(Cross-posted with permission from Herbs & Hags: Meanderings of a Hag)

“It’s only nine months! Isn’t that worth it, to save a human life?”

So goes the argument made by those idiots who are in favour of forcing girls and women who get pregnant with an unplanned foetus, to continue with the pregancy and give birth to it against their will.

As anyone who has actually been pregnant knows, it’s not 9 months, it’s 40 weeks, which is actually nearer to 10 months. The reason tradition has it as 9 months, is because in the old days most women didn’t know they were pregnant in those first few weeks.

There is a modern myth abroad which declares that “being pregnant is not an illness” and that it is in fact, nearly exactly like not being pregnant. Again, as anyone who knows anything about it knows, that is simply not true. However for many of us, we have NO IDEA, not a single conception, of just how unlike not being pregnant, being pregnant can be, unless we ourselves experience some of the risks and side-effects or know someone who has done so.

I did a little bit of research on this. Oh all right, I didn’t, I went on Mumsnet and asked them – this should not be taken as a comprehensive list or a serious meta-analysis. It’s just a list of things people on Mumsnet have had happen to them as a direct or indirect result of being pregnant and giving birth. Some of them are relatively trivial, some are vair serious indeed, like Death. Anyway it’s my starting point for a list of potential risks that women undergo, when they decide to keep a pregnancy. Or when somebody decides they have to keep it whether they want to or not. When you see it written down, you wonder how much hatred pro-forced-birthers have for women. For the real hardliners, none of this means anything, they hate us anyway and don’t believe our lives have any value. But for the thoughtless knee-jerkers who aren’t that committed to the forced-birth arguments, this list might be a useful thing to contemplate. Anyone wanting to add anything, I’d be interested to hear from you.

Anaemia

Anal fissures

Anal incontinence

Anaesthetic mistakes leading to permanent disability.

Asthma – 1/3 of women who have it finds that pregancy makes it worse.

Back pain

Bell’s palsy

Blindess (tearing retina during delivery because of pressure of pushing)

C-sec wounds getting infected, haematomas associated with C-sec wounds, keloid scarring.

Carpal tunnel syndrome

Cascade renal colic

Change in digestive system

Change of body shape – breasts and hips do not return to form prior to pregnancy. There are implications for psychological harm there alone.

Coccyx problems – some women have difficulty sitting down forever after.

Constant nausea sometimes for the whole 10 months

Cutting of bladder during caesarean

Death

Decreased suppleness (particularly bad for women who do sport).

Dental problems

De Quervain’s Syndrome or Mother’s Thumb?

Diarrhea and vomiting lasting for 2 or 3 years after the pregnancy.

Eclampsia

Eczema can be made worse

Episiotomy wounds can open up

Eye prescription changes.

Fistula

Gestational Diabetes. About 8% of women are affected by this.

Guilt and self-loathing from giving child up or not bonding if kept.

Gum disease and wobbly teeth

Haemorrhage

Hair colour change

Hands and/ or feet can grow and not go back to their old size.

Hernia

Hip pain

Hormonal effects on pre-existing conditions ie psoriasis, acne, etc

Hyperemesis, with severe dehydration

Increased risk of gallstones and kidney stones

Increased risk of osteoporosis

Increased risk 12 months post partum for Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (inflammation of the uterus, ovaries, FTs) – can leave permanent scarring, cause infertility, ectopic pregnancy etc

Iritis (a horrid auto-immune inflammation of the iris, which leads to blindness if not treated quickly and efficiently. A sudden change in hormones can cause an attack).

Less intense orgasms

Lochia can be retained, causing distention of the uterus.

Lowering of the immune system

Mastitis

Memory implications

Mental Health conditions are often exacerbated by pregnancy.

Months of sleeplessness. Sleep deprivation recognised as serious health risk by most medical authorities in the world.

Muscle tears

Multiple Sclerosis has been known to be triggered in pregnancy

Negative impact on finances that will affect mental health, lifestyle, access to jobs.

Nerve damage

Nipple thrush causing nipples to permanently invert. Leading to lack of confidence, lowered libido etc.

OCD can be triggered/get worse post partum.

Pain of the milk coming in.

Permanent increase in blood pressure

Piles

Plantar fasciitis

PND

Post partum hyperthyroidism, leading to the need to take thyroxine for the rest of ones days.

Post-birth complications. Poor stitching followed by repair operation months later.

Post natal psychosis

Pre-eclampsia

Pre-existing conditions like Arthritis, need drugs to control them. These drugs are harmful to foetuses and need to be stopped, leading to the woman with arthritis ending up in constant pain for years, possibly life and needing to use a wheelchair.

Pre-natal anxiety and depression is generally not discussed but common.

Prolapse

PTSD

Restless Leg Syndrome

Scarring

Sexual problems (libido, sensations)

Skin changes like patches, spots etc. Sometimes patches never clear up.

Snoring and sleep apnoea

Spinal migraine

Sore and painful joints, sometimes lasting months or years.

SPD – a syndrome which can lead to serious disability and pain, no cure.

Splitting of chest muscles (can’t remember term, but colleague could fit a fist in the space between her muscles)

Tears into urethra and clitoris as well as vaginal and anal.

Thrombosis- deep vein and superficial vein

Tokophobia

Urinary Incontinence – stress incontinence, urge incontinence and both. This would be considered a major effect in a man, but for some reason women are supposed not to mind. This can lead to lack of confidence, depression etc. (Which since this is how patriarchy likes women to feel, should possibly be seen as not a side effect at all, but a lovely womanly enhancement.)

Varicose veins

Women who suffer Gestational Diabetes are more likely than average to develop diabetes later on in life. Sometimes gestational diabetes will be permanent.

Only 9 months eh? I don’t think so. Now imagine telling a man that he should risk any of the more serious things on this list (or even some of the less serious things), in order to save the life of a child, because human life.

It just wouldn’t happen would it? Because unlike women, men matter.