The popular shampoo company Herbal Essences just released a new life-affirming social media campaign branded, #PregnantWomenCan!

Let's talk empowerment. Having a mother who struggled with both pregnancies with my sisters but was both mom and superwoman, I believe pregnant women can take on the world. Obviously, there are sacrifices such as taking time off of work, medical bills, or even picking up another job to cover expenses, but what the media does not tell you is you can be pregnant and live a full life. Herbal Essences describes pregnant women in an ad as “Power forces of nature” and “Doing it for two,” which I believe is absolutely amazing.



Powerful pregnant women are impacting the world like Serena Williams, who was eight weeks pregnant when she won the Australian Open in 2017, and Kerri Walsh Jennings, who in 2012 won gold in the London Olympics. Pregnant women can do anything and everything and they do not have to put their passions on hold. The commercial states, “You can’t put your passions on hold to have a family and you can’t put having a family on hold for your passions.”



Though Herbal Essences had a positive ad supporting pregnant women and their preborn children, Herbal Essences received negative feedback about the ad.



One user commented,

“JUST BECAUSE YOU CAN, DOESN’T MEAN YOU SHOULD. There’s a reason the doctor, a trained medical professional, advises pregnant women from exerting themselves during pregnancy. There’s this thing called ‘stress-induced miscarriages’.”

Yes, pregnant women are told to be careful during pregnancy IF they are trying to do new things such as exercise heavily or change diet rapidly, but if a pregnant woman exercised heavily before becoming pregnant then it is perfectly safe to continue. In fact, it is not proven moderate exercise while pregnant even causes miscarriages.



Therefore, before you decide whether #PregnantWomenShould, think about all the things #PregnantWomenCan.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official position of Human Defense Initiative.