Size and sensibility

[percival]

I'm 32, and it took a pregnancy for me to even begin to shift my negative "too-fat" body image. I don't want my own daughter to have to go through this, and I presume JKR feels the same, especially with Jessica coming up to puberty. Women are bashed if they are a healthy size, bashed if they are thin, bashed if they are fat ... how on earth can a healthy body image survive this onslaught? I started to read May Pipher's Reviving Ophelia, but had to put it down after one horror story too many about a girl being crushed under the onslaught of cultural expectations. Honestly, it's much more relaxing to read a book about World War I than about the way girls are twisted and torn to pieces by media, society, and last but not least their peers.

In more baby-related news, she's pulling up on everything, munching her way through the Sunday Times (oy vey!), alternating periods of waking every 1-2 hours during the night with spells of only waking 2-3 times, nursing like a monster, sprouting her third tooth and working on the fourth, and asserting that she wants to be with MUMMY!!!! Her eyes are still grey-blue with a ring of brown around the pupils, and her hair is coming in ash blonde.

Nursing her now is lots of fun - when I'm lying down or lying on my side, breasts exposed, she'll crawl over to me and serve herself. She will even keep nursing while I change position or sit up.

Comments

[wang1961.livejournal.com]

I love the crawling phase, they are soooo cute

[erised1810.livejournal.com]

aha, yoruea the article too. it's ubnelievable what media can do to any self image actually. and yoru'e rightwhen yo usay it never seems to be right either. :P
the baby stuff jsut makes me happy!! {hugs}

[annearchy.livejournal.com]

I started to read May Pipher's Reviving Ophelia, but had to put it down after one horror story too many about a girl being crushed under the onslaught of cultural expectations.

I managed to read the whole thing. It's full of sad stories...but I wanted to know what my daughter (who will be 10 in August) is going to come up against as she moves toward "middle school" and high school. *sigh* She's already almost as tall as I am, and quite chubby for her age. She says she gets teased (already) because she's so tall (5 feet); I'm waiting for the taunts about weight to start. *sigh*

[piperx.livejournal.com]

As the mother of a daughter, I think about that a lot too. I just try to keep her exposed to different things so she knows that she can be anything she wants to be when she grows up.

Nursing while laying down is the best. :)

[swampfaye.livejournal.com]

I HATED that book - try "Survival of the Prettiest" - I think it gives a little more modern facts and a bit more hope that women have the ultimate say in what is acceptable size and what is not.

[birdseyeview.livejournal.com]

Hi,

You don't know me and sorry about dropping a note in your lj like this. My name is Bridget and the reason I am bothering you is because tomorrow (Tuesday, August 15th) it will be Shelle's (shellebelle93) birthday.

For her birthday a comm has been set up here (http://www.livejournal.com/~shelleourbelle). It would be great if you could drop her a note, wishing her a Happy Birthday. If you want to post fanfic or fanart you made for her, please feel free.

Thanks!