasons and implications. Some interesting stuff here. One would think that if you want to boost birth rates, helping infertile couples who want very much to have children would be one way to do it...!
And have a look at "Stress Test," an analysis by Peggy Orenstein, author of "Waiting for Daisy," about the supposed connection between stress & health (including stress & infertility). Some great statistics in here that you can use in rebuttal to the next person who tells you that (like Charlotte in "Sex & the City") you'll get pregnant if you adopt!
(This may have to count as my "show & tell" post for the week, since I had nothing prepared in advance and am feeling brain-dead after being at a baby shower all afternoon...!)
Thanks for the good reading material, as always. I actually saw SATC this weekend, and although I'd known ahead of time about Charlotte getting pg, I didn't know about the relaxation/adoption explanation for why she got pg until I saw the movie. I was quite disappointed (as I have now discovered that many infertiles are) that a show that treated IF with more sensitivity and realism than most fell victim to the whole relaxation/adoption happy ending myth.
ReplyDeleteOn another topic, glad you survived the baby shower :)
Whew - I'm glad the baby shower is done with. Thanks for those links - I especially enjoyed "childless europe" - what a fantastic article. When I clicked on it, it didn't go right to the article but I managed to find it anyway. I forwarded it to DH - hopefully he'll read it - I want to talk it over w/ someone :)
ReplyDeleteAndie